Children and Family Urban Ministries (“CFUM”) will be our October First Sunday collection recipient on October 3.  CFUM was legally incorporated in December 1992, but its ministry with neighbors on the near north side of Des Moines began more than 20 years before. The Breakfast Club was initiated by the congregation of Trinity United Methodist Church in 1968. The Supper Club began while Burns United Methodist Church, Gatchel United Methodist Church, and Trinity United Methodist Church were joined in the Inner City Parish.  Under the leadership of Carmen Lampe-Zeitler, in 2013, CFUM changed the name to Children and Family Urban Movement to show the broader expanse of their work.  (For more information about CFUM, please visit their website. )

Mark Slocum, who is currently the Director of CFUM, states that the basic necessities are paramount to the functioning of an individual.  The Supper Club provides an evening meal for 100-120 adults and children Monday through Friday.  Mark says that they usually give out all the food within 30-40 minutes, and there are rarely leftovers.

Mark reports that the donations from DMIEC to CFUM’s Supper Club will be used to supplement current donations, to cover nights that CFUM does not have a meal sponsor,  and will also supplement the Breakfast Club and snack program for children in the before- and after-school programs.  He said that for many children the dinner they receive at CFUM’s Supper Club will be the end of the food for them until the next day.

 Checks can be written either to “CFUM” or “DMIEC” with “First Sunday” in the memo line. 

We would prefer that all checks be mailed to DMIEC. If you mail your check directly to the organization, please inform Ed Arnold of the amount, if you feel comfortable, so the Social Justice Committee can get an accurate count of donations.