Gary United Methodist Church in Wheaton, IL supports a variety of local, regional, and international organizations, enabling individuals to live their faith through prayer, hands-on work, financial support, donations of needed items, companionship, presence, and/or systemic change. In addition to these missions, many of which arose from the interests and passions of our congregation, we support other causes of the United Methodist Church that allow us to combine our offerings with those of other United Methodists, nationally and globally, to enact change around the world.
Educate a Girl/Change the World
Provides life-changing education around the world to lift up girls, their families and their communities.
Feed My Starving Children
Provides low-cost, nutritional meals to hungry children throughout the world.
Fundaniños Guatemala Mission and Teaching Fund
Provides support of Fundaniños Orphanage near Guatemala City.
Habitat for Humanity Builds houses in partnership with low income families.
Heifer Project International
Offers families a way to become self-sufficient through the gift of farm animals.
Red Bird Mission School, Kentucky
The only K-12 Christian school in this area of Appalachia provides high quality education regardless of students’ ability to pay.
South Sudan Voices of Hope
Efforts to provide humanitarian support for this war-torn region.
Bridge Communities A transitional housing program focused on the achievement of self-sufficiency.
Christmas Sharing A community-wide program of outreach to families and individuals in need.
CROP Walk Raises funds to support hunger needs locally and internationally.
ESSE (Ecumenical Support Services for the Elderly) Provides on-site daycare and meals to seniors.
JUST of DuPage A ministry to the incarcerated men and women at DuPage County Jail.
Midwest Shelter for Homeless Vets
This non-profit agency, located in Wheaton at 433 S. Carlton Ave., Wheaton, provides housing, supportive services, and community outreach to help homeless and at-risk veterans and their families achieve self-sufficiency. An easy way to help them is to shop their Amazon wishlist. Items you purchase will be delivered to MSHV.
NIL Justice for our Neighbors (JFON) A ministry that welcomes immigrants by providing free or low-cost, expert immigration legal services to low-income immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
Outreach Community Ministries Provides mental health and social services for children, families, and seniors.
PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter) Area churches provide hot meals and overnight shelter for the homeless.
PRC (People’s Resource Center) Serves thousands of DuPage County families each month, with a food pantry, clothing bank, and educational programs.
Radical Time Out Ministers to former prisoners and their families with a meal and Bible study.
Tutoring Helps elementary school students in Wheaton with basic math and English.
United Voices for Children A coalition of congregations, agencies, groups, and individuals in the Northern Illinois Conference of The United Methodist Church that speaks and acts on behalf of children, youth, and families in need.
World Relief Our "Good Neighbor" team helps families integrate into our
community.
Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2-6 p.m., Activity Center or Commons
Each pint donated can save up to three lives. The need is constant, and every pint is precious. Register here. Walk-ins also welcome.
2025 dates: Feb. 5, May 7, Aug. 20 and Nov. 19.
Educate a Girl / Change the World 2025
Gary Church’s mission to educate girls and young women is celebrating its fifth year by acknowledging your generosity, reporting how you have made a difference in the lives of Educate a Girl / Change the World scholarship recipients and sharing the mission’s goals for 2025.
Your generosity continues to positively impact the lives of many young women. Because of your support, Educate a Girl (EAG) has grown every year and supported 21 girls and young women with scholarships, enabling them to attend primary, secondary school and college.
We are truly grateful that over 100 of you have supported this important mission, including some who are making monthly donations. Furthermore, EAG has received impactful gifts from JOY Circle, Mary Martha Circle, Vacation Bible School and Plants With a Purpose. If that’s not exciting enough, more than 40 talented bakers have made our bake sales possible. Thank you!
Gary Church’s fundraising goal this year is $10,000, which will allow even more girls to achieve their life dreams. Please help us fund scholarships for 14 young people.
New scholarship recipients will include:
- Jazariah and a second new recipient: New IGotChu scholarships for Chicago college students
- Tainara: a full scholarship to Africa University, a United Methodist institution
- Esther (Uganda), Lorna (Sudan), and three new Cambodian girls who will receive support for school supplies and uniforms, enabling them to stay in school.
We will continue to support the education of: Angel and Gloria in Kenya, Sarah and Nisa in Cambodia, Aaliyah who attends college in Chicago, and Tiara, a medical student in Nashville.
In January, opportunities to learn:
- Gary Youth and Gary Kids will offer EAG activities.
- Adult Education will offer an EAG-related class on Jan. 19.
In February, our annual bake sale:
- Saturday, Feb. 1: Baked goods can be brought to the Commons starting at 10 a.m. Purchase goodies during the Gary Youth Mini Golf Mayhem event that same afternoon.
- Sunday, Feb. 2: Donated baked goods will be accepted starting at 8 a.m. Goodies on sale 8:30 a.m.- 12:15 p.m.
