Collections
A typical collection drive for Community Bike Works ends up being about 12 bikes. At the bike drive held at Asbury on Saturday (April 23), thanks to your generosity, 80 bikes were collected. Thank you!
About Community Bike Works
Community Bike Works teaches life lessons through bicycles to the young people of the Lehigh Valley who could benefit most. Learn more about Community Bike Works at communitybikeworks.org.
On April 23 Asbury will host a bicycle drive in conjunction with Community Bike Works. Any bike in any condition will be accepted. Learn more about Community Bike Works at communitybikeworks.org.
About Community Bike Works
Community Bike Works teaches life lessons through bicycles to the young people of the Lehigh Valley who could benefit most.
Asbury is taking part in the Lehigh Conference of Churches‘ 2022 toilet paper drive. The following is information from the Conference of Churches:
Collection bins will be located at both the upper and lower entrances at Asbury. Collections will be received through the end of February.
Monetary donations can be sent in to the church office designated as “LCC Toilet Paper Drive.”
A food drive for the animals at Gress Mountain Ranch will begin on Sunday, January 2, and run through Sunday, January 16. Donations can be left outside Asbury’s upper level doors anytime throughout those weeks.
For over 21 years, the Gress Mountain Ranch in Orefield has been caring for abused, neglected, and abandoned animals. This is their “forever” home – animals are not bred or sold. Currently about 90 animals, including dogs, cats, pigs, horses, donkeys, ponies, alpacas, llamas, ducks, parrots and peacocks, are in need of food.
Items most needed at this time are applesauce, canned fruits and vegetables, zero Gatorade (no calories), duck pelleted food, pine shavings (not cedar) and Timothy hay. Other items requested, or for more information about the ranch, visit their web page at gressmountainranch.
Thank you for your generosity in caring for God’s creatures!
FEBRUARY 1, 2022 UPDATE: Bags are no longer being collected at this time. Thank you for your contributions!
The Sleeping Mat Ministry is collecting plastic grocery bags again to be used to create sleeping mats out of “PLARN” for the homeless. Bags can be dropped off in the marked receptacle outside of the upper entrance of Asbury. Learn more at asburylv.org/PLARN.
The sleeping mat ministry is continuing to create and provide plastic sleeping mats for the homeless. Learn more about this ministry, the materials needed, the creation process, and how you can help at at asburylv.org/sleepingmatministry.
The “Thanks for Giving” Food and Supply Drive to benefit the Allentown Rescue Mission will be held November 7-21. Drop off your donations in the bin outside the door to the upper level 24/7. Donations will be brought into the building daily. Any food item is appreciated, but most needed at this time are:
A full list of needed food and supplies can be found at https://www.allentownrescuemission.org/needed-supplies.
Thank you for your many years of supporting this annual food drive!
AIM (Asbury in Mission) is organizing an event to prepare at least 60 Relief Buckets for UMCOR (the United Methodist Committee on Relief). Your participation – though through donating supplies, donating money, and/or donating time to assemble the buckets – will help to provide relief where it is most needed, including areas recovering from Hurricane Ida, the flooding in Tennessee, and the Dixie Fire in northern California.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Donating Supplies
Supplies will be collected on Sunday mornings at the upper and lower entry doors over the next three weeks (October 10, 17, and 24). UMCOR has developed specific requirements for the supplies that can all fit neatly into a 5 gallon bucket. These items are:
Get a PDF version of this list to print and take along as you shop.
Monetary Donations
Monetary donations can be made through Asbury’s online giving portal (under the “Fund” drop-down menu, select “Relief Buckets”). Donations can also be made with checks payable to “Asbury Church” with “Relief Buckets” in the memo line. Checks can be dropped in the offering plates on Sunday morning or mailed into the church office.
Helping With Bucket Assembly
Buckets will be assembled on Saturday, October 30. If you are interested in helping to assemble the Relief Buckets, please use the form below to register. We will need about 20 people to help starting at 9 AM.
Thank you for making a difference through your contributions!
About UMCOR
For more information about UMCOR, visit https://UMCOR.org
For information about UMCOR’s 2021 responses in the US, visit https://umcmission.org/umcor/umcor-responses-in-2021-continue-to-climb
Much-needed food items are being collected via a drive-thru drop-off for the Allentown Ecumenical Food Bank on behalf of this year’s Virtual CROP Hunger Walk.
The collection is taking place on Saturday, October 2, between 10 AM and 11:30 AM in Asbury’s Upper Parking Lot.
Most-needed items are as follows:
Reusable grocery shopping bags are also being collected.
Thank you for your support!
Thanks to your generosity, over $3,000 of personal items and gift cards were collected for the Ripple Community Center on Saturday. Thank you for helping to change lives in the name of Jesus!
Asbury’s Health Ministry team is holding a collection for the Ripple Community Center. Ripple Community Center is an Allentown outreach that supports Allentown residents Including people experiencing homelessness, housing instability, socially isolated, with a history of trauma or mental illness, and the working poor.
At this time they are in need of donations of the following items:
If you can help, please bring your donations to the upper entrance of Asbury on Saturday, August 21 from 9 AM – 12 PM.
The Asbury Health Ministry Team greatly appreciates your generosity!
