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inclusivity • hospitality • worship • discipleship • mission • stewardship

Missions Outreach & Service

Missions Outreach and Service Ministries are opportunities to bring the Good News of Christ and the ministries we support to the people of our community and to the world. There are also opportunities to serve the church and the community through hands-on and financial support. These ministries help make the needs of the poor, hungry, and disadvantaged real to us, and encourage us to action.

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Rebuilding Together

Last Saturday in April

For over ten years, Orchard has been a key part of Rebuilding Together Oakland County, providing leadership and volunteers to this organization that provides free home repairs to low income residents. From its start up in Highland, Orchard leaders provided the first team of volunteers to help a Farmington Hills resident and then grew the local organization to help around ten Farmington Hills residents a year.

Today, Orchard provides as many as 125 volunteers forming four teams to help residents in both Farmington Hills and Southfield. Several Orchard members are on the board of the county organization which now helps as many as 55 residents a year. Rebuilding Together is Saturday, April 28  - to find out more and how you can help or volunteer visit here.

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Rebuilding Together

CROP Walk

First Sunday in May

Orchard has participated in the annual Farmington/West Bloomfield CROP Walk (Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty) since its inception in 1985, providing the initial leadership and sponsorship. Orchard continues to lead in the number of walkers who participate and the amount of money raised, because we believe in its mission - to provide safe drinking water and delivery systems to third world countries and to provide national and international disaster relief. In addition, 25% of the funds remain in the local community for hunger relief programs.  
 
Held on the first Sunday of May, participants obtain pledges for this walk and have the option of walking two miles or six. "We walk because they walk" is the rallying cry, representing our recognition that many girls in third world countries must walk miles just to get water for their families, preventing them from attending school.

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If you would like to participate in the walk, or make a donation to our Orchard efforts, go to CROP Walk to find our team!

CROP Walk

Every fall, we host around 30 guests from SOS (South Oakland Shelter). Many hands are always needed to help make our guests feel welcome.

 

SOS is a non-profit agency based in Lathrup Village which is focused on providing shelter, food, career-building education, and counseling to men, women, and children in a safe, drug-free environment. SOS is a transitional program that accepts only those who are trying to improve by removing themselves from the cycle of homelessness. The program is not designed for the chronically homeless.

 

The average length of stay in SOS is now only 45 days. Guests stay overnight for a week at a time at a different church or synagogue in the area. Guests receive dinner, breakfast, and a packed lunch for the next day. They are driven to jobs or to the SOS office in Lathrup Village in the morning, and are taken back to the church or synagogue in the evening.


Orchard will host SOS guests for a one week period in the fall. There will be a mixture of men, women, and children. Our guests will be staying overnight in Fellowship Hall and in nearby rooms on the first floor. Meals are eaten in the café and the MAC (Ministry Activity Center). We need over 200 volunteers to help with daily activities such as driving, preparing meals, and hosting at the church, as well as one-time activities such as setup, laundry, Saturday breakfast, and cleanup.

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Orchard Coordinator - Rowena Adamowski

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You can find out more on the SOS program at their website.
 

SOS (South Oakland Shelter)

Housing the Homeless

SOS

Knit & Crochet

Compassion and the love of knitting/crocheting have been combined into a ministry where women of all ages  come together for fellowship and mission. All skill levels are welcome, even if you're just now picking up a pair of knitting needles or a crochet hook.


Knitted and crocheted items have been distributed to many charities and agencies, including SOS (washcloths), for soldiers (helmet liners), Baldwin (blankets for their warming center), Warm-Up America (rectangles to be made into blankets), Spirit and Song Institute for Peace (scarves and hats for homeless men), and other local charitable agencies (hats, mittens and scarves, as well as afghans and blankets and even cage liners for cats at the Michigan Animal Rescue League). Items have been made and auctioned at Orchard’s bi-annual charity auctions, as well as knitted baby washcloths made for those in our congregation with newborns. Prayer blankets and shawls have been lovingly made and distributed to those who are facing major illnesses.

This group, now in its 10th year, shares laughter, patterns, knowledge, and love. They regularly meets the first and third  Thursdays at 1 p.m. Contact - Ellen Cogsdill

 

Knit & Crochet
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