Our congregation’s annual all-faith community roast turkey supper feeds 500+ residents and raises nearly the entire annual budget for the Falmouth Food Pantry. In addition, we hold other fundraisers that benefit this program. Members of our congregation volunteer to make sure that our neighbors have food security all year round.

Our church helps Greater Portland Family Promise support homeless families, many of whom are seeking asylum. Currently there are over 200 families at 8 different hotels in the area. Support staff have been added, but housing availability is still challenging. During the pandemic Family Promise adopted more of a homelessness-prevention strategy to help families with housing stay in that housing in addition to supporting the families residing at the hotels waiting for housing to become available. The biggest needs right now are quarters for laundry as well as Hannaford and Wal-Mart gift cards. If you would rather donate money, you may write a check mode out to the church and put “Family Promise” in the subject line. You can drop off Hannaford/Wal-Mart gift cards and/or Rolls of Quarters with the church office or with any of our Mission members.

Falmouth UCC is involved in emergency housing in a variety of ways. We hosted an Asylum Seeking Family in our Parsonage for 3 months in 2019 and formed a drive and support team to help this family get to appointments and English classes. We have provided emergency housing in our church building when the Portland Family Shelter ran out of room. We are currently partnering with State Street Church, UCC, to staff their family shelter in Portland.

We help less fortunate children have a special Christmas. During Advent, the church receives names and a wish list from children at the Root Cellar and from Falmouth Food Pantry families. Church families choose and provide gifts for these children. Over the years, there has been an outpouring of gifts, ensuring many children and youths have a Merry Christmas.

Falmouth Congregational Church participates in special offerings each year in order to share the gifts that God has given us with others. These special offerings are called “5 for 5” and support wider church programs like Pilgrim Lodge Camp; the Maine and national United Church of Christ; programs for international health, education and relief; ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States, including the Council for American Indian Ministries; and the Christmas Fund for the Veterans of the Cross, which supports retired and active clergy in need. In addition, the Pastor’s Discretionary Fund is used to help local people and families facing emergency need.

Our newest mission supports our 5 for 5 special offerings by selling fresh baked bread each Communion Sunday (the first Sunday of the month).