Winter Coat Drive for KM HUB

Wow! Once again, Kent UMC has provided in abundance!

Thank you all for an over-the-top success! You, yes YOU, the generous congregation of Kent UMC, donated over 100 coats for Kent Meridian High School students in response to a request from Heath Thompson, Dean of Students. These coats will bring warmth and comfort on our cold, wet NW winter days. They will also bring a message of love and care for the students and their families. Outreach: Beyond Our Walls is so appreciative of your efforts; when we ask, you give and give more. Thank you!

Here is a note of thanks from Kent Meridian High School:

We appreciate all of your generosity! So far, we have distributed 94 coats/jackets/hoodies to 80 students! We distribute coats during 4th period/their lunch period on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Majority of the students requesting the jackets are receiving free/reduced lunch and come from families with at least 3-5 siblings so a lot of these students are in jackets they have had for years or are hand-me-downs from their older siblings and have expressed such gratitude for a new jacket. This need will be consistent throughout the year, so we really appreciate all the warmth that these donations have provided to our students!

Learn More About KM HUB

It is hard to be successful in school when you are hungry. Fortunately, K-M HUB is there to help students with snacks, meals, and more. KUMC Outreach and Youth Group have partnered to help HUB, but we can’t do it without you.

HUB is a free resource center located in the K-M main office. HUB provides free access to food, personal hygiene products, and school supplies. KUMC has been assisting HUB for four years now. Staff are so grateful each time they see our donations. Thank you, KUMC, for helping to remove roadblocks to student learning. For more information, go to the HUB website at www.kmhub.org.

Support KM HUB

It is time for our monthly delivery of items to HUB, so I called the school to ask what they need. When I called, our contact said, “I was just talking about your church!” She went on to say that she was telling a couple of others at the school that they were in great need of supplies and wondered aloud if she could call us. I let her know that we at KUMC call that a “God- thing” because we were calling to find out what they needed in our next delivery. And I reminded her that, of course, they could call us any time. Your donations are making a difference in the lives of youth in our community!

The HUB at Kent-Meridian High School serves all of its students who may be hungry, cold, or in need of personal care items. We at KUMC have provided meal kits to them for several years. This Fall, they asked us to change up how we support them to best meet student needs. While we continue to ensure they have enough meal kits to meet demand, we now provide additional items. Through your generous giving, we have allocated monies from the Community Outreach Beyond Our Walls account for them each month. If you also feel inspired to donate any of the items, please feel free to drop those in the HUB donation basket located next to the Foodbank basket in the narthex. We deliver the items at least monthly. The families and staff of the high school are incredibly appreciative of all that we do for them.

Only New Items, Please

  • Snacks such as fruit cups, granola/energy bars, etc.

  • Full-sized shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant

  • Full-sized toothpaste

  • Washcloths

  • Lip Balm

  • Warm hats & gloves (preferred colors are black, gray, dark blue). Homemade or store-bought.

  • Low-cut socks

  • Feminine pads with wings

If you have questions about any of these, just contact Sandra Durbrow.

You can also purchase items from the HUB wish list and have them sent directly to K-M High School by using the HUB Amazon wish list:

How you can help:

  • Donate money to KUMC Outreach Committee, which will be used to purchase items for K-M HUB. Donate online using the KUMC app or our website at Give Now to Kent United Methodist Church (pushpay.com) by selecting Community Outreach Offering in the drop-down list and noting “Kent HUB” in the Notes field. You can also mail a check to KUMC with Kent HUB in the Memo line.

  • Pray for the students and HUB volunteers that their burdens be eased and their spirits be comforted.