We are so proud of the many ways that congregations are reaching out and sharing God's love. This past month we invited you to rally the spirit of compassion and impact, and you helped us launch the COVID Compassion Campaign: Be the Light, Live Hope!  

Here are just 10 examples of how you have responded to the vital needs of people in your community.

The food pantry box that sits outside Open Heart UMC in Rapid City, South Dakota. Photos courtesy of congregations and their Facebook pages.

Little food pantry: Open Heart UMC in Rapid City, South Dakota, has a container that houses food items for people to come by and get what they need. The is called the Free Little Food Pantry. Amid the pandemic the need has increased, but so has the giving. When a call goes out for food items, the call is answered and many people are blessed. 

Devotional box:  Did you know that the Upper Room devotional is free as a downloadable pdf duing these times of uncertainty?  The United Methodist Church in Winner, South Dakota has set up an devotional box, where you can stop by and pick up the Upper Room devotional. 

Supporting local businesses through Facebook live commiunity trivia:  Rev. Mark Track, spearheaded an effort in Clark , South Dakota, to do a Facebook Live give away each day of gift cards to local resturants. The church gathered donations, and support from community businesses. Each day, Pastor Mark would go live on Facebook, offer a prayer or blessing, and a trivia quesion about the community. The first person to respond correctly won a gift card to a local resturant, and a second gift card to give away to someone in need or, who might not be on Facebook. The idea worked so well that the United Methodist Church in Webster, South Dakota is now doing a trivia challenge. 

Members of Canyon Lake UMC filled up a truck with food donations in a matter of a few hours.

Birds feeders at care facilities: A lot of congregations are being creative about reaching out to people in senior living communitys. Spirit of Faith, Woonsocket, South Dakota, decorated and put bird feeders outside the senior living center. 

May Day care packages: Did you miss getting a May basket this year? The long-time tradition of leaving a surprise on the doorstep was emulated at  Arthur, Milnore,  Sheldon,  and Wyndmere, North Dakota. Pastors Quaya Ackerman and Rick Pettinger, made up care packages and delivered them to members of the congregation, some in town and some in the country. 

Song of the day:  Many of you are doing a devotional, prayer, or storytime each day. These are wonderful to watch and really help keep us all connected. At Faith UMC,  in Fargo, North Dakota, Christopher Hansen, who is the worship leader, does a song of the day.  Watch and sing-along here. 

Food give aways: A lot of you have been supporting Feeding South Dakota or the Great Plains Food Bank as the truck shows up for distributions in communities throughout North and South Dakota.  Special efforts are in place Tree of Life, in Mission, South Dakota and in Repeated Blessings in Plankinton, South Dakota to make sure food give aways happen. 

Food drives:  Several congregations are collecting food items for local food pantries. Here are a couple of extraordinary efforts.  At First UMC in Fargo, North Dakota, 2770 pounds was donated to the Emergency Food Pantry of Fargo-Moorhead area.  Canyon Lake United Methodist Church in Rapid City, South Dakota, filled the truck and then some. The congregation also raised a bunch of cash and masks to distribute.

May Day baskets of care were delivered in Arthur, Milnor, Wyndmere, and Sheldon, North Dakota by Pastors Quaya Ackerman and Rick Pettinger.

Continuing food ministries: Event though it seems difficult to feed our neighbors duirng the pandemic outbreak, many of you are doing just that.  Here are a couple examples. Out in Faith, in Williston, North Dakota, continues to serve meals, in a drive-up fashion. Each week the number of people seeking a hot meal continues to grow.  Nightwatch Canteen, a ministry of the United Methodist Churches in the Sioux Falls area is serving meals each week, using precautions. 

Hearts of hope:  There are so many ways that you are showing hope and the love of God. Hearts are showing up all over as a symbol of loving our neighbors and hope.  Here are some examples. Spirit Lake Ministry Center in North Dakota made hearts and care packages for disrtibuting to families throughout the Spirit Lake Nation in North Dakota. The United Methodist Church in Redfield, South Dakota has a sign and hearts in the window of their church to thank the workers at the community health care center. The United Methodist Church in Miller, South Dakota crafted hearts to lift up members of their congregation and community in prayer.  

View a album of all that you have done so far here. 
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