recognized us with an “Operation Surprise 25” grant. This

special grants program began on October 21 and

culminated on the 25th of October. Foundation staff

bearing balloons, party horns and a large facsimile check

surprised worthy organizations with unrestricted $1,000

grants.

We also received a $1000 grant from the Christian

Education Sunday Offering Fund. These greatly

appreciated grants allow us to continue to provide

services to inner city Roanoke kids.

Christmas programs

This Christmas season, Trinity students were treated to a

wonderful Christmas dinner. We would like to thank Life

Tabernacle for this event. The church provided gifts for all

the children and had a surprise visit from Santa himself! We

also invited "Animal Antics" to our facility. We were treated

to live animal demonstrations featuring exotic tortoises,

a leopard gecko and a rare Australian carpet snake. The

children were able to ask questions about each animal

and even touch certain animals. We participated in the

Dickens of a Christmas parade in downtown

Roanoke. Students and staff members participated

in walking beside or riding on our decorated bus through

the streets of downtown.

Students at West End were treated to a Christmas

Party by West End UMC, as well as dinner at

Golden Corral and gifts.

Fairview students were treated to a Charlie Brown

Christmas, dinner and gifts by Fairview UMC. Quasia receiving her gift

from Life Tabernacle

2014 Golf Tournament

This year we are proud to

announce our 4th annual golf

tournament. In 2012 golfers raised

over $12,000 and a total of $36,000

over three years! All proceeds go

to the program and help provide

safe transportation, tutoring,

extracurricular activities, school

supplies, library time, summer

camp, clothes closet, caring staff

and 9 meals a week. This has

made a huge difference for the

kids attending our program.

We invite you to come out for a

fun day of golf, fellowship, and

sportsmanship to play for the

children of the Community

Outreach Program at Hanging

Rock Golf Course on May 17, 2014.

After a light breakfast we’ll have a

shot gun start at 8am, with lunch,

raffle, and lots of prizes to follow.

The Salem Lions Club will once

again be the title sponsor. We still

have several sponsorship and

player slots open.

Contact us to play,

sponsor, or volunteer for

the day. Mark your

calendars for May 17,

2014, 8am.

We’ll see you there!!!

Newsletter of the United Methodist Community Outreach Program of Roanoke, Virginia

Winter, 2014

GE Employees!

The GE

Foundation

Matching Gifts

Program will

double your gift

to us! See your HR

department for details

C.O.P. gets $12,000 in Grants

United Methodist Children’s Fund for

Christian Mission has selected COP as

one of the four United Methodist

Children’s Fund for Christian

Mission projects for 2014, raising

approximately $10,000 for us!

The Foundation for Roanoke Valley

Serving all God’s children through mentoring academically, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

Would you like to be more involved in helping Roanoke kids? We have lots of great

opportunities for volunteers including tutoring, meal preparation, hobby, craft and art

demonstrators and serving on our Board of Directors. Contact us to learn more!

Multipurpose copy paper,

#10 envelopes,

HP96, 97 & 901 ink cartridges,

Postage stamps,

Printable postcard blanks

Staples and Dollar Tree gift cards.

1” non-perforated 1” round mailing labels

We also accept donations of new school supplies, backpacks and

good condition clothing for children and youth. If you have other

items to donate, please contact us for guidelines.

Mark your Calendars!

Jan 20th Board Meeting 5pm

Feb 17th Board Meeting 5pm

April 7th Fundraising (Golf) 5pm

April 14-25 CLOSED for Easter Holiday

May 12-15 Last Week for C.O.P.

May 17th Community Outreach Program Golf

Tournament, Hanging Rock Golf Course 8am start.

May 19th Board Meeting 5pm

Trinity United Methodist Church

United Methodist Community Outreach Program of Roanoke

305 Mountain Ave SW

Roanoke, VA 24016

Phone 540-342-3103 Fax 540-342-0412

Email umcopr@roacoxmail.com

www.communityoutreachroanoke.org

Non-Profit

Org.

U.S. Postage

PAID

Roanoke, VA

Permit #529

Christmas Angels

Members of area United Methodist Churches donated Christmas Angels

to 98 inner city kids, ensuring that they experience the joy of Christmas.

