GAIHN (Greenville Area Interfaith Hospitality Network)
Approximately four times per year, FBC welcomes homeless families into our church building to share a week of hospitality in the form of shelter, meals, and encouragement. Contact Becky Ramsey if you have questions. This YouTube video, recorded during April 17's Operation Inasmuch will give you an overview of how GAIHN works with congregations (such as John Knox Presbyterian Church and First Baptist Church-Greenville) and grantors (like Greenville Women Giving) to create exceptional transitional housing opportunities for homeless families.

Habitat for Humanity
First Baptist Greenville was proud to partner with Buncombe Street United Methodist Church, Christ Episcopal Church, and First Presbyterian Church in the Vardry McBee Build in the fall of 2007, in honor of Mr. McBee's donation of land for these four local congregations. Thanks to all who helped with the build and contributed toward housewarming gifts for the family.

Ready For Reading
In Greenville today, 26% of all our children, 34% minority K5 children are assessed not ready to learn to read before first grade. Reading ability strongly impacts success in school and life.
Ready for Reading is a nonprofit organization that guides underserved parents and caregivers of newborns through three year olds to create a love of books, develop readiness for reading, and provide children’s books in homes. We need support from the First Baptist congregation with volunteers to read in low income centers, adults and youth to assist with family workshops and events, and numerous gently used books and educational toys.
Current volunteer opportunities include:
Read in English or Spanish at Small Smiles Medicaid Dental Clinic. At this new Ready for Reading site, the parents and children wait for an average of 1 1/2 hours to see a dentist. All these families are at the poverty level. Ready for Reading provides all reader's books and family handouts. No TB tests or background checks are required. Commit to two 1/2 hour sessions each month with schedule flexibility.
Contact: Evelyn Scaringi, 631-1966
Read at Head Start Pleasant Valley. Read to 1 1/2 year olds to 4's in center classrooms. TB tests and background checks are required. Commit to two 1/2 hour sessions each month. Contact: Evelyn Scaringi, 631-1966

Loaves and Fishes
Food will be prepared at other locations, and FBC volunteers will help in heating, portioning, and boxing meals to be delivered to area agencies where the food will be served. Loaves and Fishes is a non-profit food rescue agency.

Operation Christmas Child
On November 16-23, 2009, FBC again served as the collection center for Greenville County's participation in Operation Christmas Child. Elaine Barnhill and Women on Mission Circle Seven conducted the project.

Operation Inasmuch


FBC is proud to join hundreds of congregations across the US, Canada, and England who engage in Operation Inasmuch, a one-day, intergenerational, local missions blitz. FBC engaged in our fifth OIAM on April 17, 2010. We appreciate all of the partnering agencies who made the days possible and all the individuals and families who joined in the fun! Take a look at the video of the day's events.

Project Host
The Soup Kitchen at Project Host is a wonderful way to help serve in the community of Greenville. Your responsibilities at the soup kitchen are to arrive on Sunday morning by 9:00. You just throw on your old clothes and prepare to spend a few hours among friends cooking and preparing food to serve to those who might need a bite to eat that day. Once the food is ready, you will prepare the trays and greet each person with a smile! Your time at Project Host will wrap up around 12:30 as you begin to clean up the dishes and pots and pans that were used that day. Please contact Chesnee Marshall at 630-6776 to volunteer.

Ten Thousand Villages
Check out this great place in Lewis Plaza on August Road and learn how you can volunteer to help artisans around the globe.

Triune Mercy Center
You're invited by Deb Richardson-Moore to gather your family (middle-schoolers and older), Sunday School class, Circle group, or friends to participate in a "backyard mission day" at Triune Mercy Center. The mission experience may be scheduled on a Wednesday or Saturday from 9:00 am-3:30 pm and includes an orientation, hands-on work with the homeless parishoners in one of Triune's ministries, a van tour of the homeless community near Triune, and a reflection session. Each day can accomodate 5-15 people. To learn more or schedule a group mission experience, contact Deb Richardson-Moore at 233-3402.

United Ministries
FBC collects food weekly for the United Ministries Food Pantry. The Sanctuary Guild volunteers collect the food, and delivery volunteers transport it to United Ministries. For information, contact Ruth Kennedy, Missions Committee member. United Ministries Emergency Assistance program stabilized more than 5,500 families last year. The food pantry is just one such program Emergency Assistance addresses. Additional support is provided for utilities, rent and medication.


For more information, contact Laura Shelley at 370-2515 ext. 145.