Salem members serve as tutors, Pen-Pals with the third grade classes, and reading helpers with Kindergarten through fourth graders. Also, the Salem Family supports Thomas Jefferson with Box Tops for Education, food baskets for families at Christmas, and lifting them in prayer.
Midwest Food Bank seeks to alleviate hunger and poverty by delivering food and disaster relief free of charge. Salem organizes a group to serve at Midwest Food Bank four times per year.
Common Place Family Learning Center’s mission is to eliminate the root causes of poverty, racism, and injustice through education. Salem partners with Common Place through career mentoring with high school students and young adults.
As Jesus’ disciples, we are called to care for our neighbors. We have “Called to Care” Sundays on the first Sunday of the month. On these Sundays, we bring either specific items identified for that Sunday or non-perishable food items, and offer these gifts to God in our worship. Our Sunday school families bring them forward during the offertory. The items are taken to various mission and faith-based organizations in the Peoria area.
The Center for Prevention of Abuse exists to help all people—women, men and children—live free from violence and abuse. Salem serves the center every November by hosting a “pajama party.” Salem members donate pajamas, personal care products and cash donations to help those suffering abuse.
Crittenton Centers’ mission is to protect and nurture children and families. One of the ways the Center fulfills its mission is through a community garden. Salem helps support the garden by helping with preparing, planting, and harvesting.
Salem is beginning a new season of involvement with the Crittenton Centers’ Community Garden. Over the years, Salem has been a committed partner in the planning and implementation of the garden, and helpful hands have planted, tended, and harvested delicious produce that has served the families and staff at Crittenton as well as the feeding ministry work at Bethel United.
Salem partners with the Bethel United Methodist Church food ministry by collecting non-perishable goods for their pantry. Suggested items for donation are below.
Canned Foods
- corn
- peas
- sweet potatoes
- yams
- green beans
- spinach
- mustard greens
- collard greens
- baked beans
- spaghetti
- carrots
- salmon
- other meat items
- cranberry sauce and all kinds of fruit
Boxed and Dried Foods
- breakfast cereals
- stuffing
- macaroni and cheese
- cornbread
- cake mix and frosting
- pancake mix
- dry noodles
- Ramen Noodles
- instant potatoes
- rice
- spaghetti
- black eyed peas
- and
- all kinds of beans
