SALINA — United Methodists will cover Salina this afternoon with willing hands to serve in dozens of local agencies and participate in the Day of Service. There will be a variety of volunteer opportunities to accommodate every age and ability, said Kathryn Witte, communications/marketing director for the Nebraska United Methodist Conference.
Local agencies that the United Methodist will be working with during the Day of Service include: Saline County Commission on Aging, Domestic Violence Association of Central Kansas, Ashby House, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Red Cross, The Land Institute, Salina Rescue Mission, Martin Luther King Jr. Child Development Center, Emergency Aid Food Bank, OCCK, Heartland Early Education, Catholic Charities, the city of Salina, Salina Public Schools, Salina Family YMCA, Windsor Estates, Sterling House of Salina, Sterling House of Fairdale, Stephanie’s Small Comforts and several local residents with special needs. Members also will have a food ingathering for Salina-area agencies.
“We want to demonstrate from the beginning that the mission of the Great Plains is to move beyond the walls of our churches,” said the Rev. Evelyn Fisher, co-coordinator of Serve Salina. “Serving Salina as part of our uniting conference helps to reinforce that vision.”
Kansas West Annual Conference met in Salina 2001 through 2010 (except for 2007). Now, the Kansas East and Nebraska conferences will be joining Kansas West in Salina to complete the last process in becoming the Great Plains Conference at the Bicentennial Center Aug. 22-24.
As of Jan. 1, 2014, and for the first time since 1860, Kansas and Nebraska will be one conference, the Great Plains Conference. Together, the three conferences have more than 220,000 lay people, 1,037 congregations and almost 800 active elders, deacons, associate members and local pastors.
To learn more, visit http://www.greatplainsumc.org.