The Power Pack Program (P3)

The Power Pack Program (P3) sends weekend backpack meals home with students who do not get enough food on the weekends without their school-provided meals. The students who receive these meals tend to be on the free and reduced meals program during the week and have limited access to food over the weekend. 

St. Matthew’s provides 200 bags per month to Weyanoke Elementary School to help students in need. Additional bags are also donated to Food for Others when possible to contribute to the bags provided to the 37 schools in need in Fairfax County. 

Interested in helping out? The following volunteer opportunities are available: 

  • Deliver bags to Weyanoke Elementary School each month of the school year. This requires the ability to lift numerous 40 lb. bags and a large vehicle for transporting the bags.

  • Assist with setup the day before P3 mission events.

Hypothermia Mission/FACETS

St. Matthew’s was one of a handful of churches that opened their doors in 2003 to provide a warm welcoming place for the single homeless population to stay during the winter. Today, there are over 50 Faith Community Churches, who for one week during the Winter, welcome the single homeless population to spend the night. Our guests are provided a warm dinner, snacks, breakfast, lunch offerings, a welcoming place to sleep, toiletries, socks, games, and congregation-led entertainment, led by a group of church volunteers. We need volunteers, (individuals, families, church groups – meaning everyone), to provide meals, and supplies and to be present during multiple shifts in our week of February 11th -February 18th. Guests arrive at 5:00 p.m. and leave the church at 7:00 am. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Deb Ansman at debbins2001@aol.com. To make this mission work, we need over 80 volunteers during the week. Informational meetings and training sessions will be provided for anyone who is interested in this mission.

Wanted! ESOL Teachers and Substitutes

ESOL needs volunteer teachers to help teach with a partner one day a week in the upcoming Term on Tuesdays or Thursdays from 7 - 9 p.m. You do not need to be a trained teacher or educator or speak another language, just a desire to help those who want to improve their English language proficiency. Curriculum, materials, and training options provided.  If interested, in teaching or subbing please contact Louisa Gerber, at (703) 507-4892 or email her at esol@stmatthewsumc.org.

Wanted! ESOL Hosts  

SIGN UP "HERE" 

During each term, we need church members to sign up to be the "Hospitality Host"  for an evening class, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:45-9:05 pm. Ideally, repeat Hosts familiar with the duties would be great! (More information in Sign Up.) 

Wanted! Snacks for students

We provide snacks and drinks to students during their break time in class.  Many come straight from work and do not have time to eat before class.  Fresh snacks such as fruit, sandwiches, sandwich wraps, etc. are very welcome, as long as they are delivered no sooner than 1 to 2 days prior to intended consumption (on Tuesday or Thursday evening). Perishable snacks (labeled for ESOL) can be placed in the downstairs refrigerator near the elevator.  Please leave a note in the ESOL office to let us know snacks are in the refrigerator.  Individually pre-packaged snacks such as granola bars, chips, crackers, sandwich crackers, nuts, cookies, and candy for example, are also welcome anytime. Look for bins labeled "ESOL Snacks" located in the Information Hallway or as you come in the main doors to donate non-perishable prepackaged items.  Bins will be out in the weeks just before and during each term.

Wanted! Foreign Language Support

If you speak a foreign language, especially Spanish, and are willing to be a translator resource during the Registration process and/or attend the first night of class, please contact Louisa at ESOL@stmatthewsumc.org.

Program Information

All are WELCOME here at St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church. This outreach ministry of the church helps those in our community who want to improve their English language skills by offering ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes in person. Our classes use an ESOL curriculum developed by Oxford University Press, the Step Forward, 2nd Edition series. The fee we charge for regular classes covers a student book for each person and expenses to run the program. Occasionally, we are able to offer a free conversation class in addition to the regular 10 week class terms held in the fall and winter. All teachers and staff are volunteers in this ministry. St. Matthew’s UMC has provided an ESL/ESOL program to the public for more than 20 years. We are a member of English as a Second Language and Immigrant Ministries (ESLIM) of Northern Virginia.

Weyanoke Elementary School

Throughout the year volunteers assist teachers in the classroom, mentor students, and help with the school Book Fairs. We also provide school supplies for students as well as grocery cards, clothing, and Christmas assistance to families in need. In addition, we help with the upkeep, of the school grounds and sponsor special events for teachers (snacks, Teacher Appreciation Breakfast).   Sign up to be a mentor or classroom assistant, volunteer to help with the other various activities throughout the year, and make monetary donations to the church’s Weyanoke Fund.