There are many in Valdosta who go without a bed every night. Our homeless bedrolls are a crocheted 3' x 6' mat to provide a bit of cushion from the wet and cold so homeless individuals are off the ground and can sleep with some comfort. These bedrolls are incredibly durable, easy to carry, and can been cleaned very easily. Bedrolls are made completely from donated plastic grocery bags. Each bed takes about 500 bags. Once the bags have been donated, volunteers flatten them into stacks of 10, then cuts them into 4 strips each.  Strips are then tied together to make Plarn (plastic yarn) balls. Finally, the plarn is crocheted or weaved on a loom into a bedroll.

The Mother-Son Luau is a great bonding experience for Moms and Sons as you spend a special evening together! Our Luau is mindful of small children as we begin at “sunset” with the first hour geared towards little ones as they adjust to the evening. As we progress into the “night,” we’ll continue to luau with lots of music, dancing, yummy treats, and Hawaiian fun! All proceeds will go to support the Missions of Park Avenue UMC. We know that life is busy and there are a million things begging for your time, but we hope that our Luau offers mothers and sons an opportunity to spend one-on-one, uninterrupted time together.

Park Avenue seeks to provide a hand up not a hand out to those in need in our community. Our Benevolence program gives individuals the opportunity to volunteer at local businesses to earn money every 30 days toward their rent or utilities. Once the volunteer hours have been completed individuals place their card in the offering plate of either our 8:55 or 11 o’clock services, and can then pick up their check on Monday afternoon. ID and Bill are required.

Every Friday our church delivers packs of food to hundreds of children at the Clyattville Elementary School who would otherwise have little to no food to eat through the weekend. We have groups that purchase food and packs the bags through the week in preparation for delivery.