Helping others

PROVIDING ASSISTANCE

WPC operates its Community Assistance Ministry (CAM) as one way we are called to demonstrate God’s love for those in our local community. In order to serve you better with food assistance, we ask that our food pantry patrons receiving food please remember the following:

• Food pantry is only available 1st  and 3rd Thursday of each month
• Hours from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. only
• From St. Gemain Ave SE, park in ground-level circle drive below the playground
• Volunteers assist from the curbside, no need to leave the car

Limited resources are available for emergency assistance. You may leave a message with a brief request and contact information by calling the church at 828-874-2531. Someone will return your call to determine if help can be provided.

DONATIONS NEEDED

Whether you’re a member of this church or someone who just wants to help with this important ministry, WPC welcomes food and monetary donations. Please remember to only donate unopened and unexpired shelf-stable foods. The items that are in the greatest demand include:

• Canned meats like chicken, tuna,      Treat, Spam
• Dried pasta, rice, beans
• Spaghetti sauce, canned pasta with      sauce (like Chef Boyardee)
• Canned fruits, canned vegetables
• Peanut butter, saltine crackers
• Mac & cheese, canned soups,      stews
• Various types of cooking oil
• Cereal, shelf-stable milk
• Mail monetary gift checks to: CAM      c/o WPC, 109 Main St E, Valdese, NC 28690

Food donations may be placed in the yellow grocery cart at the church on Sunday mornings. It is located either in the breezeway between buildings or in the narthex (foyer) of the church. If you wish to bring donations here at a different time, the yellow grocery cart is located just inside the doors to the church offices and is accessible during church office hours. If you have questions about making food pantry donations, please call the church office, and a member will return your call.

If you routinely buy food online from warehouse stores and clubs, please consider having your CAM food donations shipped directly to the church on your behalf. Shipping address: 109 Main St E, Valdese, NC 28690.

VOLUNTEERS WELCOME

Volunteers from the congregation and the broader community are always welcome! No matter your skills, we can find a place for you to do God’s work in this ministry. You could be a blessing to our food pantry patrons by:

· Assisting patrons on food pantry days

· Food shopping with CAM donations

· Sorting donated food

· Stocking pantry shelves

· Soliciting CAM food donations from your workplace, civic club, church, etc.

· Actively praying daily for pantry patrons and volunteers

Call the church office at 828-874-2531 to receive a return call from a church member who can fill you in on how you can fit into this vital WPC ministry.

 Nkhoma, Malawi, Africa: 

Our church and Presbytery have supported the Mission Hospital of Nkhoma and the Ebenezer Institute of learning in Nkhoma, Malawi for many years. Various members of our congregation have traveled to Nkhoma which is a small rural village in the mountains of Malawi about an hour and a half drive from the capital city, Lilongwe.

Malawi is known as “The Warm Heart of Africa”. The people of Malawi are friendly and welcoming despite their limited resources. Poverty is rampant in Malawi. On mission trips, our Presbytery groups have constructed new buildings, and rehabilitated many old buildings on the Nkhoma hospital property. We have also volunteered at Ebenezer Institute of Learning and we have enjoyed many happy meals and get togethers with the people of Nkhoma.

The hospital serves the town of Nkhoma as well as the many surrounding small villages in the mountains. While the hospital has a few ambulances, most villagers travel to the facility via bicycles, carts or by walking. Over the years, outreach clinics have been built to provide better access to health care and inoculation clinics to outlying villages. These clinics are invaluable because they provide health care to villagers who are simply unable to travel to Nkhoma. Malaria is a devastating disease, which if not treated quickly and properly, can be deadly. The clinics provide much needed diagnosis and treatment for malaria patients. Most of the patients are women and children and the clinics also provide prenatal and postnatal care for the mothers and babies.

Ebenezer school is a private school in Nkhoma that was stated when hospital administrators realized they needed to provide quality education for the children of Nkhoma doctors, nurses and other vital employees. The public schools in and around Nkhoma average 70-100 students per classroom while Ebenezer generally has 15-20 per class. The hospital employees pay for their children to attend Ebenezer but there are scholarships available for families who cannot afford the fees. Initially Ebenezer taught grades Kindergarten through 4th or 5th grade. Since that time additional classroom buildings have been constructed and the school now provides education for 3 year olds through 7th grade.

While mission trips to Nkhoma were suspended during the COVID pandemic we have continued to support the hospital and school. Eventually, trips to Nkhoma, Malawi will be reinstituted and we can once again get to know the wonderful, warm-hearted people of Nkhoma, Malawi.

Guatemala:  

“Hand in Hand”  Our connection in ministry with our sister church in Guatemala is more of a partnership mission. Through the Presbytery of Western North Carolina Guatemala Partnership Committee we are engaged in delegation trips, supporting micro-loans, providing scholarships, encouraging health & hygiene, and most importantly engaging in a meaningful Christ driven relationship of mutual prayer. Between Nueva Jerusalem & Waldensian Presbyterian Church we globally empower one another to serve God’s people. Juntos en Christo

Afghan Resettlement Program: 

The process began for our Church on 12/6/2021 with an email that Willie Pascal received from Samaritans Purse.  There are six categories of resettlement which include:  housing/transportation, education, public services, professional services, cultural adaptation, and employment.  Over the past several months we have assembled a core group of volunteers who head up each of these categories. We have also included a category for Processing (to fill out the paperwork required). We would welcome any volunteers to assist in all categories.  We have completed training through ARP online modules as well as weekly webinars and have also had Background checks. Once these things were completed, we were then interviewed for a readiness check and were required to submit a Resettlement Welcome Plan.  On 3/18/2022 The Resettlement Welcome Plan was sent up to the State Department and we now await our approval to proceed.  Once approved, the International Organization for Migration will organize the travel for the family that is chosen for us. We expect to meet our family in approximately 30 days!  Then the real work begins. Our guidance and leadership as the family navigates life in the US is going to be the key to their acceptance in our communities and invaluable to their becoming contributing citizens.  Any help you can give will be accepted and appreciated including your prayers.  If you wish to make donations, please send your check to:  Waldensian Presbyterian Church  109 Main St E Valdese NC 28690 *please be sure to note Afghan Program in the memo section!   WPC is a non-profit organization.