Total value of the gifts given in 2013 was over $9,800.00! Participating

congregations include Central UMC, Windsor Hills UMC, First UMC,

Thrasher Memorial UMC, Cave Spring UMC, Bonsack UMC, Fairview UMC,

Northview UMC and Grace UMC.

Barnes & Nobel Book Drive

The December book drive was a huge success, earning us a $500 gift card

to buy books for our kids. Thanks to Valley View B&N for hosting us again.

Moment of Hope…

Greetings friends,

Happy New Year! While we look to the year ahead, I also want to take a moment to look back

on the last year and all the amazing ways the Children of the Community Outreach Program

have been blessed by your gifts, talents, witness, and service.

Over the last year more than 90 full backpacks were donated to help children be prepared to

start school and 50 children attended Camp Alta Mons through your generous donations. You

prepared over 5000 warm meals for children at their program sites; these meals go a long way

helping children to sit, eat, learn good manners, and nourish their minds and bodies for school

the next day. Through grants from the Foundation for Roanoke Valley, Food Lion, and Freedom

First we supply 6 meals every weekend for all 86 children to take home with them; that’s over

14,000 meals last year. Your generosity doesn't stop there; this Christmas local churches

provided gifts for all the children in the program, an in kind contribution of almost $10,000.

Not only that, but through the generous donations of individuals, local churches, and

organizations we have met our annual budget goal and will end the year in good standing. This

New Year we truly have many blessings to celebrate!

As to the year ahead, C.O.P. has some wonderful things coming. We’re continuing to provide

services with the standards we have come to expect. We will also be renovating the Trinity UMC

dining rooms and second floor classrooms so that they hold in the heat, provide better light,

and lessen the volume so that we can hold more productive conversations with children as

they eat. We will also be adding a fire system which will allow the building to hold more children

than the 49 we are currently restricted to. These wonderful goals will enhance our reach so that

as many children as possible will bear witness to God's love for them. Thanks to you, dear

friends, for your generous hearts, your faithful prayers, and your loving arms. You make C.O.P. a

loving place for children to escape the harsh world into the loving embrace of Jesus.

Your missionary,

Becky Parsons

Executive Director and CCW Missionary

A

Lawrence Memorial UMC

Maggie & John Lester

Hunter and Esther Mabry

Rev. Bob and Shelby McAden

Dorothy H. Mundy

Rick and Pam Murray

Northview UMC

Earline Orndorff

Lois Overstreet

Hope Patsel

Rebecca Pence

Glenn Shawn Phillips

Janice & Rod Phillips

Carol Pruner

Raleigh Court UMC

Roanoke District Board of Missions

Second Presbyterian Church

David and Connie Shelor

Mark and Mary Shepard

Wendy Slemp

Jeffrey and Gwyn Snider

Southview UMW

Debra P. Steele

Susanna Wesley Circle of Central UMC

Lou Talbutt

Emory and Sylvia Tarpley

Thrasher Memorial UMC

Virginia Conference -UMC

Everett Werness

West End UMC Women

White Memorial UMC

Windsor Hills UMC

Donald and Ellen Witt

Woodlawn UMW

Lucy Wright

Advantage Automotive LLC

Reid Ammen

Bonsack UMC

Ethel Born

Braddock Street UMW

Carillion Clinic

Samuel & Lonna Carter

Cave Spring UMC

Central UMC

Eleanor M. Clark

Nancy T. Clemons

Hilary Costello Jr.

Michelle Dancy

Park and Mary Dickerson

Mr. & Mrs. G.R. Duerk

Fairview UMC

Farmhouse Restaurants Inc.

First Book

First UMC

First UMC Key 73 Class

Foundation for Roanoke Valley

Friendship Class, Cave Spring UMC

Hartley Gaston

Cecil Gillespie

Girl Scout Troup 1021, Girl Scouts of VSC, Inc.

Grace UMC

Greene Memorial UMC

Blanche Hawks

Roger and Myrteen Heslep

Kenneth Hogan

Huffville Sunday School

Robert and Gail Johnson

R Bruce and Lisa Allison Jones

Kroger Mid Atlantic

Franklin and Sandra Lancaster

Gloriadene Lancaster