Outreach
Operation Christmas Child
The world’s largest Christmas project of its kind, Operation Christmas Child, uses gift-filled shoeboxes to share God’s love in a tangible way with needy children around the world.
Individuals, families, churches, and groups fill empty shoeboxes with gifts of toys, school supplies, hygiene items, and notes of encouragement.
During National Collection Week Samaritan’s Purse will collect the gift-filled shoeboxes at more than 4,000 drop-off sites in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. The gifts will be delivered to children in more than 100 countries on six continents.
For more information about North River’s OCC collection please contact April Short.
Tips on Packing
Bethesda House
Our Mission
To provide a temporary home that is safe and nurturing for young mothers, either pregnant or parenting their baby. The basis of our home is built on God’s love and how life can be transformed through a relationship with Jesus.
Our Model
While living at our “home” young mothers are linked with educational programming so mom and baby leave with the necessary skills and knowledge to be self-sufficient. Bethesda House also assists mothers in accessing benefits to aid in the support of mom and baby. Parenting through formal classes and informal teaching are an integral part of daily life. Basic life skills are taught as well. We model the love of Christ so these moms come to know His love. All of this is encompassed in Biblical teaching.
Bethesda House is a 501(c)3 non-profit fully run by volunteers so that we can maximize the impact of all donations.
Grounded in Faith. Transforming Lives. Building Hope. Bethesda House.
https://bethesdahousema.org/
Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree
Who We Are
Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree program is the only nationwide effort that specifically reaches out to hundreds of thousands of innocent children who carry the heavy burden of their parents’ incarceration throughout the year. At Christmastime, Angel Tree introduces prisoners and their children to Jesus and brings healing and restoration to families destroyed by crime.
What We Do
Through the delivery of a Christmas gift and the Gospel given on behalf of the incarcerated parent, Angel Tree boys and girls are presented with Christ’s free gift of salvation, feel loved and remembered by their parent, and experience the simple joys of the Christmas season. Angel Tree also provides ministry to the children through its summer camping program and promotes family reconciliation through discipleship and mentoring. North River participates in the Angel Tree Ministry each December.
Friends of the Homeless – Rehoboth Shelter
Friends of the Homeless of the South Shore is dedicated to helping homeless families by providing food, clothing, furniture, shelter, education, and advocacy. They address a whole range of needs, from physical to emotional, from personal to social, and from psychological to spiritual.
Volunteers are used in all aspects of the program. They encourage individuals and groups from our area and abroad to be involved with their staff and families. They encourage weekly enrichment programs for adults and children and therefore have need of skilled tradesmen and leaders as well as unskilled helpers. Volunteers regularly come from grade schools, high schools, colleges, civic and religious organizations and businesses, and work with us just once, once a week. or every day.
North River teens have done yard cleanup for the Friends of the Homeless shelters. We have provided drivers, collected supplies for residents of the shelter and completed large-scale projects for them.
Hanover Food Pantry
North River collects items each month (2nd Sunday) for the Hanover Food Pantry.
On the first Sunday of the month we will announce some specific items that the pantry is in need of. They are also always grateful for donations of non-perishable food items (please no expired items), all types of cleaning supplies; health and beauty aids such as bar soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste and deodorant; paper products such as toilet tissue, paper towels, napkins and tissues.
Friendship Home
Friendship Home enriches the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families by providing quality respite and support services in a safe and caring environment.
Our programs build self-esteem and community involvement for our participants, while providing support for their families who may become overwhelmed and isolated by the daily demands of caring for their family members. While our programs directly address the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, we are proud of our efforts to serve the entire community by raising up the people that we serve as vital contributors to our communities.
North River has hosted several fundraising events for Friendship Home.