Outreach

We always welcome the community for worship and to enjoy our special activities.  Community Unity Service and Revival, Spring Fling,  Vacation Bible School and Alpine Community Trunk 'n Treat draw children and adults for fun, food and fellowship.  We enjoy providing and serving monthly at a downtown soup kitchen, having on-going food drives, and providing school supplies and health kits for those in need.

With the hardship created with food assistance because of the government shutdown and other economic difficulties, the Advocate is compiling a conference-wide list of food assistance available via United Methodist churches throughout South Carolina. 

This is intended to be an ongoing list, and we will update it as we receive new information. 

If your church offers a food pantry, blessing box or other similar program, send know the details, (including church name, address, city, what you offer, what days it is offered, other instructions, contact info, etc.) to news@advocatesc.org.

                                       Running List

Columbia District

Asbury Memorial UMC, 1005 Asbury Dr., Columbia, has a food pantry for nonperishable items only on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Clients are asked to call the church office at 803-776-7237 from the parking lot, and a volunteer will bring a bag of food outside. (They do not allow visitors in the church during kindergarten hours.) 

Bethel UMC, 4600 Daniel Dr., Columbia, offers a blessings box.

Cayce UMC, 1600 12th St., Cayce, offers a blessings box.

Columbia College offers a food pantry for their students. The Koala Pantry offers college-friendly nonperishables such as noodle cups, pop-tops and snacks. Donations are accepted at Columbia UMC, 1830 Man St., Columbia, Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon.

Grace UMC, 410 Harbison Blvd., Columbia, offers a blessings box in their parking lot. They also support Sharing God’s Love, a local community nonprofit, with volunteers and financial assistance.

Lexington UMC, Lexington, offers a blessings box on site. They also do a school food backpack program for Richland and Lexington county schools; donations are accepted at the church during office hours.

The Methodist Student Network, the campus ministry at University of South Carolina, serves breakfast from 8-9 a.m. one Saturday a month during the academic year out of Washington Street UMC’s parking lot, at the corner of Bull and Washington streets. Upcoming dates are Dec. 6, Jan. 24, Feb. 14, March 21 and April 18. Volunteers are needed to cook and spend time with people around the table to hear stories and offer signs of God’s love. For more information: https://msnatusc.com/service.

Mill Creek UMC, 1041 Old Garners Ferry Rd., Columbia, offers a food pantry the third Saturday of every month from 9-11 a.m. To donate, text (803) 309-3842.

Mount Hebron UMC, 3050 Leaphart Rd., West Columbia, offers a limited food pantry Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Donations can be dropped off at the church office Mondays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Northeast UMC, 4000 Hardscrabble Rd., Columbia, offers a blessings box.

Shiloh UMC, 1000 Spring Hill Rd., Gilbert, offers a blessings box that is refilled daily with dried goods, canned goods, nonperishables and usually a loaf of bread. 

Trinity UMC, Blythewood’s Christian Assistance Bridge offers emergency assistance such as utilities, rent, food, medication, transportation and traveler’s aid to residents of Blythewood and the surrounding areas. They are located across the parking lot from Trinity at 126 Blythewood Rd., Blythewood. CAB is open Mondays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and every second Thursday from 6-7 p.m. They are currently trying to staff additional days and times with church volunteers, as CAB is already seeing increased traffic. Trinity UMC is also serving as a drop-off site Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information: (803) 786-1903 or http://christianassistancebridge.com.

Union UMC, 7582 Woodrow St., Irmo, offers a blessings box. They also regularly support 

Sharing God’s Love, a local community nonprofit, with food and other assistance.

Florence District

A Florence Blessings Box with nonperishable food items is located on Coit Street in Florence, between Central and Cumberland UMCs (163 S. Coit St. Florence). For more information: rbcrimm@umcsc.org or (843) 662-3218 ext. 106.

Greenville District

Dacusville UMC, 1339 Thomas Mill Rd., Easley, offers a blessings box that is stocked almost daily.

Jackson’s Grove UMC, Landrum, has a blessings box at the Landrum Veterinary Hospital, 1600 E. Rutherford St., Landrum. 

Lee Road UMC, Taylors, partners with the nearby Lutheran church with volunteers and money to operate the Feed Our Neighbors Food Pantry, located at 2600 Wade Hampton Blvd., Greenville. Hours are Tuesday and Thursday from 12:30-2:30 p.m. For more information: (864) 244-2836.

Monaghan UMC, 1 McBeth St., Greenville, has a small food pantry that now supports a blessings box. They also prepare 10 food bags per week to take to a local Title I school to provide weekend food for children; donors can note on their checks that they wish to support the local food pantry. 

Hartsville District

Aldersgate UMC, 211 Alice Drive, Sumter, offers a blessings box.

Emmanuel UMC, 421 S. Main Street, Sumter, offers a soup kitchen and a small food pantry.

Mechanicsville UMC, 184 Lake Ashwood Rd., Sumter, has a food pantry. For more information: ruthmccants1@yahoo.com.

Zion UMC, 671 Zion Church Rd., Pageland, offers a blessings box.

Spartanburg District

Beaumont UMC, 687 N. Liberty St., Spartanburg, has a blessings box that is filled daily.

Duncan UMC, 139 West Main Street, Duncan, offers a free community meal every Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the gym.

New Beginnings UMC, 210 Rainbow Lake Rd., Boiling Springs, offers a blessings box.

St. Mark UMC, 3055 E. Main St., Spartanburg, offers a food program. Their ministry is not as regular as some; they highlight particular holidays and aim for the weekend before. This season, they will distribute food before Thanksgiving and Christmas. They give away shopping bags filled with canned goods, some boxed foods and some kind of bread, usually with a gallon of milk and some kind of dessert, like cupcakes. A small frozen turkey or ham will be given for Thanksgiving and Christmas. An announcement is posted on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/100079620254322 for about a week before events. They also have a blessing box located in the church's front parking lot, which they try to stock as regularly as possible, mostly with canned goods.

United Methodist Church of the Covenant, 9020 Asheville Hwy, Boiling Springs, has a new blessings box available to the community. Dedicated in September, it is a separate white box in the parking lot.

Walterboro District

New Hope UMC, 1568 Carter Rd., Ridgeville, offers nonperishable items, toiletries and beverages through a blessings box.

St. Andrew By-The-Sea UMC, 20 Pope Ave., Hilton Head, offers a twice-a-week soup kitchen on Tuesdays and Fridays from 9-11 a.m. They offer a harvest table of produce where people select what they need. On Tuesdays, guests receive a nutritious take-home bag lunch. On Fridays, there is also a sit-down cooked meal available to all guests. Diapers and clothing are available. There is also a blessings box in the church parking lot.

Windsor UMC high school and college age youth and adults have a long history of supporting and serving at several summer Salkehatchie camps. These week-long camps are for the purpose of upgrading the homes and living conditions of those who don't have the ability or means to improve their homes.  We also have members who have served on emergency response teams in disaster areas.

A number of our members have served internationally on service projects through UMVIM (United Methodist Volunteers in Missions) and Habitat for Humanity.