SERVE OUR COMMUNITY
WAYS TO SERVE
Click on the options below to see some of the ways you can help serve our neighbors!
Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors
I Need Help!
Pantry on the Bluff has partnered with Bundles of Hope to provide disposable diapers in addition to food. Diapers are distributed at the same time as our food distribution on the first Wednesday of each month.
I Want to Help!
There are many ways to get involved with the Pantry on the Bluff. Here are some of the ways that you can support this important work:
Make a donation of money, food, or diapers
Financial donations allow us to buy in bulk and buy most needed items. Financial donations are tax deductible. Checks should be made out to BPUMC with a note at the bottom “for the Food Pantry.” You may also make a financial donation online. Direct your donation to ‘Food Pantry’ in the Funds drop-down menu. Grocery item and diaper donations should be placed at designated drop off bins located near the main entrances to the church building.
Organize a food drive
Children love to get involved. This is one way they can help. Contact committee members learn which items most needed. See a list of suggested food pantry items to donate.
Volunteer your time
Volunteers are the heart of our organization. Each month we need help packing grocery bags, bundling diapers, running the distribution, and restocking the pantry. If you would like to volunteer, email: adultministries@bpumc.org or call 205-822-0910.
Special gifts during the holidays or anytime
If you’re looking for the perfect holiday gift for family and friends, consider making a donation to The Pantry On The Bluff in a loved one’s name. Send us a donation, along with the name and address of the person you’d like to honor, and we will send them a beautiful notecard, letting them know that you’ve made a gift in their name.
Who We Are
The Pantry On The Bluff is a volunteer run community ministry of Bluff Park United Methodist Church that provides food for those that ask. We distribute food and diapers that have been purchased and donated. Last year, the Pantry on the Bluff supplied food and diapers to more than 200 families each month. The doors were opened to all who knocked. A diverse group of people is ultimately helped: older adults, children, the working poor, single-parent families and the newly unemployed.
Our History
For several years, the number of families requesting assistance remained somewhat constant; however, when the economy in Jefferson County began to decline in 2009, more and more families knocked on the church doors asking for help. The doors were opened to all who knocked, but the handwriting was clear — the task of feeding the hungry required much more time, money, and attention than the Director of Senior Services could provide. The need for accurate documentation, electronic data collection and storage, and a structured program was evident. A call to the congregation was issued.
In January 2009, the United Women in Faith of Bluff Park United Methodist Church, with open hearts and minds, assumed full-time responsibility for the organization and operation of a structured, ongoing food program open to individuals requesting assistance. Our mission then and still is “With utmost humility and respect, nourish the body and mind of all seeking help.”
As the ministry continued to grow, we discovered a need for diapers. Babies need 8-10 diapers a day, which can cost more than $100 each month. Disposable diapers are not covered by any government program such as SNAP or WIC. This can place a huge burden on families with young children who are struggling financially. In 2015 we partnered with Bundles of Hope to provide diapers to the families we serve through the pantry.
As the needs of our community change, we adapt and serve in faith.
Each day, we know that there are students in our community who go without their basic needs being met. This often affects their school performance and can have a lifelong impact.
My child needs help!
The resources supplied through the Room 35226+ program are distributed at our community public schools. We have established resource rooms at Simmons Middle School, Dupuy Birmingham City School, and Little Imaginations preschool. If your child is a student at any of these schools, they can access the resources during school hours. Contact the school counselor for more information. As this ministry grows we will establish resource rooms at other schools and update this page.
What is Room 35226+
Each day, we know that there are students in our community who go without their basic needs being met. This often affects their school performance. They may be skipping meals over the weekend because there is not enough food in the kitchen at home. They might not have the school supplies they need for class. Or, it could just be that a student forgot to put on deodorant before leaving home. Whatever the case, Hoover is too caring a community to leave these student’s needs unmet. Many of us strive to help on a case-by-case basis. But what if we could do even more?
You can help make Room 35226+ a reality by gifting items from the list found at the bottom of this page, provided to us by guidance counselors and administrators at the schools.
How can I help the children in our community?
You can drop off donated items at the Bluff Park UMC church office Mon-Fri from 8:00am-4:00pm. There is a dedicated drop-off area on the 1st floor near the elevator tower. A list of items you can donate is available here: bluffparkumc.org/35226-supply-list