United Christian Ministries' Fall Fest and 5K is Nov. 3

United Christian Ministries wants to celebrate the community that allows them to help others each and every day.

To that end, United Christian Ministries will hold a Fall Fest and 5K run on Nov. 3.

“The event itself is a celebration of the cooperative ministry that we share – not only with our supporting churches, but with the surrounding community,” said Executive Director Teresa Nash.

The event will kick off at 8am with the 5K. Runners will follow the same route through downtown Easley as the Firecracker Frolic 5K.

There will also be a one-mile Fun Run or Walk that will start about 8:15am, Nash said.

Pre-registration for the 5K and Fun Run is available through the new United Christian Ministries website, at www.umcpc.org.

Pre-registration for the $15 for the 5K and $10 for the Fun Run or Walk up until Oct. 22.

Those registering the day of the event will pay $20, Nash said.

“They can register online or print out the registration form and mail it into us,” Nash said.

Nov. 3

The Fall Fest will held 9am – 1pm that same day in Old Market Square, following the runs.

“We're going to have churches and sponsors with information, games for the kids, inflatables, hot dogs and hamburgers,” Nash said. “It's going to be a great, family fun day.”

She's excited about the lineup of bands that will be performing in the amphitheater during the festival.

Sunlight Moon, the St. Andrews United Methodist Church praise band, will perform, as well as the United Men's Choir of Easley, the Mountain View Baptist Church Quarter and Danielle Yother, winner of the first Pickens County Has Talent Competition.

“I think we have a good variety of great quality bands lined up,” Nash said.

She said the music will start around 9:40am, following the awards ceremony for the 5K.

Money that would otherwise go to helping people is not being used for the event, she said.

“Our committee and board has been working hard, locating sponsorship resources for the festival,” Nash said. “This isn't really a fundraiser for us. It's more about awareness and the community. It's for the community at large.”

United Christian Ministries has been helping the local community for more than 20 years.

“We're an emergency assistance ministry founded by local church communities after 1989, to be an extension of the church community, to work together with the community to help our community members meet their basic needs,” Nash said.

UCM is supported by 80 churches its service area, which includes nearly all of Pickens County, as well as Powdersville.

UCM is preparing for its seasonal programs, Nash said.

“We'll be gearing up very quickly to start our heating assistance program in early November, as well as our seasonal program where we collect new blankets, gloves and clean, previously used coats,” she said.

UCM provides emergency food to those who in need.

UCM provides a designed combination of food items that supply each person in the home 3 meals per day for a 3 day period. In 2011, this method of meeting hunger needs provided 51,579 meals to 5,731 individuals.

“There is truly a need out there,” Nash said

In addition to its emergency food, UCM provides Christmas dinner boxes.

The Dinner boxes are composed of a specific list of nonperishable food items as well as a ham or turkey.

“We give them to our families in December so they can fix a meal for the family on the Christmas holiday,” Nash said.

A list of needed Christmas Dinner Box items will be posted in November on the UCM site.

Nash said her agency and this area were very blessed last year with a very mild winter.

“This year could be very different,” Nash said. “Winter could hit people living at the poverty level very hard this year, as well as the elderly living on fixed incomes. They have my heart at that time of the year. It's so expensive to heat your home, they just can't stretch their money quite far enough.”

In addition to money donations and donations of coats and food, UCM can always use volunteers, Nash said.

“I'm the only full time staff person here,” Nash said. “There are three other staff and together we added up to about two full-time people. All the real work is done by a great group of volunteers. What we do just would not happen without those folks.”

The Fall Festival event aims to not only celebrate and thank existing volunteers, but recruit new ones to join the ranks.

“We are looking for people,” Nash said. “If you have some spare time or are looking for a place to plug into, contact us. We can use you. We will find a place to put you to work.

Nash is excited about the new website.

“It's full of information about what we do, not only for our supporters, but for people who need us or who may know someone who needs us,” she said.

For more information on UCM, call 855-0853 or visit www.umcpc.org