"The Food Pantry gives me a chance to help the hungry
in a way that is meaningful to me."
FOOD PANTRY
A highly valued ministry for our congregation is the Altadena Congregations Together Serving (ACTS) Food Pantry. Housed at the back of our church, the Food Pantry was started by ACC and three other Altadena congregations when we discovered that many of the local food programs are closed on the weekend. Volunteers buy the food, pack the bags, and hand them out Saturday mornings. They also prepare special holiday bags for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. We welcome people to buy and donate food from our latest needs list, or you can participate by donating money for the shopping.
UNION STATION MEAL SERVICE
Want to participate in an important social service, but don't have the time for a lengthy commitment? Join us in preparing or serving an evening meal once a month at Union Station Family Center in Pasadena. On the second Sunday of each month, a rotating team feeds 20 to 30 people at the center. Church members prepare different parts of the meal at their homes and bring it to church on Sunday. You can prepare the casserole, cook green beans, slice fruit, furnish a desert, or help serve the food that evening to very appreciative families. It is a simple yet rewarding task to help us fulfill our call to feed and serve others.
ECPAC
We are a member of ECPAC (Ecumenical Council of Pasadena Area Churches) and actively participate in the organization's Friends In Deed church and community partnership, which provides coordinated and effective social services to those in need in the greater Pasadena area.
PRAYERS & SQUARES
An enthusiastic group of quilters and knitters meet monthly at the church to create one-of-a-kind prayer quilts and prayer shawls. A prayer quilt is made with love and tied with prayers. Both shawls and quilts are tangible evidence of God's love and the congregation's prayers for someone in need. Anyone in the congregation may request a prayer quilt or shawl, either for themselves or for a friend or relative. Our Prayers & Squares group will make the quilt or shawl and bring it to the congregation to tie knots representing prayers, love, and concern for the recipient. The group meets the third Wednesday morning of each month. Anyone of any level of skill is invited to join us; quilting fabrics, batting, tools, and advice are freely supplied.
FRIENDS OUTSIDE
Friends Outside is a nonprofit organization that works with families in our local area who have a loved one incarcerated. Each year our congregation works closely with the Pasadena office to make their December holiday party special. We provide about 100 gifts for children ranging in age from infants to teens. Many of these children live in foster homes or with elderly relatives on very limited incomes. They may not have any holiday celebration except the Friends Outside party and the gifts we provide. This is a unique opportunity to help local disadvantaged children experience some joy at this special time of the year. If you would like to contribute money or a gift for this wonderful project, please call the church office.