Please donate by Friday, Feb. 28
You can support EAG by donating funds at garychurch.org/give or sending a check to the Church Office (write EAG in the check memo).
Learn more in the video below from 2024, and contribute here.
Recycle Styrofoam
Sundays, April 13, July 13, Oct. 12, 2025, 8:45–10:30 a.m., South Driveway
Can you
help one time or more for
collection or driving duties? If so, please contact Elaine McCluskey through
the Church Office.
If you miss the date, feel free to drop off Styrofoam at Dart Container
Corporation, 310 Evergreen Dr., North Aurora.
Help Habitat for Humanity
A couple of times a year, “Gary’s Gang” works with Habitat for Humanity to help
provide affordable housing for families in Lafayette, Indiana. If you’d like to help, contact Lois Davisson
through the Church Office. Please also consider a financial donation.
Watch the video below to learn more about Habitat for Humanity and the work Gary Church does in Lafayette, Indiana.
This ministry provides free one-on-one help with homework and basic English and math to low income elementary students in the area. This year we are partnering with World Relief to help students in need. Consider offering an hour from your week to tutor children from our community. Although we try to keep tutors and students paired, we understand that you cannot be there every week. The children are a joy and glad to get your attention. There is some preparatory training required, and we have some experienced educators to provide support as needed.
Tutors and students meet on Tuesdays, 6-7 p.m. If you have questions, contact Jeff Bray through the Church Office. Register here.
Volunteer for Common Ground garden
Gary Church has plots #2 and #40 at Atten Park in Wheaton this year to harvest produce for Outreach and the People’s Resource Center. Can you help with planting, weeding, watering and harvesting? Contact Fred Wayland through the Church Office.
RTO meals need financial donations
Volunteers from Gary Church prepare and serve meals for Radical Time Out, a mission that ministers to former prisoners and their families. They need financial donations to purchase groceries. If you can help, go to garychurch.org/give.
Help World Relief
Helping some of our newest neighbors
World Relief is a refugee resettlement non-profit that started in Wheaton. Last year they brought over 900 refugees from around the world to the Chicago area. These legal immigrants have gone through a multi-year extensive process before being cleared to come to the United States. World Relief has a record of getting these families, most still learning English, in place in our community and bringing them to self-sufficiency in under six months.
To broaden Gary Church’s support of World Relief we are launching two efforts:
- Provide welcome kits to help World Relief set up an apartment for incoming families. Use this sign-up form to let us know you can provide items for welcome kits. Here's a list of needs. If you’d like to contribute financially, go to garychurch.org/give.
- Expand our Good Neighbor Team effort to ease families’ adjustment to life in our area. A group of 4–8 people help a family integrate into the community. If you are interested in learning more about Good Neighbor Teams, please contact Jeff Bray through the Church Office.
Please watch the e-news for more details about Gary
Church’s World Relief efforts. And, watch the video below.
Additional current needs
Items needed for DuPage PADS
DuPage PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter) provides temporary shelter for the unhoused. Here's a list of their current needs. If you can help, donate items in the bin in the Commons.
Volunteer at the
People’s Resource Center
Wednesdays, 2:45–6
p.m., 201 S. Naperville Rd.
The PRC needs volunteers to help with food distribution. Volunteers will stock shelves, pack boxes of food, assist shoppers and direct traffic. Volunteers must be 13 years or older, able to lift a watermelon and comfortable remaining active during the shift. Fill out a volunteer application at peoplesrc.org/volunteer.
PRC needs food and personal care items
The People’s Resource Center continues to see increased visits to its food pantries. Some of the items needed are rice, dry pasta, peanut butter, and personal care items like diapers in sizes 5-7, bar soap and toothpaste. Tuna and soups are always welcome. Due to overwhelming donations of clothing, the PRC is taking a break from accepting clothes for now. Thank you to all for your donations! If you have food to donate, please feel free to leave it in the bin in the Commons.
Help people in the Holy Land
UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) is working with local partners in Israel and Gaza to provide help with everything from relocation and food to trauma counseling and telemedicine services. You can donate to UMCOR through garychurch.org/give.
ESSE volunteer opportunity
Ecumenical Support Services for the Elderly (ESSE) provides adult day care options that promote the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of older adults and their families.
April 2025 is our next ESSE support month. Gary Church members can help support ESSE during the month of September by volunteering in activities such as:
- Playing music (ESSE has a piano on site)
- Assisting staff with games, arts and craft projects
- Reading
- Bringing your pet
- Showing slides/videos of your vacation trips
- Bringing younger children for a visit
- Providing 20 homemade treats
Contact the ESSE Wheaton/St. Paul Lutheran Church office at 630-260-3773 to schedule your activity. Thank you for your continued support of the ESSE mission.
