Small but mighty: Congregations flex their mission muscle, assembling kits funded by Global HOPE matching grants

Marie Higgins had a problem — a good one.

On the fifth Sunday of a month, her church — Hope Community United Church of Christ in Aurora, Illinois— gathers not for traditional worship, but for “work-ship.” This gathering has become known as “Jesus Has Left the Building and We’re Following Him” Sunday.

“It’s a time of praising God by serving God out in the community,” said Higgins.

The problem, though, arose when the fifth Sunday landed on December 29, 2024. Work-ship usually takes place outdoors, said Higgins. So as not to subject Hope Community members to blustery Midwestern winter temperatures, Higgins and her “Jesus Has Left the Building” planning team needed to find an indoor project.

National grant helps ‘willing hands’

That’s when she turned to the idea of having the congregation assemble Church World Service (CWS) period packs. Higgins remembered reading how CWS period packs were the mission focus of the 34th General Synod, held in Indianapolis in 2023.

She was excited with the prospect of her congregation putting together kits to help menstruating people who could not afford monthly hygiene supplies. It would also be an opportunity to raise awareness about period poverty.

Higgins’ excitement grew even more when she learned that the UCC’s Global HOPE team offered $250 matching grants to offset the costs of the CWS kits. The matching grants are made possible from the gifts collected each year for the One Great Hour of Sharing offering. This year’s OGHS offering will be collected Sunday, March 30.

“To raise the funds for the kits seemed daunting at first. But when we read about the matching grant, our spirits lifted. The grant made it seem like we can do this,” said Higgins, adding, “We don’t have a lot of money, but we have willing hands.”

And willing hearts.

Within two weeks of presenting the period pack idea to the congregation, Hope Community had enough money to meet the Global HOPE matching grant criteria. A few weeks after submitting the grant request, the award letter from the Global HOPE team was read to the congregation from the pulpit.

The response?

“A loud woo-hoo erupted from the pews,” said Higgins. “There was this growing sense of ‘we can do this!’”

In the end, young and old gathered in the church for work-ship, putting together a total of 36 period packs. For Higgins, the kits were not only an important way to help those in need, but it was also an activity that engaged the entire congregation. 

“This was a project where our children could help. We even had a two-year old helping to put items in the bags,” said Higgins.

Engaging all ages in mission work

The Rev. Wayne Chasney of the Congregational Community Church in Monroeville, Ohio, knows exactly what Higgins experienced.

As a solo pastor of a small church, Chasney is always looking for multigenerational mission opportunities. Familiar with the kits offered through CWS, Chasney was elated when the congregation decided to do their part in assembling emergency clean-up buckets that were made possible with a Global HOPE matching grant.

“I’ve been wanting to do such a project for a while. We had such a good response and there was a good deal of enthusiasm,” said Chasney. “All ages came out to put together 20 buckets.”

The need for kits continues to grow

In a world filled of burgeoning needs, CWS kits are becoming more crucial as funding cuts jeopardize resources once available to those in need. The kits are also a powerful way to remind small congregations like Hope Community and Community Congregational that they can make a huge difference in ushering in God’s kin-dom.

“We are deeply grateful for the United Church of Christ and its congregations for their generous support of the CWS kit ministry,” said Matthew Stevens, director of congregational campaigns, Church World Service. “UCC congregations have provided essential supplies and hope to communities facing crisis. Their generosity not only meets immediate needs but also serves as a testament to the power of faith in action.”

In addition to period packs and emergency clean-up buckets, CWS offers hygiene kits and its newest offering — kids kits —  which was formerly known as the school kits.

CWS has also updated their kits in 2025.

“While the CWS kits program has remained largely unchanged over the years, we recognize that the needs of the world continue to evolve. That’s why, after careful evaluation, we’ve introduced meaningful updates to our kits,” said Stevens.

For example, shampoo, toothpaste and deodorant have been added to hygiene kits. Period packs now have 12 sanitary pads rather than 10. And, the emergency clean-up buckets have been streamlined, removing laundry detergent, air fresheners, insect repellent and clothespins, to make the buckets more “budget friendly,” said Stevens.

Going beyond the written check

This past Super Bowl Sunday, when diehard football fans were stocking up on chips and dip for the big game, young and old — and everyone in between — from Grace United Church of Christ in Taneytown, Maryland, gathered to assemble 50 emergency clean-up buckets.

“We have assembled buckets before in the past, but it has been a while. And with all the recent hurricanes, we decided this was a project worth doing again,” said Gill Grady, a member of Grace UCC.

This time around, though, all generations got involved, with youth especially stepping up with two successful fundraisers, said Grady.

“We were pleased with such a great turnout and such generous support,” he said, noting that the $250 matching grant for the CWS kits from Global HOPE was an extra blessing.

Grady adds that engaging the entire congregation in a project like the CWS clean-up buckets provides a powerful illustration of faith in action.

“It gives people the opportunity to do more than write a check,” he said.

Grady hopes to continue the CWS kit ministry at Grace USS, with visions — and prayers — of engaging more people.

“It is my hope to turn the CWS kit ministry into a broader community event, inviting other churches and community organizations to join us here at Grace,” said Grady.

The power of connection and communication

When the Rev. Bridget Hill, pastor of New Horizon United Church of Christ in Kewaskum, Wisconsin, who also serves as Wisconsin’s UCC Conference Disaster and Response Coordinator, put out the word that CWS was in need of replenishing hygiene kits, Julie Woodward took note.

Woodward, a member of McFarland United Church of Christ in McFarland, Wisconsin, also took note of the $250 matching grant available through Global HOPE for the kits.

“Our congregation knew we had to do something, especially since the need for the hygiene kits was due to all the recent hurricanes, especially the one that impacted North Carolina. Many people in our church also have ties to North Carolina,” said Woodward, adding that having “something concrete” to do, like assembling kits, makes people feel better.

The only question Woodward had was could McFarland UCC answer the call for they hygiene kits quickly?

Woodward, a retired social worker, though, wasn’t deterred. “I put my social work skills to use, making the much-needed connections that needed to be made,” she said.

Within two weeks, McFarland UCC raised $697, enough to assemble 60 hygiene kits. There were even leftover funds, which weren’t enough for a complete kit, that were donated to CWS.

“The hygiene kits all came together quickly,” said Woodward, who wasn’t surprised though. McFarland UCC touts itself as being a church with heart. It’s a reason why Woodward has been member for the past 25 years.

“The kits were an illustration of what can be accomplished when you work together. The support — along with the connections and communication that came from Bridgette in her role of Conference Disaster and Response Coordinator, made it possible,” said Woodward. “It was all pretty amazing.”

---

Content on ucc.org is copyrighted by the National Setting of the United Church of Christ and may be only shared according to the guidelines outlined here.