COMPASSION MINISTRIES
Nancy's Place
Nancy's Place is the women's homeless shelter at Faith Mission in downtown Columbus. Since 2003 Cypress has sent teams down to the shelter one or two Friday evenings each month to interact with the women through a variety of fun activites. Our purpose is to encourage the ladies and help restore their sense of dignity by embracing them as Jesus would. It is also a transformational experience for us upon realizing many of us are only one or two paychecks away from homelessness ourselves. If you are female, 16 years or older, and would like to join a team, sign up by clicking here.
We are now registering for the below 2010 dates
| Date | Activity | Food Theme |
| May 21 | Birthday Party | Cake & Ice Cream |
| June 11 | Stamping | Fruit |
| July 9 | Outdoor BBQ | Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Chips |
| July 30 | Karaoke | Pizza |
| August 20 | M&M Bingo | Ice Cream Sundaes |
| September 10 | Pampering | Chocolate |
| October 1 | Karaoke | Healthy Snacks |
| October 22 | Bracelet Making | Apple & Pumpkin |
| November 12 | Stamping | Chili, Soup, Crackers, Cornbread |
| December 3 | Christmas Party | Appetizers, Punch |
Inner City Mission Breakfasts
Twice a month, on Sunday mornings, a team from Cypress prepares and serves breakfast to the Inner City Mission on Sullivant Avenue of downtown Columbus. Those who have signed up to help arrive at the church kitchen by 8:30 a.m. to cook and then transport the food to the mission site, returning to the church to clean up by 12:00 p.m. Our service to the ICM is very significant and is possible because of having a Saturday night service that the participants can attend. There are only eight spots on each team, so sign up today by clicking here.
2010 Teams
| January 17 | July 18 |
| January 24 | July 25 |
| February 21 | August 15 |
| March 21 | September 19 |
| March 28 | September 26 |
| April 25 | October 17 |
| May 16 | November 7 |
| May 23 | November 21 |
| June 13 |
Faith Mission Dinners
Faith Mission, a division of Lutheran Social Services in Central Ohio, serves 3 meals a day every day of the week to men, women and families in need. Once a month a team of Cypress people (ages 14 & over) prepares dinner (in the church kitchen) to transport and serve at the Mission. This is a great opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and fulfill God's command to feed the hungry. People are still needed to fill teams on the dates listed below. To sign up, click here. You will then be contacted with team specifics. If you have questions, contact Vic and Donna Palmer, (614) 921-0365.
2010 Teams
| January 20 | July 21 |
| February 17 | August 18 |
| March 17 | September 15 |
| April 21 | October 20 |
| May 19 | November 17 |
| June 30 | December 15 |
Rahab's Hideaway
Rahab's Hideaway, is a shelter in Columbus which provides housing and other services to women 18 years and older who have been rescued from the bondage of human trafficking. While over 2 million women and children are trafficked world-wide, and with Toledo being ranked 5th in the United States for its volume of trafficking, there are only 39 beds availble in this nation to provide assistance for victims. Founded by Marlene Carson, a former trafficking victim herself, the shelter seeks to restore girls physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and can do so with inside knowledge. For more information or to get involved, email Pastor Laurie Hurd or call (614) 878-8192, ext 232.
Ways to get involved:
Help transport the girls to AA meetings and to Celebrate Recovery (Monday & Tuesday evenings)
Donate toiletry items (deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, feminie hygenie items, body lotion, etc)
Donate laundry detergent, fabric softener, aluminum foil, baggies, trash bags, paper towels, a bag of groceries, Kroger gift cards
Donate fast food gift cards in small increments to be handed out to girls on the street
Take the girls off-site for outings (zoo, movies, shopping, etc)
Provide handyman services in conjuction with the Dinner Clubs
Help with the Dinner Club where 3-4 CWC ladies take down all ingredients for a meal and then cook alongside the girls (2nd Thursday and 3rd Wednesdays of the month). To sign up for Dinner Club click here.
2010 Dinner Club Dates
|
Thursday, January 14 |
|
Wednesday, January 20 |
|
Thursday, February 11 |
|
Thursday, February 18 |
|
Thursday, March 11 |
|
Thursday, March 18 |
|
|