Micah 6:8
“..and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”
The United Church of Seneca Valley (UCCSV) has a long history of caring for the community around us. We began meeting in 1980 and since then our church has seen Germantown grow exponentially and transform from a rural community to a diverse and thriving suburb of Washington DC. With that growth has come increased needs in the community to which we have responded. The Micah 6:8 Scripture guides our work while UCCSV’s commitment to the phrase, “No matter where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here” guides our life together as a faith community.
Love Mercy!
Along with our work on issues of justice, UCC Seneca Valley strives to show mercy and love to our neighbors and support the wider community through donations and direct support of people in need, both locally and globally. We also look to serve our community in a variety of other ways including partnering with local non-profit organizations, working on various service projects, and supporting community mutual aid efforts. Here are a few of our recent efforts and partnerships:
Little Free Personal Care Pantry
Our Little Free Personal Care Pantry officially opened on September 12th, 2021, and is filled with personal care and hygiene items such as deodorant, masks/hand sanitizer, toothpaste, toothbrushes, diapers, socks, and more. The idea was to stock the pantry with items that cannot usually be purchased with food stamps. People are encouraged to take what they need from the pantry and donate what they can. The Pantry is under the church porch and is open and accessible 24/7. The idea for this effort was led by our youth, who obtained a grant to help make this project a reality. For more information click HERE.
Adopt-A-Road
Members of our congregation collect trash along a designated section of Middlebrook Road in Germantown every month as a way to care for our environment, enhance our community, and protect God’s creation.
Local Food Pantries (Germantown HELP)
We partner with local food pantries, especially Germantown Help, to provide for our local neighbors in need. Germantown Help is a local food bank located at nearby Trinity Methodist Church providing emergency food, prescription assistance, and holiday help to families in our area. UCCSV supports Germantown Help through food donations, monetary assistance, and volunteer help.
Let's Read! (Germantown Global Connection)
We host and volunteer for a free tutoring program, in conjunction with the Germantown Global Connection, for area 2nd graders struggling with reading. Twice a week our Gathering Room is filled with books, reading, and fun! Our program features an uplifting, inspiring, and safe reading environment with snacks, activities, and lots of loving teens and adults who can individually help with reading skills. Family members waiting for their children can attend free ESOL classes as well. For more information on this program or to sign up to volunteer please click HERE.
Medical Debt Relief
Our congregation participated in collecting funds to help those suffering with medical debt in the Washington DC area. Together with other DC area churches we were able to eliminate over 9 million dollars in medical debt for over 7,000 local families.
Fox Chapel Elementary School: Linkages to Learning
For several years we provided school supplies, Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets, and gifts for students and families in need at Fox Chapel Elementary School. In partnering with this local school we were able to help support innovative programs like a healthy cooking class where we provided food for the participants, and support for summer camp enrichment activities.
