Would serving as a host to the homeless through Family Promise of Greater Kingsport; serving meals at the Salvation Army; driving nails or painting at a Habitat House project; helping organize and distribute clothing at our Clothes Closet; preparing and delivering warm meals to shut-ins or volunteering at community shelters or ministry centers appeal to you?
At First Presbyterian Church of Kingsport, you will find a volunteer opportunity to satisfy every interest while making meaningful contributions to the lives of others.
Providing quality used clothing, shoes, and coats to families and individuals in our community with short term special needs or those who have difficulty making ends meet on a longer-term basis.
Holston Habitat for Humanity coordinates building affordable housing for our neighbors. An annual “Faith Build” in October-November-December by Kingsport churches’ volunteers, including FPC’s, typically help over a one to three-day period with skilled and unskilled labor. The Chair of FPC’s Membership and Evangelism Committee coordinates FPC volunteers. In 2022, Allen Wright, 423-426-4030, will lead this effort. If at other times of the year, you would like to help, go online at www.holstonhabitat.org or contact Mandy Penz, Holston Habitat’s Volunteer Manager, 423-239-7689, extension 801.
The church serves as one of a network of churches to house homeless families through the Family Promise of Greater Kingsport (FPGK). Volunteers are needed, over a one week period, once a quarter, to set up classrooms for housing, to host guests and provide meals.
Family Promise of Greater Kingsport, Inc. (formerly known as Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Kingsport) is a homeless shelter for families with minor children in the Kingsport area. We work with a group of churches that provide overnight accommodations and meals for the guests who are in our program.
Families with children make up the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. FPGK provides a safe, family oriented place to stay, nutritious meals, and mentoring to help homeless families with children under 18 on their quest to regain independence.
FPGK is the only shelter in Kingsport currently able to accommodate two parent families, families with teen aged boys, and single fathers with teen aged girls. Caring community and staff members provide guidance, encouragement and supportive services to help families find and retain permanent housing.
When churches are able to house program participants again, some FPC members will prepare meals, some will host dinner and evening activities and some will stay overnight with the guests in our church and at St. Dominic Catholic Church. Gray and Liz Stothart are FPC’s coordinators. Liz’s cell phone is 423-367-1647. Monetary donations are always appreciated. Please consider being part of this important
The church’s kitchen serves as a hub for Meals on Wheels. Lunches are prepared mornings, Monday through Friday, and volunteers pick up and deliver meals to people enrolled in the program.
Do you like to cook or organize/distribute/stock or drive? Maybe your talents can be used to serve others from FPC’s kitchen in the Fellowship Center through weekly Meals on Wheels to our Kingsport neighbors. mowkpt@gmail.com 423-247-4511 www.mealsonwheelskingsport.org
Grab & Go Breakfast Ministry. From the FPC Fellowship Center kitchen to the breezeway, from 40 to 70 bags of food are distributed each Saturday and Sunday to our neighbors who need something to eat and drink and benefit from someone expressing to them kind words and actions. If you would like to help distribute these food items from set-up beginning at 6:45 a.m. and assist with breakdown and light clean up to 8:15ish, please contact Sarah Good by text at 423-967-3148 or call Becca Wright at 963-9617.
Gardening opportunities at FPC! If you want to assist with church landscaping, contact Sarah Barbour at 423-723-4838. If you would like to grow food for neighbors in need, the Harvest of Hope Community Garden is on Charlemont behind FPC on land donated by FPC. See www.feedingkingsport.org and Master Gardeners Association www.netmga.net
Salvation Army, 505 Dale Street, Kingsport, 423-246-6671, needs volunteers in several capacities. Three to five people can help prepare and serve a Sunday lunch meal on the second Sunday of each month between 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. If First Presbyterian Church chooses to fund the meal, the cost is $125.00 per meal, serving one-hundred people. There is an option to serve the meal only with volunteers arriving by 11:45 a.m. To help with a meal, please contact Catherine Tucker, Salvation Army Advisory Board Member at 423-782-7782.