Asbury’s Barrels of Love ministry was started with a book drive by Connie Miller and her daughter Devin 20 years ago! At that time, the end of the civil war in Liberia was in sight and Dr. Chris Hena (who was stationed in Kazakhstan at that time) requested children’s books to replace those destroyed during the war. Several thousand books were collected in that first Barrels of Love shipment.
In March we’ll be conducting a 20th anniversary children’s book drive for Bête Gbanee School in Paynesville and the Dominic Hena School in Kakata. Please gather new or gently used children’s books (no textbooks please). Look to your children for titles they particularly enjoy(ed). Deliver them to the upper parking lot at Asbury on Sunday, March 14 and March 21 between 9 AM and 10:30 AM.
Thank you for sharing the gift of reading with these Liberian children and helping Asbury celebrate 20 years of the Barrels of Love ministry.
A food drive for the animals at Gress Mountain Ranch will begin on Sunday, January 31, and end at 1 PM on Sunday, February 14. Donations can be left outside Asbury’s upper level doors anytime throughout those weeks.
For over 20 years, the Gress Mountain Ranch in Orefield has been caring for abused, neglected, and abandoned animals. This is their “forever” home – animals are not bred or sold. Currently about 90 animals, including dogs, cats, pigs, horses, donkeys, ponies, alpacas, llamas, ducks, parrots and peacocks, are in need of food.
These items can be purchased at Tractor Supply or feed stores
Perishable items will be collected on Sunday, February 7, from 11:30 AM – 1 PM and Sunday, February 14, from 11:30 AM – 1 PM in Asbury’s upper parking lot.
Thank you for caring for God’s creation and man’s friends!
Yesterday’s UMW used clothing drive was a huge success with 27 barrels shipped to our friends in Liberia. We were also able to ship 91 boxes of medical supplies and 12 wheelchairs donated by Through These Hands.
In addition to the Barrels of Love shipment to Liberia, the UMW collected winter coats for Ramos children, Ripple and Everlasting Life; and the kitchen team supplied amazing take-home meals.
The “Thanks for Giving” Food and Supply Drive to benefit the Allentown Rescue Mission will be held November 15-22, 2020. Drop off your donations in the bin outside the door to the upper level 24/7 but prior to 10 AM on Sunday November 22nd. They will be brought inside the church daily. Any donations of canned food and cleaning supplies are welcome, but most needed this year are:
The Rescue Mission is most appreciative of Asbury’s support over the years. In 2019, more than 40,000 meals were served. For more information, https://www.allentownrescuemission.org/.
A note from Wendy Arbushites, coordinator of the Sleeping Mat Ministry.
The Sleeping Mat Ministry team would like to thank everyone for their donations of clean, used plastic grocery bags! An extra thank you to the people who flatten out their bags, to the people who sort theirs by color, and the people who do the folding as per the slideshow! These steps all save us time, so thank you to those of you who take those extra steps for us.
Since early March, we have created 22 sleeping mats for the homeless in the Lehigh Valley. With winter coming, we could use more help to create mats. We would love all of our neighbors in need to have a sleeping mat for the winter.
Each mat takes an estimated 500-700 grocery bags (an average trash bag stuffed tightly full), so it takes a lot of time to make a single sleeping mat. Every bag must be flattened out, folded, cut, strung together and crocheted. Carrying straps and ties must be created, then the mat must be measured, rolled, tied, and given a strap. None of the steps are difficult, but they do take time. Some team members specialize in one or more areas; others do it all.
We would like to clarify what we need to produce sleeping mats.
If you can follow these guidelines, you will help us to cut down on sorting time and on trash disposal. We appreciate you helping this ministry to care for our neighbors!
If you think you might be interested in helping, please contact Wendy Arbushites, coordinator.
Making a sleeping mat slideshow link:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1XfdRqCAWgxHmDQVPKQ6luB1JATtKuRApEaNLoJVbHrc/edit#slide=id.p
Recently completed sleeping mats.
Our July delivery to the Lehigh Valley Health Network.
A note from Barry and Debi Olphin, who coordinated the collection for the Allentown Ecumenical Food Bank held on Saturday, October 10:
A huge thank you for all who brought a bountiful collection of food to Asbury on Saturday October 10th. I’m sure we collected 400-500 pounds for the Allentown Ecumenical Food Bank. We are so thankful to you.
– Barry and Debi
A photo of food loaded in the van to be transported
The collection is taking place on Saturday, October 10th between 10 AM and 12 PM in Asbury’s Upper Parking Lot.
Needed items are as follows:
Social distancing will be practiced. Volunteers can retrieve your donation from your car trunk or you can deposit in a collection bin.
The CROP Walk is virtual this year, but we don’t want to forget about our hungry neighbors. Thank you in advance for your constant love and support for them!
If you would also like to make a CROP Hunger Walk donation to our team, Asbury Spirit. Go to: crophungerwalk.org/allentownpa/DebiOlphin
You are invited to join Allentown’s Virtual CROP Hunger Walk!
Raise funds online and walk on your own anytime between now and October 11th.
Visit crophungerwalk.org/allentownpa to register and start raising funds with our team ASBURY SPIRIT or to make a donation to Asbury Spirit team member.
Questions? Let us know! (Contact: Debi Olphin)
Let’s Fight Hunger Together!
