• The Sterling House: On the 5th Sunday of each quarter, we go to The Sterling House in Goldsboro to visit with the residents. These visits have included homemade ice cream, homemade cookies, as well as catered meals from McCalls. Sometimes we provide entertainment while they are enjoying their snack. Sabrina Paphitis coordinates these visits.
  
  
• Wayne County Relay for Life: Garris Chapel is always an active participant in the annual Relay for Life that raises funds for the American Cancer Society. The relay is traditionally held during May. Fundraising activities will begin in February/March timeframe. Lynn Crumpler is the coordinator.
  
  
• Cancer Care Packages: In 2009, we would like to begin a Cancer Care Package ministry that will provide care packages to folks recently diagnosed with cancer. If you have ideas of items to be included or if you have a person you would like receive one of these packages, please contact Susan Spengler.
  
  
• Operation Christmas Child: Each year, we provide empty shoeboxes for the congregation to fill with Christmas goodies for needy children. In addition to the shoeboxes, the church covers the cost of the shipment. Shoeboxes will usually be available during the month of October since the shipment is due the week before Thanksgiving. We have traditionally sent about 100 boxes. Contact is Susan Spengler
  
  
• Airmen Cookie Drive: During the holiday season, folks who are able can bring homemade cookies in non-returnable packages to the church to be taken to SJAFB for delivery to airmen overseas. This is usually the first weekend in December.
  
  
• Needy families: If at anytime during the year, you know of a family in need, please speak with the pastor. He has been given a discretionary fund to be used for such purposes.
  
  
• Care for Bereaved Families: Garris Chapel has a wonderful reputation of taking care of grieving families. Rosa Wiggins heads up this ministry and will be glad to offer the church's assistance.
  
  
• Christmas Outreach to School children: Each year during the holiday season, school employees are granted a fixed dollar amount to be used to provide Christmas cheer to children identified by the guidance counselors at their schools. Susan Spengler heads up this program.
  
  
• Alzheimer's Memory Walk: Garris Chapel has traditionally provided a donation to the memory walk. Due to the increasing number of families affected by this disease, we would like to increase our participation in this project. If you have knowledge about this program, please contact Susan Spengler.
  
  
• Mission Work Teams: Garris Chapel sent a work team to Louisiana in the summer of 2006. We would like to take another work team during the summer of 2009. If you are interested, please contact Susan Spengler.
  
  
  Vacation Bible School Mission Projects: During VBS, the Outreach Ministry provides a mission-focused opportunity for the children. Past projects have included Stop Hunger Now, Heifer International, Nothing But Nets, raising funds for wheelchairs, etc. Sabrina Paphitis will be working with VBS this year to determine the project focus.
  
  
• Dana’s Wardrobe: During Prom season, this ministry provides prom dresses to those who are not able to provide a dress for themselves. Dana Southerland acquires new dresses from stores around the east coast. Fittings are scheduled through the church office.
  
  
• FLOK (For the Love of Kids): This is a weekend backpack feeding ministry that runs through the school year. Children are selected by the school counselors. Backpacks are dropped off on Fridays with food for each child for the weekend. On Mondays the children return the backpacks so that they may be distributed again on the following Friday. If you would like to help with this ministry, please contact Christina Brown.
  
  
• Red Cross Blood Drives: Twice a year, May and November, Garris Chapel hosts blood drives. We welcome those in the community to participate in this event. Contact Susan Spengler if you would like to help.
  Next Blood Drive is August 29th from 12 – 4:30pm
  

Canned meats (tuna, sausages, hams)
Juice boxes (100% juice-low sugar)
Pudding cups
Cheese slices
Fruit cups
Canned veggies
Individual snack packs (pretzels, raisins, crackers)
Instant milk packages
Microwaveable noodles ( mac-n-cheese,

2 cans of meat
3 cans of vegetables
1 can of fruit
2 juice boxes
1 packets of breakfast food
(oatmeal or breakfast bar)
2 snack items
2 noodle items
1 individual serving size milk box

Children all over the world go to bed hungry. Here in our own backyard there are hungry children. Fortunately on school days, children who qualify, are provided reduced or free lunches. Weekends for some of these children is tough; they go hungry and look forward to school so they may eat another filling meal.

FLOK is a new ministry to Garris Chapel. Here’s how it works. Friday afternoons 12 backpacks will be dropped off at a specific school location. Each will be full of enough food for one child to last an entire weekend. On Monday morning, the children will return the backpacks to a designated location, where they will be picked up and packed for the following weekend.


Feeding 12 students = 72 meals a week; 288 meals a month; approx. 3,240 meals a school year
That’s a lot of food! Here’s how you can help:
1. PRAY for the children and for this project
2. Donate food
3. Donate money for food, backpacks, and supplies
4. Sign up to sponsor a month of fresh produce
5. Help with this project

We would love to include fresh fruits and vegetables in the bags. These are not items that we can stock up on. Many of us plant gardens during the warm months. You can contribute by planting a few extra plants or a row designated for FLOK children. Monetary donations are also welcome. Money will be used to purchase food as needed, wheeled school bags, can openers and microwaves for those who we are giving to that don’t have such items to prepare the food. We also welcome donations of gently used microwaves and can openers.
We would love to make this a success, but we can’t do it without your help. The more we receive in donations, the more children we can feed. We would love to provide this ministry to all surrounding elementary schools. If we can comfortably provide for12 children, we should be able to do so for others at a different school.

Thank you so much for
your prayers and support!!