Our Outreach Ministries are very active in the local community and out-of-state.

 

Pajama Connection

PJ Connection was founded in 2008 and provides homeless and foster children between the ages of newborn to 18 years old with personalized totes when needed. Totes include: PJs, personal care items, coloring or activity books (depending on child’s age), crayons, pencils, teddy bears (ages 3 to 6) and blankets.

PJ Connection supports the following organizations: Three Oaks Shelter, Social Services (Lexington Park office), and Head Start.

In addition, PJ Connection holds two special events during the year: Back to School and Families in Financial Crisis Christmas event.

If you are interested in learning more about PJ Connection or would like to make a monetary donation, or see what is currently needed please contact the PJ Connection Coordinator at PJC@hollywoodumcmd.org.

As a ministry of Hollywood United Methodist Church, all donations to PJ Connection are tax deductible.

 

HeartFELT Ministries

During the school year, students have access to nutritious meals Monday through Friday. However, over the weekend, some student households are challenged to put enough food on the table for their children.

Working with the staff at Hollywood Elementary School, our HeartFELT (“Filling Empty Little Tummies”) team was established in 2018 to provide backpacks of food each weekend for those students that could use some assistance. Each backpack contains non-perishable food items (e.g., shelf-stable milk, cereal, juice boxes, hot chocolate, mac-n-cheese, canned soup, canned vegetables, Compleat meals, fruit cups, snacks, desserts, etc.). For a complete list of food donations we seek click here.

Our HeartFELT effort is accomplished by a small but dedicated team, blessed with the gracious support of our church family, as well as food drives and other heart-felt donations. HeartFELT has also contributed to Helping Hands, and The Mission. If you are interested in supporting our HeartFELT effort, please contact our team leader Jeanne Rothwell at 301-884-3256 or rubyred@md.metrocast.net

 

Weekly Offerings Support . . .

Out of designated funds received during our Weekly Offerings we help:

  • UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief)
    • UMCOR is the global humanitarian aid and development organization of the United Methodist Church. UMCOR is currently engaged in relief efforts around the globe caused by hurricanes, civil wars and other disasters
  • InterVarsity Chapters at College of Southern Maryland and St. Mary’s College of Maryland
    • a campus ministry that establishes and advances witnessing communities of students and faculty.  They minister by planting chapters that reach every corner of the campus sending students to global mission fields, serving the larger Christian Church through retreat training centers, and produce books and video resources.
  • Farming 4 Hunger
    • a non-profit organization that feeds people both physically and mentally through locally grown and distributed food and Life Sharing initiatives.  They partner with the Maryland Food Bank, churches and organizations to distribute the food in Southern Maryland.  They provide volunteer opportunities to help harvest and educate our youth and provide community service opportunities and workforce training to inmates through their 2nd Chances program.  There are opportunities to bring our congregation to harvest and distribute the food.

Our Holiday Offerings Support . . . 

Through three annual offerings, we support specific ministries here in Southern Maryland and around the world:

  • The Easter Special Offering is divided between Living Water International and Helping Hands.
  • The Thanksgiving Special Offering is divided between the HUMC Needy Fund and HealthShare of St. Mary’s County.
  • The Christmas Special Offering is divided between St. Mary’s Caring, The Three Oaks Center, and Care Net Pregnancy Center of Southern Maryland.

We also:

  • Support HOPE of St. Mary’s County with a monthly gift.
  • Support Helping Hands Food Pantry with a monthly drive for toiletries and personal care items.
  • Assist people in our community with their utility and grocery bills with referrals from Social Services and other organizations.
  • Assist with funeral expenses.
  • Assist community members at Thanksgiving and Christmas with holiday meal baskets.            

 

UMC Special Sundays

 

As a United Methodist congregation, we also participate in the following six Special Sundays special offerings:

  • Human Relations Day (Sunday before the national observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday) strengthens United Methodist outreach to communities in the United States and Puerto Rico, encouraging social justice and work with at-risk youth.
  • UMCOR Sunday (fourth Sunday in Lent) Previously known as One Great Hour Of Sharing, this Sunday enables the United Methodist Committee on Relief to reach out through worldwide ministries of food, shelter, health and peace.
  • Native American Ministries Sunday (third Sunday of Easter) nurtures mission with Native Americans and provides scholarships for United Methodist Native American seminarians.
  • Peace With Justice Sunday (first Sunday after Pentecost) enables The United Methodist Church to have a voice in advocating for peace and justice through a broad spectrum of global programs. 
  • World Communion Sunday (first Sunday of October) provides scholarships for U.S. racial- and ethnic-minority students and international students, on both undergraduate and graduate levels.
  • United Methodist Student Day (last Sunday of November) furnishes scholarships and loans for students attending United Methodist-related and other accredited colleges and universities.