Following Christ’s example, Ebenezer reaches out to serve those in need, showing God’s love in all the ways we can.
Ebenezer’s Sonshine Stitchers –
A Community-Focused Mission
The Sonshine Stitchers of Ebenezer United Church of Christ provide a wide variety of creations made from fabric which are donated to people in the Ebenezer family of faith and throughout the Greater Sheboygan County Community. It is truly a random-act-of-kindness mission that enriches the lives of many.
Blessings & Peace, Darryl
Click below to view two videos that Darryl Gumm has created to showcase the Sonshine Stitchers.
Showing God’s Love With Fabric
Refugee Support Community Sheboygan
As an integral part of the Refugee Support Community Sheboygan, we work in concert with many other organizations and individuals to support recently arrived refugees. Our goal is to provide a warm welcome. Recently, 10 families were identified and assigned an advocate who helped determine what was needed and how best to help. Four Syrian, two Somali, and four Rohingya families received assistance. Four additional families and six individuals were helped occasionally.
Refugee Support Community Sheboygan is action-oriented, flexible and fluid, respectful of cultural diversity, reaching out to identify and organize resources able to help. Support for refugees takes many forms: housing and housekeeping, education and tutoring English language learners, medical and dental needs, resume writing and getting jobs, transportation and learning to drive, food and nutrition, socialization, and administrative assistance, including help with Green Card applications. “Rolling up our sleeves,” working together, sharing our knowledge, expertise, and resources, we have made a difference.
From our new, dear refugee friends, we have learned much about profound strength, dignity, courage, resourcefulness, resilience, and gratitude. We thank them.
Laundry Love
Ebenezer’s Laundry Love, celebrating its 15th year, helps do laundry for people who are struggling financially, those living below the poverty line, those in shelters, and the homeless. One night a month, a team of volunteers meets at a laundry to sign-in guests, help as people load laundry into washers/dryers, add detergent/dryer sheets, and feed lots of quarters into the machines. Ebenezer also provides handmade cloth laundry bags, coffee, snacks, small gifts of toiletries, and crayons and coloring books for children.
Referral partners include the Department of Health and Human Services, the Salvation Army, Sheboygan Area School District, the Hmong Association, and Safe Harbor. Other faith communities have joined this effort, so opportunities for clean laundry are offered each week during the month. Laundry Love sessions always provide “God sightings” while offering the simple dignity of clean wash.
Caring For The Caregivers
Once a month, food, treats, and/or a small gift is delivered to the workers in a nursing unit at Aurora Medical Center, Sheboygan. The delivery – often themed with the season – also includes a note expressing our thanks for all they do.
Karaoke
Karaoke provides an afternoon of fellowship, friendship, and tunes galore for our community of music lovers. All are welcome to participate in this outreach – come to sing or simply listen. Karaoke is offered on the third Sunday of the month from 1:30 – 4:30 pm in Fellowship Hall. Hosts Tom & Dar Ott are honored to offer this event as part of Ebenezer’s WISE (Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive, and Engaged) Ministry for Mental Health.
Community Café Meals
Several Saturdays a year, Ebenezer participates in Community Café – preparing and serving a meal for between 50 and 75 guests. Community Café is sponsored by the Sheboygan County Food Bank, providing free meals on weekdays and, with various churches’ help, also on Saturdays. The meals are served at St. Luke’s Methodist Church in downtown Sheboygan.
Fresh Meals on Wheels
On Fridays, a team of volunteers delivers meals to elderly, homebound, and disabled Sheboygan residents through Fresh Meals on Wheels. Beyond delivering nutritious meals, our team provides a warm smile and friendly contact for each person visited. At Christmas, the Meals On Wheels organization requested that Ebenezer’s Sunshine Stitchers provide ornaments for their meal recipients – 400 handcrafted ornaments were delivered.
Food Pantry Donations
Recognizing the continuing need of struggling families in our community, Ebenezer’s members and friends regularly donate non-perishable food items and toiletries. Items are brought to church and set on our Food Pantry shelf. Each month, a team of volunteers distributes the items to northside food pantries.
Jefferson/Ebenezer Partnership (JEP)
The Jefferson/ Ebenezer Partnership (JEP) helps put quality books into the hands and homes of the students at Jefferson Elementary School, by providing a Birthday Book to each student each year. Funds are collected through donations and grants. We work with the school’s Reading Specialist and teachers who order appropriate reading-level books in bulk. On their birthday, students are given a token to use as they choose a book from the Birthday Book vending machine.
As each new school year approaches, Ebenezer shops for school supplies. Our partnership with Jefferson Elementary School in Sheboygan includes donating head phones, whiteboard markers, crayons, pencils, markers, notebooks, and other school supplies to the students. Volunteers have also gone to the classroom to read with students. This partnership was formed in recognition of our church’s previous location which was across the street from Jefferson School. JEP helps Ebenezer provide a continuing presence in our former neighborhood.
Quilts
Each child baptized at Ebenezer, receives a quilt as a gift from the congregation. The ECJ Circle meets once a month to create these baby quilts. The group, which has been meeting for 75 years, also makes and donates twin-size patchwork quilts that are given to residents of Bridgeway and Safe Harbor. The residents are able to keep the quilts when they leave these residences.
Fidget Mats
Fidget Mats, providing a variety of sensory activities for those with dementia, anxiety, or autism, are handmade by the Sunshine Stitchers. They feature bright colors and different textures to keep hands busy. More than 100 have been donated to nursing homes.
Prayer Shawls
Sunshine Stitchers knit, crochet, and sew prayer shawls, “throw blankets,” and afghans that are given for comfort or celebration to members, friends, and others where there is a need. The shawls and throws are dedicated during a church service with a prayer that they may provide God’s presence to those who receive them. Handmade prayer booklets are also enclosed with the gift.
Other Ministries to the Community
Ebenezer seeks to be an active and visible Body of Christ, to make a difference in the lives of others as we show God’s love in all the ways we can.
Additional ministries to our community include collections for Salvation Army, Safe Harbor, Bridgeway, and Coats for Kids. Each Thanksgiving, working with Sheboygan County’s Health and Human Services, we provide gift cards for groceries to an average of 30 individuals and families in need. Our youth participate in Habitat for Humanity’s Shantytown, and Christmas caroling at nursing homes. Handmade greeting cards are created at Ebenezer and are available for purchase in our Gathering Area. The cardmaking/scrapbooking group regularly welcomes friends and guests from the community to share in the fun and fellowship. Recognizing the importance of support for children during family crisis, we are a host site for Rainbow Kids and have several volunteer participants.
Ebenezer is a host site for other community groups, including Music for Tots, the Senior Foot-Care Clinic, and AA.