Regional Mission Partners
Abundant Life Ministries
Abundant Life has demonstrated God’s love through holistic community development in the Prospect neighborhood for 25 years. ALM partners with churches and community members to bring spiritual support, academic tutoring, and encouragement to children ages K-teen. Economic support for adults is also a focus.
FPC Contact: Hannah Walker
Alliance for Interfaith Ministries
AIM supports self-sufficient and stable families by providing one-time financial assistance to prevent eviction and utility disconnection. AIM’s programs target ending senior homelessness and helping domestic violence victims move away from abusers. Assistance may include furniture and household items as well as access to dentures, eye exams, medications, and job-related expenses. Volunteer assistance is needed for delivery of food and paper goods on the first weekend of each month and perishable food delivery on every Tuesday of the month.
FPC Contact: Rich Lutz
Georgia's Friends
Georgia’s Friends offers residential support for women making a fresh start after suffering consequences related to drug and alcohol addiction and co-occurring mental health challenges. A volunteer angel program allows various options for involvement, including financial support, helping newcomers shop for basic needs, and serving on call for transportation to work or appointments.
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville
Habitat for Humanity assists low-income neighbors to realize their dream of home ownership. Volunteers receive on-site training in basic home construction skills. Non-construction volunteer options include working at the retail Habitat Store, special fund-raising projects, and speaking up as an affordable housing advocate.
FPC contact: Chris Bailey
The Haven
The Haven provides showers, breakfast, and laundry facilities for the homeless and very poor in Charlottesville. The Haven also supports individuals and families as they explore exits from the cycle of homelessness through connection with resources and creative housing interventions.
FPC contact: Marta Ruggles
Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry
Loaves & Fishes is a food pantry with a mission of giving food with kindness and compassion to anyone who seeks assistance while providing an opportunity for volunteers to help their neighbors.
FPC contact: Alice Brown
PACEM (People and Congregations Engaged in Ministries)
PACEM provides emergency shelter and meals for men and women during the coldest months. First Pres offers shelter in the church every night for two weeks during the winter. Volunteers are invited to bring baked goods and to interact with guests.
FPC contact: Marta Ruggles, Jennifer Jones, or Mac Walker
Suggest a Mission
The First Pres Christian Outreach Committee encourages the congregation to recognize and suggest new mission opportunities.
All existing and newly recommended missions seeking financial assistance, organizations or personal, are regularly requested to submit their own assessment of their "four foundational relationships" as well as their actual needs.
Regional Missions
Every Wednesday we provide lunch to those in our community who are hungry. Each month we collect non-perishable food and monetary contributions for our local food banks. We build homes in our local community through Habitat for Humanity. We open our doors for social service organizations to meet. We provide shelter to our homeless neighbors during the winter. And we donate a portion of the church's annual operating budget to service organizations in our local area.
Global Missions
Honduras Mission assists extremely poor people in two communities in western Honduras to replace their shacks with safe, sanitary cinder block homes. First Pres members join other volunteers through Palmetto International Missions. The mission organizes three travel weeks in February and July, though most volunteers only go for one week. No construction skills needed.
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Global Missions
Each year we do home repair in Appalachia. For 7 years, mission teams from our church have worked on-site in the Gulf Coast , helping those struck by Hurricane Katrina. We have built houses in Honduras, Mexico and Haiti and provided health care in Brazil. And we support groups outside our local community through donations.
Other Ministries Receiving Support
Presbytery of the James
A mission to fulfill its ongoing obligations and responsibilities under the Book of Order and the guidance of its Vision and Values with special emphasis on Camp Hanover, Evangelism and Mission Outreach, Church Growth and Renewal, Youth Ministry Committee, and Education and Training.
Request for Resources Form
To love God means to love our neighbors both near and far – within our church, in our local community, elsewhere in the US, and around the world. It means serving others with our time, talents, and treasures. First Presbyterian Church actively contributes to and participates in a variety of communities, as well as world-wide programs, and services.