Beginning in mid-November, volunteers are needed to ring Salvation Army bells for the ” Red Kettle” campaign, which funds needs within the Salvation Army year-round. To volunteer to ring bells, call the Salvation Army at 423-246-6671.
We support KCMC, a joint ministry of area churches which partners with people in crisis to meet their basic physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Volunteers are needed on a rotating basis as receptionists and also as interviewers/counselors.
Beyond the volunteer opportunities described above, First Presbyterian Church supports numerous local service agencies and food pantries and stands ready to respond to local and regional faith based service opportunities as they become available throughout the year. FPC also actively participants in national and international programs of Presbyterian Church, USA.
First Presbyterian Church is the community partner for two schools in Kingsport that offer specialized learning environments for middle and high school students who need or want a different way to learn. DB Excel offers a creative, innovative learning environment for high school students. The Cora Cox Academy works with students who have had behavioral issues in the classroom to teach self-discipline and healthy group interaction, as well as math, science and English.
As community partners to these schools our primary focus is on the health and wellbeing of the students. We maintain a food pantry at Cora Cox, and collect cereal bars and other snack items for both schools for students who come to school hungry. Many of these young people are just as hungry for the time and attention of a caring adult, so community mentors are always welcome.
If you are interested in mentoring a Cora Cox student (social, educational, professional) for a minimum of one hour per week, please contact Elizabeth Keizer, Student Advocate 423-378-2229 ekeizer@k12k.com Being a consistent, positive role model can change a student’s life for the better and create a positive impact on our community. Also, several Cora Cox Academy students do not have enough food to eat. You may send your checks to Cora Cox Academy, Memo: Food for CCA students, c/o Elizabeth Keizer, Student Advocate, 520 Myrtle Street, Kingsport, TN 37660.
Roosevelt Elementary offers opportunities for food, school supplies and clothing donations for students. Also, in the future, mentors may read to students or have students read to them. Jami Arrowsmith is FPC’s contact person. 423-943-0747
The mission of The Oasis located at 1102 Mill Street, Kingsport, is to create a safe place for all women to wash clothes and learn new ways to care for themselves and family through non-threatening hands on activities with a Christ-centered approach. The Oasis provides a variety of services and a place for women to share life stories and prayer. As services are used, relationships are formed that allow us to assist them in all aspects of their lives. Like Jesus, we meet each woman where she is in life without judgement – just love and support. For some women, The Oasis is a stepping stone to self-sufficiency. For most women, The Oasis assists in meeting basic needs on a daily basis in a community of Christ. It is our hope that The Oasis can bring new life. For more information go to The Oasis. Martha Pendley is FPC’s volunteer coordinator. She is an Oasis board member. To volunteer at Oasis, contact Martha at 423-349-4377.
Backpack for Kids helps make sure Kingsport City Schools’ children have food to eat on weekends. Volunteers assemble food bags and place them in boxes at Second Harvest Food Bank. If you would like to assemble food, contact Second Harvest Food Bank at 423-279-0430 or www.netfoodbank.org If you wish to drive food to a school location, drivers will arrive monthly at FPC’s parking lot to have their vehicles loaded with boxes of food and drive them to Kingsport City Schools where they are unloaded by school personnel for school children’s weekend meals. Jeremy Lively enthusiastically coordinates the volunteers for this program. Jeremy’s contact information: 423-963-1975, jeremy.lively.q9ns@statefarm.com
FPC drivers assist other church members with getting groceries, going to doctor appointments, etc. Contact FPC’s Becca Wright 963-9617, if you would like to assist your fellow church members who needs a lift!
The American Red Cross relies on volunteers to help us with our mission of relieves human suffering by preventing, preparing for and responding to emergencies.
The American Red Cross Northeast Tennessee processes all volunteer applications and conducts volunteer training for many areas in our region. Volunteers are invaluable to the daily operation of the American Red Cross Northeast Tennessee and are truly the heart and soul of the organization.