Local Mission

On the last Thursday of the month, we serve a free meal to our community from 4:00-6:00pm. We welcome you as you are, no matter your need or residency, you are welcome to share in this free meal.

On our Events page and Calendar page we put any changes to our schedule, which sometimes happens due to holidays and snow closings.

Volunteers
For those who are volunteering, you are invited to arrive and depart at whatever time best fits your schedule. Volunteers are invited to begin arriving at 2:00pm to begin preparations and clean up is completed by 6:30pm. Depending on the meal, food preparation often begins before 2:00pm that day and can take place a day or two in advance; to help for those times, please see coordinator Steve Miller or contact our Evangelism & Mission Committee.

On the last Thursday of the month, during the same 4:00-6:00pm time as Soup ‘n’ Such we distribute free children’s clothing. We welcome you as you are, no matter your need or residency, you are welcome to share in this free meal.

We also distribute clothing by appointment. To make an appointment, please contact the church office.

On an ongoing basis we welcome donation of children’s clothing that is clean and in good condition. Any donated undergarments or socks need to be new and in its original packaging (please do not donate any used undergarments or socks).

On our Events page and Calendar page we put any changes to our schedule, which sometimes happens due to holidays and snow closings.

Volunteers
For those who are volunteering, you are invited to arrive and depart at whatever time best fits your schedule. Volunteers are invited to begin arriving at 3:00pm to begin setting up and clean up is completed by 6:30pm. We also need volunteers at other times of the week to help sort through, organize, and launder donated clothing; to help for those times, please see coordinator Robin Henning or contact our Evangelism & Mission Committee.

On the day of our “Stay-Near-Home Mission Trip,” we start the day with prayer, send out work teams to help people in our community who need assistance with a home work group project, and close the day with a meal and worship.

Support of the Conrad Weiser Food Pantry is one of the ways in which we seek to help the fight against hunger in our local community.

We raise support for the Food Pantry on Souper-Bowl of Caring Sunday, Harvest Home Sunday, and other times during the year.

We regularly participate in the annual Crop Walk event to help raise funds and awareness to fight hunger locally and globally. Crop Walk is part of the ecumenical ministries of Church World Service (CWS) and Berks-Schuylkill Helping Harvest.

Our next Crop Walk will be on Sunday, October 13, 2024. Click on this Crop Walk 2024 link for more information about this year’s event.

We collect feminine hygiene products to help financially disadvantage women have these important vital resources.

Plarn is made by cutting plastic grocery bags into strips, which are then strung together into a single long strand, and then rolled into a ball like yarn. Plarn can be used to make many items. It can be crocheted, knitted, or connected together in many ingenious ways.

We are making plarn and then crocheting the plarn (with big crochet hooks) to form 6' x 2.5' mats. These mats will be used by the homeless for bedding. According to inhabitat.com, “knitted or crocheted plarn mats create a barrier between a person’s body and the ground, which helps retain body heat. Plastic is less attractive to bugs than textiles. And when the mats get dirty, it's easy to hose them off and dry them. Since plastic is lightweight, plarn mats are more portable than heavier padding. At the same time, they keep plastic bags out of landfills.”

The Conrad Weiser Ministerium is composed of the churches and faith groups within the Conrad Weiser School District. The pastors and priests from our churches hold monthly meetings to plan, coordinate, converse, and give mutual support.

Some of our Conrad Weiser Ministerium activities include: an annual combined community Thanksgiving Eve worship service; Wednesday afternoon combined community worship services during the season of Lent; the annual Conrad Weiser baccalaureate worship service; Mind, Body, & Spirit Club (MB&S) after school program at Conrad Weiser West Elementary; Robesonia Community Blood Drive; support of the Conrad Weiser Food Pantry; support of the Western Berks Free Medical Clinic; and support of the Western Berks Shepherding Ministry.

Pictured above is the children’s sermon during our combined community Thanksgiving Eve worship service, during which we were also collecting funds for our local Conrad Weiser Food Pantry to fight hunger in our community.

Western Berks Shepherding Ministries is an interfaith outreach ministry of the Conrad Weiser, Wilson, and the Tulpehocken School Districts, offering assistance to individuals and families of all faiths, through spiritually empowered volunteers. The Ministry coordinates volunteers to provide transportation and companionship to people in need. Transportation provided for medical appointments, testing, treatment, and therapy, as well as grocery stores and needed prescriptions.

Who is eligible for services?
Western Berks Shepherding Ministries will help adults of any age who are in need of assistance. Individuals must be able to walk on their own, or with the aid of a cane or a walker. They are unable to transport those who use wheelchairs. Individuals must also be of a clear and sound mind with no major memory impairments and therefore able to schedule and maintain their own appointments. One week's notice is required to process your request. Please make your requests for assistance to the director at 484-294-7394.

Communities that are served are:

West Lawn Sinking Spring Spring Township Wernersville Robesonia

Womelsdorf Rehrersburg Bethel Mt. Aetna

Volunteers are always needed!
Volunteers are trained to be of assistance to help transport to medical appointments, testing, and therapy. They can also help with grocery shopping, errands, and companion/respite visits.

Volunteers are coordinated through the director. In addition to training, volunteers are covered with excess liability insurance and are eligible to receive a mileage reimbursement.

Volunteers are only asked to help one morning or afternoon a month. But, you may volunteer to do additional appointments if you would like. We value your service and without you, this ministry would not be possible.

Volunteering is a rewarding experience. You will find that just a small amount of your time can make a tremendous difference in someone else's life as well as your own.

How can I support this Ministry?
You can volunteer as well as contribute. Contact the director to volunteer. Contributions may be sent to:

Western Berks Shepherding Ministries
c/o Trinity Lutheran Church
108 S. Robeson Street
Robesonia, PA 19551

If you need assistance, or know someone who needs assistance, or if you would like to volunteer, contact:

Lisa Snyder and Jodi Eisenhauer, Co-Directors
Western Berks Shepherding Ministries
Phone: 484-294-7394
Email: WesternBerksShepherding@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westernberksshepherding/

In partnership with other local churches, we support the Western Berks Free Medical Clinic.

The mission of the Western Berks Free Medical Clinic is to improve the health of the community by providing free medical care to the uninsured. The clinic first opened its doors in 2002 as a community outreach of St. Daniel’s Lutheran Church in Robesonia, PA through the vision of Rev. Wayne Heintzelman. Since the clinic’s inception, volunteer doctors and nurses have had over 9,900 patient encounters.

The clinic is free to individuals ages 18 and over who do not have health insurance and cannot afford access to the Health Care System, to treat their health needs. The clinic is not designed to treat acute emergencies. Patients needing emergency treatment should go directly to a hospital setting for assistance.

Learn more at: https://berksfmc.com/