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Tuesday Outreach
The Tuesday Outreach program requires volunteers to help continue making sure this program runs smoothly, for those looking to be a part of this wonderful outreach community program please peruse the sign-up sheets linked below.
Blessing Boxes
Community partners distributed summer food assistance through ‘Blessing Box’ project
By Carla Hinton
Originally Published in the Oklahoman, August 21, 2025.
EDMOND — A group of volunteers met at a local church over the summer to fill boxes with bread, nonperishables and other items destined for families struggling with food insecurity.
The Rev. Tiffany Monroe, senior pastor of First United Methodist Church of Edmond, and a group of volunteers from the church, partnered with Project 66 and other community partners to distributed “Blessing Boxes” to families on three Saturdays beginning June 28. The families that picked up the boxes of food from the church, 305 E Hurd, were identified through Edmond Public Schools’ homeless services.
Andrea Wheeler who serves as educational services coordinator and the district’s homeless services liaison, said Edmond Public Schools offered free breakfast and lunch during summer school at a local elementary school through June, but some families were identified as needing additional support throughout the rest of the summer. She said the church reached out to see if there was a need for summer assistance.
“We said ‘Yes!’ and they’ve been putting all these amazing boxes together,” Wheeler said.
She said the Edmond Public Schools Foundation has done similar projects at Christmas and spring break.
First United Methodist Church-Edmond volunteer Sherri Brown said Edmond Schools identified about 40 families to receive the Blessing Boxes and many attended the first distribution. She said about 20 showed up for the last distribution.
Volunteers led by Lesley Wempe, the church’s chair of missions, filled the boxes with at least two weeks of groceries including apples, oranges, carrots, bread, ham, cheese, peanut butter, jelly, spaghetti, canned goods and oatmeal. She said the church purchased the food at cost through Project 66, Sam’s Club and the Kaleo Foundation, which donated food for the boxes.
Neil Tate, executive director of Project 66, said his nonprofit was happy to participate in the project.
“Our mission statement is to provide food and connect neighbors to resources through the love of Christ, and we hear of churches or our partner ministries that are wanting to host feeding programs,” he said. “We love opportunities like that because we can help source food, help deliver food and then if they can do the work to get it distributed to their neighborhoods and to families they know, that’s perfect. That’s a great partnership for us.”
Volunteers form an assembly line to place food in Blessing Boxes at First United Methodist Church of Edmond.
Monroe said the Blessing Box project was an example of how organizations come together to come up with positive solutions to help community members.
“Good things happen,” she said.
“We have private donors and then we have the church and the school system and then you have Project 66 and you’ve got Kaleo, so you’ve got nonprofits and you’ve got schools and you’ve got churches and you have private donors, and they’re saying ‘Hey, ultimately we all see the need ― let’s be the community together,'” Monroe said.
“That’s the collaborative work that I think changes and makes a difference in people’s lives.”
Several church volunteers agreed.
“This is just such a great experience to be able to help others,” Vicky Cooke said.
Bread, nonperishables and other food items are placed in Blessing Boxes by volunteers at First United Methodist Church of Edmond.
Monroe said children helped pack boxes with food early on in the project, but they were not a part of the distribution to ensure that families who came to pick up food were given a measure of privacy.
The minister said the church’s youngest members ended up helping out in another way by taking up a “Noisy Offering” during Sunday church worship services to help purchase food. She said the children went around the church with pails and donated their own pocket change while encouraging adults to do the same.
School Supply Drive
Help us provide supplies for 50 Boulevard students this year!
Collection Dates: August 5 – September 3
Drop-off Location: Wesley Hall foyer (look for the supply table)
Donate Instead: $60 covers supplies for one student—make checks to First UMC, Edmond with “Boulevard School Supplies” in the memo.
Questions: Contact Ellen Lyons 405-820-7729
Supply List:
- College-ruled notebook paper
- Sharpie markers (all sizes/colors)
- Highlighters (multi-color, thick & thin)
- Crayola markers (broad & fine tip)
- Elmer’s glue sticks
- Kleenex (4-box packs)
- Disinfecting wipes (2+)
- Mechanical pencils (.7 lead)
- Large erasers (pink/white, 2–4 pack)
- Eraser caps
- White Out bottles
- Zippered pencil pouch/bag
- Papermate InkJoy pens (blue, black, red)
- Dry erase markers (EXPO brand, regular & fine tip, assorted colors)