Miracles Happen Here tour schedule

One hour informational tours of United Methodist Children's Services, will provide an overview of our ministries that served over 34,000 people in 2007. The tour will also include the UMCS expansion into affordable housing.

For upcoming tour dates contact:

Cindy Thompson to schedule
(414)344-1818
fdumcs@sbcglobal.net

A one hour Miracles Happen Here tour provides an upclose view of the way United Methodist Children's Services is changing our neighborhood.

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Reflections on a miracles happen here tour

The following are the edited reflections of Rev. Brian Kundiger and Shelly Olson of First UMC in Hartford. They attended a recent Miracles Happen Here tour at United Methodist Children's Services (UMCS).

As we look around the church, most of us have the support we need in life.We have the church, family and friends.Unfortunately, not everyone does. United Methodist Children's Services (UMCS) has been serving women, children and their families for 45 years.Jessica Laven, UMCS Social Worker, told us about herwith the Transitional Living Program.is UMCS’s goal to help women and their families become organized, find their footing and stay on track.The Transitional Living Program is set up to provide safe, affordable housing, on-site social services and childcare.The program is designed for single women and their low-income families.The women who are in the program agree to set and work on specific goals.Goals are those that relate to education, employment, finance and personal issues.

UMCS is in Milwaukee, in an area that may cause some of us to feel uncomfortable.is good to feel uncomfortable with poverty and its byproducts. Change cannot happen when we are comfortable. Upon arriving at UMCS, we were greeted and welcomed by UMCS board member, Rev. Jack Stubbs.We were then escorted into a classroom adapted for a presentation Rev. Cindy Thompson called “Miracles Happen Here.”Retired Milwaukee police detective and current UMCS board member, Jerry Weismueller, talked about his experience of effectively closing down drug houses near the UMCS building.Perry Huyck, the UMCS Director told us of the partnerships with Washington Park Partners and other area organizations to transform the area to an increasingly positive place to live and raise families.

UMCS operatesfamily resource center distributing food and clothing to low income families and individuals.UMCS has the largest food pantry in Milwaukee County. The combinced programs of UMCS served 27,003 people in 2006.

Rev. Kundiger and Ms. Olson concluded their reflections shared with their congregation in this way:U MCS has a big role to play in renewing the lives of people and needs the help of our church financially and with service projects at the UMCS site.