Somers Congregational Church
Outreach and Community Service
Food Pantry
Somers best kept secret is the Food Pantry for Somers residents located at the Somers Congregational Church on Main
Street. The Pantry has been operating since 1994. The Pantry is open every Monday from 10:00 a.m. until Noon for Somers
residents only. The Pantry is non-profit and depends on donations from local residents, business and civic groups.
Small household items are also accepted. The Food Pantry is currently providing groceries and personal items for about
50 -60 Somers residents per week. Donations may be dropped off at the Church Office. Question regarding the Pantry
donations or fundraising projects, please contact Ppuddy56@aol.com.
Missions
Mission projects are supported separately from pledges for the operation
of the Church budget. The Missions Board is responsible for setting
priorities within the Missions budget. The Somers Congregational Church
supports the mission work of the United Church of Christ by sending a large
portion of the mission budget to fund "Basic Support," which goes for
national and international relief work. Besides this area, the Mission
budget supports local organizations to fund their work in helping the
communities. Included in this list are: Youth Challenge, Loaves and Fishes,
Domestic Abuse, Alpha/Omega House, Friendship Kitchen, Food Share, and BIAC.
(Brain Injury Association in Connecticut). Besides monetary support for
these organizations, volunteers from the Church participate in preparing and
serving a meal at Friendship Kitchen in Stafford once a month. The Missions
Board organizes a crew to work on a nearby project for Habitat for Humanity
at least once a year. Each autumn, a group puts on a picnic for the BIAC.
Each Spring, the church family (including Church School children),
participates in One Great Hour of Sharing under the auspices of the United
Church of Chris. The church family also participates in Crop Walk, which is
organized by the Mission Board to help the international food shortage.
Volunteers walk and earn donations from sponsors. A percentage of the
donations are returned to the church from the UCC to help locally. The
Covenant to Care is a project in which the church participates with the
State Department of Youth Services. A social worker from the department is
assigned to us and we are asked for donations of clothing and personal items
in times of need for children who have to leave their homes quickly. Members
and friends also volunteer to purchase Christmas presents for needy
children. The Missions Board oversees a yearly project of volunteers who are
willing to buy Christmas presents for children of prisoners housed in the
local prisons. Used clothing in good condition is collected year-round to
give to local agencies.
Red Cross Blood Drives
Red Cross Blood Drives are held in the Foundation Room of the church, in
June and December under the auspices of the Red Cross in Farmington.
Volunteers from the church and community are scheduled to give blood
throughout the afternoon of the date designated. Church members also
volunteer to work at the Blood Drive. More information can be given by
calling the Red Cross office in Farmington, CT at 1-800-213-9455 or the
Church Office at 860 764-4021. See Upcoming Events for the date of the next
blood drive.
Somers Cooperative Preschool
The Somers Cooperative Preschool has rented space from the Somers
Congregational Church for over thirty years. It is located on the first
floor of the Bugbee Center with a separate rear entrance. A Board of
Directors, comprised of and elected by preschool parents, operates the
school. Two teachers are always present and parents also help daily with the
program. There are two programs: one for four year-olds, which meets on
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, either at 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or at 12:30
p.m. to 3:00 p.m. A program for three year-olds meets on Tuesday and
Thursday, either at 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or from 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
For further information, see link or call 749-8118.
Girl Scouts and Brownies
Somers Girl Scouts and Brownies have had a long association with Somers
Congregational Church. Several troops use our Church School classrooms in
the Bugbee Center for their weekly meetings. The church has provided a room
for them to meet and to store supplies and equipment. For information on
joining a troop and times of troop meetings, please contact Kathy Fuller,
Scouting Coordinator for Somers, at 749-8506.
Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts
Several Cub and Boy Scout groups use some of our rooms for their weekly
meetings. There is also a monthly meeting of Regional Leaders to make plans
for Scout activities and to offer assistance to local people involved in the
Scout programs. For more information about times and dates, you may call the
Church office at 763-4021. For those interested in becoming a scout or
finding out more about scouting, please call Connecticut Rivers Council of
Boy Scouts of America Offices at (860) 289-6669, 61 Darlin Street, East
Hartford, 06108.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
Alcoholics Anonymous has held meetings at Somers Congregational Church
for many years. Presently, there are two groups of AA that meet weekly. One
group gathers on Sunday nights at 6:30 pm in Room 100. Another group meets
on Thursday evenings at 6:30 pm in Room 100 (Foundation Room).
Somers Antique Bottle Club
The Bottle Club is a non-profit, educational organization formed in 1971,
with membership open to collectors of bottles, insulators, jars, candy
containers, stoneware and related items. Meetings are held on the first
Wednesday of each month, September through June, in the Foundation Room of
the church. For more information, contact Rose Sokol, Treasurer, 64 Elm
Street, Enfield, CT 06082, 860 745-7688
SABCinfo@cox.net.
The Somers Women’s Club
The Women’s Club holds its monthly meetings in the Foundation Room of the
Church. The group meets from September through May. The Church is supportive
of the club’s non-profit projects that benefit the town of Somers. You may
call Judy Siracusa at (860) 749-8744 for more specific information on
membership and upcoming events.
North Central Hospice Association
The Hospice Association uses our space on a periodical basis to hold
Bereavement Groups for family members who have experienced the loss of a
loved one. Each session is held weekly for a period of six weeks. For more
information, you may contact Suzanne Nolan at the North Central Hospice at
872-9163, ext. 3053.
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