COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Beyond our Brick and Mortar
We believe deeply that we, as people of faith, are called to serve our wider community and our neighbors, and we engage in this in a number of ways. First Presbyterian tithes 10% of our pledges to Outreach and Missions. As part of this giving, quarterly financial contributions are made to our chosen outreach partners. In addition to financial support, the Outreach Committee offers a different way to serve the community each month. Some months we organize a Service Saturday at a Waco non-profit, and other months we collect needed items for area ministries. Throughout the year, members can expect a variety of opportunities to join in the work, no matter what your age or abilities. See the list below to get a more in depth look at some of our partners in the Waco area and the ways we support their important work.
Caritas of Waco was started years ago in the basement of First Presbyterian Church. Today, they are a thriving organization that provides help through food, clothing, household items, utilities, prescription medications, rent and mortgage assistance, temporary lodging, and transportation. Caritas also has a strong case management program that works intensively with individuals to assist them in becoming more self-reliant and less dependent on emergency service programs. We love collecting donation items and volunteering to stock shelves at the Caritas food pantry.
Compassion Ministries is just down the street from First Pres, and provides transitional housing and basic financial education for homeless families in Central Texas. Their program has significantly impacted the number of homeless sheltered in our community. They have housed thousands of individuals and families since beginning their work in 1994.
World Hunger Relief has been an outreach partner since 2013. They exist to alleviate hunger through education, research, and regenerative agriculture. World Hunger Relief envisions a world where all people have access to nutritious food, a healthy environment, and a sense of belonging to the land and one another. Through hands-on learning and community engagement, they cultivate spaces of restoration where individuals reconnect with creation, community, and hope.
Mission Waco is a longtime partner of First Presbyterian Church. Mission Waco works to empower the poor and marginalized, to mobilize the middle-class to compassionate and responsible engagement among them, and to address systemic issues that impact the poor in our community. We are grateful for their presence in Waco and for the opportunity to support them financially and with our hands and feet. We love volunteering on service Saturdays, collecting needed donations, and learning more about how we can help fill the gaps in services around Waco.
The Cove's vision is to end youth homelessness in the Heart of Texas. This vision is big and The Cove plays one part in helping make an end to youth homelessness a reality. Their mission is that high school aged young people experiencing homelessness are provided the support they need to thrive. The key outcomes for youth are that they gain stability, have hope, and build meaningful relational connections. Each day, after school ends, students make their way to The Cove for homework help, a hot meal, showers, laundry facilities, and access to counselors and social workers. The staff at The Cove works to increase the number of homeless students who have access to a college education, to decrease youth unemployment, and to decrease the number of homeless students who enter the criminal justice system.
Talitha Koum is a therapeutic nursery working with infants and toddlers to help them navigate trauma and to rise above it. The teachers at Talitha Koum create a safe and warm environment for children who desperately need routine, nurture, and brain development. They also work hard to train the parents of these children, which means Talitha Koum has an impact on entire families in our community. When you walk in, you find classrooms stocked with special toys, art projects hanging on the walls, and employees who are delighted to work with these special families. We continue to be amazed by their work and their commitment to helping children navigate trauma.
Meals On Wheels serves homebound elders in the City of Waco, McLennan County, Falls, and Hill counties in Central Texas. Their mission is to nourish the bodies, minds, and spirits of older adults in the Heart of Texas through meals, activities, transportation, and volunteer support. Hot meals arrive to door steps all over town every day of the week, bringing with them a friendly face and a quick visit to homebound members who may not speak to many people each day. Transportation services help these seniors make it to appointments with doctors or to the grocery store. First Presbyterian Church has a longstanding relationship with MOW. For many years, we have delivered meals every Tuesday and Thursday. We have volunteers who organize the meals to be distributed, other volunteers who drive the meals all over town to their clients weekly, and still others who fill in as substitute packers or drivers as needed.
Waco Habitat for Humanity is part of a global, nonprofit housing organization operated on Christian principles that seeks to put God’s love into action by building homes, communities and hope. Waco Habitat for Humanity is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing locally and worldwide through constructing, rehabilitating and preserving homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions. Habitat for Humanity was founded on the conviction that every man, woman and child should have a simple, durable place to live in dignity and safety, and that decent shelter in decent communities should be a matter of conscience and action for all.
Better at Last exists to empower and engage older adults to live with purpose throughout their lives by better connecting them to their strength and wellness, their community, and their future. As an organization, they seek to change the culture of aging to reduce decline, to improve life trajectory before and after retirement, and to offer multi-generational encouragement for healthy aging. Each month, they host 15-17 workshops around McLennan County that support healthy aging. Each workshop is free to attend and brings current research and experts to the neighborhoods where older adults gather.
Open Table collegiate ministry is recognized by the Presbyterian Church (USA) as a 1001 New Worshiping Community with First Pres Waco as its sponsoring congregation. The 1001 New Worshiping Communities movement was founded by Presbyterian Mission (PCUSA) to ignite and support new faith communities in a diversity of contexts. In collaboration with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and our local partners (Seventh & James Baptist Church, DaySpring Baptist Church, Calvary Baptist Church), we are excited to support Open Table’s ministry.
Open Table believes that conversations about faith happen best around the table and that there is a seat for each of us. Participants share a meal, pray, study Scripture, and have conversations centered on faith, community, and belonging. Open Table is a space where questions and doubts are welcome, and participants can learn from one another in a safe and supportive environment. Open Table meets on Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m. at Seventh and James Baptist Church and is available as a Chapel credit for Baylor University students. Rev. Karen Zimmerman, Open Table Director, facilitates the gatherings.
