Sharon Scanlan, Amy Butkovich, and Jan Hopke-Almer
United Women of Faith and Mission Outreach actively worked together on local mission projects throughout 2024. Last February, we had our semi-annual Family First Baby Shower & Ladies Luncheon. This event provided Family First with more than 1,200 baby diapers and 142 baby layette items. These items are provided to parents through Family First’s Earn While You Learn Christian-based parent education program. Funds come from mission donations and our ladies circle, Creative Hands sewing group. Family First received additional donations of clothing made by Creative Hands totaling 243 items, including pajamas and toddler shorts sets and dresses. An equal number of Creative Hands clothes were donated to the IMPACT Clothing Bank.
Last year Vista ladies collected and put together hygiene toiletries bags for ladies served by Tucson Metro Ministries (TMM) and EMERGE Center Against Domestic Abuse. Our children’s Christmas project was creating art gift bags as follows: EMERGE (30 art bags), TMM (30 art bags), and Fuente de Vida Church (53 art bags). Infants and toddlers at our sister church in Mexico were given gifts of a pillow/pillow sham, fleece blanket, stuffed animal, and M&M-filled candy cane (15 gifts). Vista ladies filled a record total of 102 Christmas stockings with gifts! Twenty were given to mothers at Family First and 40 and 42 Christmas stockings to women served by Eagles Wings of Grace and TMM, respectively. The stockings were stuffed with toiletries and personal care items. TMM distributed the stockings during their Christmas party on Dec. 20. Vista’s youth made many keychains, which were inserted into each stocking.
Ladies in the United Women of Faith and Vista UMC look forward to God blessing us with continued opportunities to serve our community in 2025. If you would like to join these groups to help local families, contact Amy at gbutkovich@comcast.net or Jan at hopkealmer@yahoo.com for more information.
Vista de la Montana United Methodist Church is located at 3001 E. Miravista Lane, east of Oracle Road and just south of the Golder Ranch intersection. Our Sunday service is at 10 a.m.