Local Mission

The Second Helping

The Second Helping is the primary local mission of First Congregational United Church of Christ. The Second Helping is a Sunday evening soup kitchen that is open to anyone who needs it. Guests are served a home-cooked dinner in the fellowship hall and are given a sack lunch with food for breakfast and lunch the next day. Much of the food comes from the Flint Hills Breadbasket, but the church also has a line item in the budget for the Second Helping.

We serve dinner on every Sunday, including holidays. The average number of guests served is 25-30 each week. In a typical year, over 1300 meals are served to guests and 300 to workers.

Each year there are about 400 volunteer slots to fill, representing nearly 1500 volunteer hours. Volunteers come from the church, the community, and student groups at K-State. If you are interested in volunteering, you can e-mail our volunteer coordinator Mandy Strawn.

Shepherd’s Crossing

The churches of Manhattan, Kansas, have long helped low-income families with small monetary gifts in times of crisis. Some of the pastors of these churches saw the need for coordinating and improving these efforts. In 2000, five of the churches (including First Congregational UCC) founded Shepherd's Crossing to centralize their emergency financial assistance. In April 2001, with 13 churches participating, Shepherd's Crossing opened its doors. Shepherd's Crossing gives financial assistance in three categories: rent, utilities, and prescription drugs. Volunteer counselors work with each person with an attitude of caring and concern, listening to the client and offering advice on how to cope with difficult circumstances. Referral to other community service agencies is a major part of the counselor's job. First Congregational UCC supports Shepherd’s crossing with both volunteers and financial contributions. For more information on Shepherd’s Crossing, click here or call 785-776-1470.

Flint Hills Community Clinic

The Flint Hills Community Clinic opened its doors in July, 2005. Its purpose is to provide care for people without insurance who are not eligible for any other program. The Manhattan Ministerial Association has been one of the founding agencies. Local area physicians and other health professionals volunteer their services to staff the clinic. Other volunteers provide a wide range of support services. First Congregational UCC supports the clinic both financially and with volunteers.

Other Local Missions

Our congregation provides support in various ways to other local agencies such as the Flint Hills Breadbasket, the Crisis Center, the Emergency Shelter, Sunflower CASA, and others.