October 7, 2009
Written by Gregg Brekke
with J. Bennett Guess and Barb Powell

UCC national staff from Cleveland and other U.S. locations joined together Tuesday (October 6) for a day of service in and around the denomination's home city. Launching the beginning of a year-long celebration of two decades as its host, the "20 Years in Cleveland All-Staff Community Service Day" was the second annual all-staff community day.

Nearly 200 employees spread out over nine locations in the Cleveland metropolitan area to help with food distribution, waterfront cleanup efforts, sorting medical supplies and other community programs.

Volunteers at St. Paul's Community UCC in Cleveland's near-west side Ohio City neighborhood helped with church maintenance and support for their ministries to homeless persons in the area. The church offers a drop-in center four days a week that includes a clothing resource center, parish nurse with a specialized foot clinic and a warm place to share coffee, a meal and conversation. Laura Ann Bucci paints a door frame at St. Paul's UCC in Cleveland. Photo Gregg Brekke

"This ministry is about building bridges," said St. Paul's Senior Pastor the Rev. Doug Horner. "We're always involved in recruiting new people to our efforts – the UCC's presence today adds to our work with homeless social services and socialization."

The service day began with a worship service in which the new UCC "Sing!" songbook was dedicated prior to teams leaving for their project locations. Staff gathered at the end of the day to report on their activities in a closing session.

The Rev. Susan Towner-Larsen, the UCC's minister for conference relations, said her team of volunteers at the Cleveland Food Bank sorted food for storage and distribution. "They stacked vegetables to perfection in piles that would have made us all proud," she said, to laughter from colleagues.

Darlene Collins, marketing and online associate for the UCC's Stillspeaking Ministry, reported for about 10 volunteers who visited the West Haven Youth Shelter, a 24-hour emergency home in Cleveland for runaway, homeless and in-transition teenagers. "The stories, as you can imagine, are heartbreaking, but they are doing wonderful things with limited resources," she said.

Another group of national staff volunteers offered time at MedWish International, a local non-profit organization housed at the Cleveland Clinic, where thousands of pounds of unused and recyclable medical supplies are collected, sorted and shipped to as many as 50 countries. "If you are in a country that doesn't have anything, everything has value," learned Barb Fryman, who works in common financial services. Gwen Solomon workson one of the 28 blankets presented to The Gathering Place. Photo Barb Powell

A blessing was offered at the closing session for the 28 blankets staffers made for The Gathering Place, a cancer support center offering a wide variety of free programs and services addressing the social, emotional, physical and spiritual needs of individuals with cancer and their families and friends.

The blankets will be given to breast cancer survivors at their annual retreat at the Red Maple Inn in Burton, Ohio, next April.

"There is nothing like the feeling of wrapping yourself in a blanket that was made with prayers," said Elizabeth Hosbach, coordinator of the activity. Hosbach received a blanket from her local church, Bath (Ohio) UCC, earlier this year while she was convalescing after surgery.

"Please know that the work you do here on a daily basis is important," concluded the Rev. Geoffrey A. Black, the UCC's newly elected general minister and president. "I want all of you to know that the people of the United Church of Christ appreciate the work you do... What you have done today is inspiring to me and to others. Thanks and congratulations!"

United Church of Christ News Service