Local + Global
Decades of community outreach + investing in global missions.
ULTIMATELY, WE GROW BY HAVING A PURPOSE AND A CAUSE THAT ARE BIGGER THAN OURSELVES. WE GROW BY BEING PART OF A TEAM THAT IS SERVING OTHERS.
#FORKAILUA
For nearly 100 years, our church ohana has come together to care for both Kailua, and our island-wide community.
We partner with local organizations that align with our church's values: 1.) Caring for the less fortunate, 2.) Education, and 3.) Sustainability. We then provide financial support and various resources throughout the year so that they can continue make an impact in the world around us.
Shown Here: Two staff members from Partners in Development stopped to pick up boxes of tennis shoes to distribute to their houseless families. Just before Christmas 2022, Kailua UMC received a donation of 800+ pairs of brand new shoes. It took us one month to finish, but every pair is now on the feet of someone in need!
education
Our church learned that the teachers of a nearby Title I elementary school were in need of assistance stocking their classrooms for the year ahead. So often, teachers pay for classroom items out of their own pockets - on top of already not earning the salaries they deserve. For two years now, our Kailua UMC ohana has come together to raise enough funds to purchase EVERY teacher's wish list items, including their janitorial staff's needed items!
the Houseless
The last Tuesday of every month, a number of churches + community partners come together to offer various services to Kailua's houseless at the Windward YMCA - healthcare, a shower, hot meal, haircut, food stamp assistance, hygiene items, and much more. Throughout the year, our church signs up to provide about 100 snack packs, collect travel-sized hygiene items, and even provides a hot meal once per year.
Sustainability
S.U.R.F. stands for See, Understand, Reduce + Follow, a creative name given by our monthly beach cleanup group! SEE the problem we’re facing, UNDERSTAND its impact it plays on our environment + marine life, REDUCE our single use plastic usage, and be someone your friends + family want to FOLLOW. Beach cleanup locations vary each month, but more information can be found on our Facebook page.
food insecurity
Since the onset of the pandemic, food insecurity in Hawaiʻi has grown by more than 50%. Now, nearly a quarter of a million Hawaiʻi residents are currently struggling with hunger, including including a rising number of kupuna and over 81,000 keiki (or 1 in 4.). Our KUMC ohana never falls short when we host a food drive. We have supported both the Hawaii Food Bank + the Windward Community College's student food pantry.
community
Typically the 1st Friday of every month, we host an outdoor movie on the lawn for families + their keiki. This is a free event for our local youth where we show a recent kid's film, offer free movie theater popcorn, and more. We encourage checking our Facebook page to see upcoming dates, movie times, and what's showing. We hope to see you under the monkey pods soon!
Giving Generously
When it comes to giving generously, the Christmas season comes to mind. While we certainly have plenty of opportunities to give during this time, you can find many others throughout the year!
We encourage you to keep an eye out in our weekly emails, on social media, or on Sunday mornings for ways you can can support our work!
We regularly partner with:
KAILUA'S
KAULUAKALANA
Kauluakalana is a community-based, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that was founded in 2019 by kamaʻāina of Kailua. Their mission is to restore and grow healthy relationships between people and place through the aloha ʻāina practices of retelling Kailua-specific stories, replanting and eating ancestral foods, and caring for the sacred sites, lands, and waters of our beloved ahupuaʻa of Kailua.
The hard working team at Kauluakalana utilize our adjacent property to help with their events and community programs. We invite you to participate in their free Second Saturday workday, open to anyone in the community.
Women-Owned
Supporting four African, women-owned businesses + entrepreneurs in Mali.
Completed: 2022/23
School Gardens
In rural Mali, Africa, a school garden is critical for students and their families.
Completed: 2022
clean water
Bringing fresh, clean water to a deserving, rural community in Mali, Africa.
Completed: 2020
education
Supporting Ecuadorian students who wish to pursue their dreams of furthering their education.
Ongoing since 2018
Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.
- John Wesley, Founder of Methodism
GloBal
Ministries
In 2019, our Outreach Team visited Cambodia and its surrounding areas, assisting in programs that support houseless children and continuing education opportunities for youth. They also learned about sustainable agriculture practices being taught, which generates jobs and income for families experiencing poverty (CHAD.)
As part of our worldwide ministry presence, KUMC also supports the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).