Community Outreach – Messiah Lutheran Church

OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE – EVERY DAY!

GOD’S WORK. OUR HANDS.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW YOU CAN BE INVOLVED IN HELPING WITH ANY OR THESE MINISTRIES, CONTACT THE CHURCH OFFICE AT (570) 326-9171 or messiahoffice@comcast.net to be put in touch with the ministry coordinator of each outreach program.

You can print the list here: Pack the Pantry_2025

Food Pantry: Messiah Lutheran Church has a small food pantry in the church office which provides non-perishable food items to anyone in need. If you would like to provide some food, donations can be dropped off in the bin in the elevator alcove whenever the church is open, or taken directly to the church office. Examples of items we collect include: canned vegetables, canned fruits, canned beans (all kinds, but especially baked beans), boxed macaroni and cheese, mashed potato packets, canned soups (primarily chicken noodle, tomato, and cream of mushroom), rice, pasta, egg noodles, canned tuna, canned chicken breast, breakfast foods (i.e., oatmeal packets, boxed cereal, PopTarts, etc.), granola bars, microwave popcorn, tea bags, instant hot cocoa packets, dessert mixes (Jello, brownies, etc.), packaged cookies, and pudding cups. You can download a printable list of needed items here: Food Pantry List of Needed Items
Monetary donations are always welcome and can be sent to the church office. If you are in need of food, it is appreciated if you call ahead to the church office to arrange a time for pick-up.

Mounties Backpack Program: Messiah Lutheran Church supports families in the South Williamsport Area School District by participating in Feeding America’s Backpack Program. Backpack food programs offer families free groceries for weekends and school breaks. Food backpacks include healthy, easy-to-prepare food for kid-friendly meals.

Feeding America member food banks partner with schools, Boys and Girls Clubs, and community centers to distribute backpacks to kids. To learn more about the Backpack Program, visit this link: https://www.feedingamerica.org/our-work/hunger-relief-programs/backpack-program

Volunteers are always needed to help pack the food and to deliver the backpacks to the schools on Fridays or the day before a school break. Monetary donations are also welcome. Contact the church office if you wish to help.

Lutheran World Relief School Kits: Truly a group effort, this is a project in which EVERYONE can get involved. Early in the Spring, we begin cutting fabric and sewing backpacks. Don’t sew? No problem … we have non-sewing jobs you can do to help! During Bible School week, the children in the older classes add the drawstrings to the backpacks, and then we have a “knotty” party to tie the ends of the cords together. After that, it’s time to shop the summer “back to school” sales to fill them up! In September, children and adults team up to pack the school supplies into the bags and to put them in cartons to be shipped. The cartons are taken to the synod ingathering in October and then we have a couple of months to rest until we start again! Where do all the school kits go? Click here for a Messenger article that tells all about it, along with some links to videos that show the impact of your gifts around the world.
You can read a Messenger article here to see how many kits we were able to send in 2024.

Christmas Baskets: Messiah Lutheran Church continues its long-standing tradition of providing food baskets with all the fixings for a Christmas dinner to those in need in our community whom have been referred to the program. shampoo, toothpaste, and shaving cream; toothbrushes (adult and child); disposable razors; new combs; bar soap. Please place items in the appropriately marked bin in the elevator alcove. Monetary donations will also be accepted by Shepherd of the Streets.

Christmas “White Gifts” Program: Messiah Lutheran Church continues its beloved tradition of providing Christmas gifts for children in need in our local community whom have been referred to the program.

Shepherd of the Streets is in need of the following items: baby items (shampoo, powder, lotion, soap, diapers of all sizes); regular sizes (not sample sizes) of deodorant,’

Other helpful links:

Shepherd of the Streets is just one of the ministries supported by United Churches of Lycoming County. For more information about United Churches of Lycoming County, visit their web site at uclc.org