Compassion Ministry
Compassion Ministry
Overview
The Compassion Ministry was founded in 2015 with the following goals:
The Compassion Ministry was founded in 2015 with the following goals:
- To reconnect with people in the community at Japantown and San Jose area
- To rebuild the community together through love and justice
- To rejoice with our neighbors by sharing what we have to offer
- The idea that our downtown San Jose community should be better off because Wesley United Methodist Church is there and cares.
Thank you
Thank you to the congregation and our volunteers for your support of the Compassion Ministry. Compassion is grateful for your prayers, donations, time volunteering, and sharing with our neighbors. Let’s continue together to help those in need in our community.
Thank you to the congregation and our volunteers for your support of the Compassion Ministry. Compassion is grateful for your prayers, donations, time volunteering, and sharing with our neighbors. Let’s continue together to help those in need in our community.
Overview
The Compassion Ministry has five key ministries: Food Distribution, Compassion Cooking Teams, Grant Elementary School support, Unhoused Outreach and Community Outreach/Social Justice.
The Compassion Ministry has five key ministries: Food Distribution, Compassion Cooking Teams, Grant Elementary School support, Unhoused Outreach and Community Outreach/Social Justice.
Food Distribution:
Our Food Distribution ministry has experienced significant growth since it was established in March 2020. We established a partnership with Second Harvest and received our first delivery on March 24, 2023. This partnership ensures that families receive a consistent supply of essential items on a weekly basis. Compassion supplements any additional items that our neighbors need such as meat and eggs when they are unavailable through Second Harvest. We have been able to apply for grants through Second Harvest for gift cards for the supplemental food. Our dedicated volunteers diligently sort through the produce to ensure that only quality items are distributed to our neighbors in need. Any unusable produce is discarded. Our neighbors in need include walk-ins, primarily elderly residents in our neighborhood, families from Grant Elementary School, as well as their friends and neighbors. Additionally, it extends to those facing homelessness at St. James Park.
Our Food Distribution ministry has experienced significant growth since it was established in March 2020. We established a partnership with Second Harvest and received our first delivery on March 24, 2023. This partnership ensures that families receive a consistent supply of essential items on a weekly basis. Compassion supplements any additional items that our neighbors need such as meat and eggs when they are unavailable through Second Harvest. We have been able to apply for grants through Second Harvest for gift cards for the supplemental food. Our dedicated volunteers diligently sort through the produce to ensure that only quality items are distributed to our neighbors in need. Any unusable produce is discarded. Our neighbors in need include walk-ins, primarily elderly residents in our neighborhood, families from Grant Elementary School, as well as their friends and neighbors. Additionally, it extends to those facing homelessness at St. James Park.
Compassion Cooking Teams:
Our Compassion cooking teams prepare weekly meals to be distributed at St. James Park along with bags of food items for our unhoused neighbors. They have provided consistent meals throughout the year.
Our Compassion cooking teams prepare weekly meals to be distributed at St. James Park along with bags of food items for our unhoused neighbors. They have provided consistent meals throughout the year.
Grant Elementary School Support:
We are grateful for our relationship with Grant Elementary School. Our tutoring program continues to support students from our local community. During the school year, our tutors are able to support the intervention teachers by working with small groups of students. Our tutors have set up regular meetings with the staff at Grant Elementary to create a plan that makes the greatest impact on the students at the school. In August, we raised funds for school supplies for Grant Elementary. This year, we set aside an amount and added in additional donations from the month of August. We are able to provide Grant Elementary with $9,500 of school supplies and boxes of paper. Half was provided in the fall, and the other half will be sent to the school mid-year.
We are grateful for our relationship with Grant Elementary School. Our tutoring program continues to support students from our local community. During the school year, our tutors are able to support the intervention teachers by working with small groups of students. Our tutors have set up regular meetings with the staff at Grant Elementary to create a plan that makes the greatest impact on the students at the school. In August, we raised funds for school supplies for Grant Elementary. This year, we set aside an amount and added in additional donations from the month of August. We are able to provide Grant Elementary with $9,500 of school supplies and boxes of paper. Half was provided in the fall, and the other half will be sent to the school mid-year.
Unhoused Outreach:
Each week we deliver a bag of specially selected items to our friends at St. James Park. These items include canned food with pull tops, soft fruits, snacks, juice and water. Additionally, during food distribution, a group of volunteers prepare a hot meal to distribute at the park. About 50 bags of food and hot meals are distributed every week to our unhoused neighbors.
Each week we deliver a bag of specially selected items to our friends at St. James Park. These items include canned food with pull tops, soft fruits, snacks, juice and water. Additionally, during food distribution, a group of volunteers prepare a hot meal to distribute at the park. About 50 bags of food and hot meals are distributed every week to our unhoused neighbors.
Community Outreach/Social Justice:
The Compassion ministry collaborates with PACT (People Acting in Community Together), an organization focused on addressing significant social issues. Mark Teagle is the Co-Chair of the Board. Mark started holding “house meetings” at the church for PACT.
The Compassion ministry collaborates with PACT (People Acting in Community Together), an organization focused on addressing significant social issues. Mark Teagle is the Co-Chair of the Board. Mark started holding “house meetings” at the church for PACT.
We are grateful for the support and collaboration that enable these ministries to exist. As we go into the new year, Compassion will be merging with Missions to strengthen our outreach and impact the larger community.
Posted in Charge Conference 2025