"A Sanctuary in the City… Living Faith"

Outreach Programs

Disaster Assistance

DISASTER ASSISTANCE Each year, your Outreach Committee designates funds to be utilized in case significant disasters occur. In 2015, $250 was contributed on behalf of Kalamazoo First Presbyterian to the Presbyterian Church (USA) Disaster Relief efforts for both the Vanuatu typhoon and the Nepal earthquake. As you may recall, both of these natural disasters were tremendously devastating to these small countries.   

CROP Hunger Walk

Church World Service (CWS), the sponsor of CROP Hunger Walks, has been working to relieve hunger and poverty throughout the world since 1946. CWS grew out of the needs of refugees who were left with nothing in the aftermath of World War II. The 44rd annual Kalamazoo Valley CROP Hunger Walk was held on Sunday, April 28, 2019, in Bronson Park.  Since…

Celebrate the Vision

Celebrate the Vision is our midweek outreach program that includes the ministries of faith formation, fellowship and food. This ministry of faith, food, and friendship meets at 5:30 on Wednesday evenings for a home-cooked meal. Volunteers are always welcome—to greet our guests, serve food, and share a meal. A dessert sign-up sheet is posted on the Outreach Board in the Gathering Place. We…

Edison School Outreach Program

The Edison Project was started by First Presbyterian Church in 2000 by retired teachers, Joyce Petro  and Carol Paine Smith, along with 43 volunteers. Some of the volunteers assisted in classrooms, some made monthly birthday treat for the classrooms, and some brought their dogs into the classrooms as an audience to listen as the children read. And the Project continues almost twenty…

Kalamazoo Deacon’s Conference

The Kalamazoo Deacons Conference (KDC) is a local Kalamazoo organization that works each day to make Kalamazoo a better place to live. KDC recognizes the physical and spiritual needs of the poor in our community, and attends to these needs by sharing the love and hope of Jesus Christ. While other organizations in Kalamazoo meet the physical needs of the poor and…

Kalamazoo Drop-In Child Care Center

The Kalamazoo Drop-In Child Care Center (KDCCC) was established to provide free, short-term child care for low-income families with children from six weeks through five years of age. The objectives of our service are to enable parents with young children to more rapidly negotiate the maze of appointments and services often required to obtain employment or permanent housing, to register for school…

Habitat for Humanity and Loaves & Fishes

KALAMAZOO HABITAT FOR HUMANITY Volunteers from the First Presbyterian Church supported Habitat for Humanity with constructing, remodeling, and landscaping several homes in Kalamazoo, Portage, and Kalamazoo Township. KALAMAZOO LOAVES AND FISHES FPC continues to provide both monetary and volunteer support for Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes (KLF). FPC support for this community program dates from its founding in 1982 by persons who, working with Ministry with…

Ministry with Community

Ministry with Community was founded in 1978 by a small group of local citizens led by Dorothy Markusse, a member of First Presbyterian. It was initially located at North Presbyterian Church, and provided basic services to adults with no other place to turn. In 1985, it moved into its current location on North Church Street. Currently “Ministry” provides daytime shelter, breakfast, and lunch 365 days…

Nicaragua Partnership

NICARAGUA PARTNERSHIP The Lake Michigan/Nueva Guinea partnership is the longest-continuing Protestant mission partnership operating through CEPAD, creating mission opportunities and mission support since 1983. CEPAD hosts our mission groups and directs mission financial support to assure designated uses are respected. CEPAD is an organization coordinating the work of Protestant congregations to improve the social and family life of Nicaraguans. First Presbyterian Church, Kalamazoo, was one of…

North Presbyterian Church

North Presbyterian Church has been financially challenged since, in the fall of 2014, Community Mental Health of Kalamazoo County cut its financial support of the Togetherness Group, a part of their ministry. The Togetherness Group provides weekly social activities for people living with serious mental illness. For many of the participants, this weekly activity is the only time they can leave the…