May is Foster Care Awareness month, and we have chosen to highlight one of our local partners Kindred Connections.

Kindred Connections is a team of allies who rally around families in crisis. Many families have no support network when a crisis hits. Kindred Connections mobilizes volunteers—many from local churches—to build connections with vulnerable families and open their homes to children. While their children are safe, parents can address the difficult season of life they find themselves in.

Find out more by visiting https://www.kindred-connections.org

Westside will offer our Free Food Market on Monday, April 24th, from 1:30pm–2:30pm in the Student Center!

With increasing food costs, we are grateful to be able to partner with NeighborImpact to provide a shopping experience for families in our community. If this would be of help to your family, or if you would like to pick up groceries for another family in need, we look forward to seeing you!

We couldn’t host this event without our amazing volunteers and we are always looking for more people to join the team!

Join a mission team traveling to Spain in July this summer. We’re looking for Westsiders who have a heart for young people and would love to come alongside local ministries and provide effective support.

Dates: July 24th – August 3rd, 2023

Location: Alicante, Spain

Cost: $3000
Includes airfare, food, accommodations, ground transportation, ministry supplies. Does not include passport/visas, immunizations, travel meals, souvenirs or other recreation.

Trip Focus: We will work with a local young adults summer program, providing them with support in the following areas: discipleship, evangelism, prayer, encouragement and practical support.

Trip Requirements: The team will prepare with specific ministry training on how to effectively preach the Gospel and support believers.

Space is limited and training begins in April.

Join a mission team traveling to Uganda in August this summer. We’re looking for Westsiders who are passionate about God’s heart for the nations and up for a true adventure!

Trip Dates: August 22nd – September 2nd, 2023

Location: Uganda, East Africa

Cost: $3000
Includes airfare, food, accommodations, ground transportation, ministry supplies. Does not include passport/visas, immunizations, travel meals, souvenirs or other recreation.

Trip Focus: We will partner with Bold Ventures to provide leadership training, evangelism and medical outreach on Lake Victoria’s islands. 

Trip Requirements: Ability to “rough it” on small boats, sleep on the ground & eat adventurously while serving people in remote tropical villages. The team will prepare with specific ministry training on how to effectively preach the Gospel and teach believers.

Space is limited and training begins in April.

Westside’s Free Food Market served 2,409 people in 2022—an average of 219 a month!

A Canned Food Drive benefitting our Free Food Market ministry will begin on March 12th and run through the 19th. We will be gratefully receiving non-perishables at the Church Office Monday–Thursday from 9am-2pm as well as on Sunday March 19th in the Lower Atrium.

Our Middle and High School groups will join in by competing to collect the most food—both to raise awareness and to help with the local needs of our community.

This is an easy and practical way for us to extend the love and hope of Jesus together. We would love for you to join in!

Items Requested:

• Canned Veggies
• Mac & Cheese
• Soup
• Spaghetti noodles
• Marinara sauce
• Canned beans
• Tortillas
• Peanut butter
• Canned fruit

I Heart 365 is our crowdsourced texting system—created to meet community needs. Short explanation? We send out needs via text and you, upon receiving the text, have the ability to respond to those needs that resonate with you or that match a resource that you already have (extra coats, baby supplies, etc.).

OK! So how does it work exactly?
1. A trusted agency or member of Westside Church asks if we can help with a specific need for a family or an individual.
2. Once a month, we send out a brief text describing the situation and the items needed.
3. Those who would like to respond bring their donations to the Westside Church Office.
4. Westside facilitates delivery of all of the donated items to the family or individual in need.

It’s that simple! And because I Heart 365 is a large, outreach minded community, there is never any obligation to respond to a texted need unless you feel inspired to.

To sign up for our I Heart 365 texting line and start hearing about specific needs and opportunities to help, text iheart365 to 55498

Westside will offer our Free Food Market on Monday, March 27th, from 1:30pm–2:30pm in the Student Center!

With increasing food costs, we are grateful to be able to partner with NeighborImpact to provide a shopping experience for families in our community. If this would be of help to your family, or if you would like to pick up groceries for another family in need, we look forward to seeing you!

We couldn’t host this event without our amazing volunteers and we are always looking for more people to join the team!

Westside will offer our Free Food Market on Monday, February 27th, from 1:30pm–2:30pm in the Student Center!

With increasing food costs, we are grateful to be able to partner with NeighborImpact to provide a shopping experience for families in our community. If this would be of help to your family, or if you would like to pick up groceries for another family in need, we look forward to seeing you!

We couldn’t host this event without our amazing volunteers and we are always looking for more people to join the team!

Join with us to bring joy to a child this Christmas! The Westside Giving Tree provides an opportunity to come together as a communituy to bring joy and delight to hundreds of children on Christmas morning. Through partnering with multiple nonprofit and city organizations, we have identified children in real need and The Giving Tree serves these specific children and families.

This Christmas, we invite you to choose a personalized tag—or several—and then go shopping for the described gifts. Families, friends and coworkers can join together to choose and fulfill tags. The Giving Tree Volunteer Team will make sure that all the gifts are wrapped and delivered on-time for Christmas morning. Start by selecting your digital tags today!

It’s starting to get cold outside and NeighborImpact’s Head Start program that utilizes Westside Church’s facility is in need of winter coats for their students. Many of the preschool kids come to school without a coat! Please help us keep these children warm this winter by bringing in gently-used or new winter coats in children’s sizes 4, 5 and 6 in boy’s and girl’s styles.

Please bring donations to our front office during office hours (Monday–Thursday 9am-2pm). Thank you for helping these children stay warm this winter!