Pumpkin Patch

Our primary fundraiser each year is our Pumpkin Patch. This endeavor benefits the New Mexican reservation that grows the pumpkins, local charities to which we give the proceeds, as well as our congregation as we work together unloading the truck, assisting families in choosing the perfect pumpkin, and presenting our fall festival.

We usually have a wide selection of pumpkins from tiny to humongous as well as gourds and Indian corn.

We eagerly anticipate unloading day in early October when we distribute more than 2,000 pumpkins over our front yard. Everyone lends a hand, young and old, in multiple lines leading from the truck. We enjoy fellowship while passing pumpkins bucket-brigade style. It is a long day and everyone is sore by the end, but we are so excited to have the pumpkins that we are still smiling.

During October, we hold our Fall Festival on a Saturday after the pumpkins arrive. We have arts and crafts, games, hay rides, and homemade treats.

We donate all the proceeds from the Pumpkin Patch to the multiple local charities listed below.

Living Waters for the World - Appalachia Network

As part of the Synod of Living Waters, we wanted to support its efforts to bring safe drinking water to those without. The Synod launched the Living Waters for the World to bring fresh water to communities in Central and South America as well as Africa.

There are families here in Appalachia, however, without fresh water today. To serve these families as well, LWW added the Appalachia Network. Churches across the south including West Emory donate the funds to install purification systems and train the families to maintain the systems. Members of West Emory have received training from LWW and have installed systems.

Knox Area Rescue Ministries

West Emory believes in helping our neighbors that are experiencing hardships and struggles. The Knox Area Rescue Ministries (KARM) provides food and shelter for families in crisis. They serve over 1,200 meals each day, provide shelter for over 400 people every night, offer recovery services, and job training.

Family Promise

West Emory supports another local family support effort, Family Promise. Family Promise is an inter-faith community that provides temporary housing in local churches for families with children. While the families are staying in the churches, these and other churches provide meals and support services.

W.E. Care

West Emory Care (W.E. Care) is our way of supporting and thanking our troops who are stationed in Afghanistan. Destined for Marine units in remote areas without large bases nearby for basic necessities, each W.E. Care box will include snacks, candy, gum, as well as personal hygiene items such as toothpaste, shampoo, razors, or sanitizer.

Prayer Shawls

A project of our Women of West Emory (WoW), the women hand-knit shawls for people needing comfort and warmth as they struggle with adversity.

Random Acts of Flowers

West Emory participates in and supports Random Acts of Flowers. RAF collects unused and no longer needed flowers, creates arrangements, and delivers them to people in hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice care centers.