Golden Rule Rally

“Anyone who takes care of a little child like this is caring for me! And whoever cares for me is caring for God who sent me. Your care for others is the measure of your greatness.” ~ Luke 9:48

It seems like summer just started, but amazingly it’s already time for the annual back-to-school Golden Rule Rally.

On Tuesday, August 27, more than 8,000 children and youth will return to school in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Although the median household income in our area is $65,000, over 20% of our local population has family incomes below the poverty level of $24,600. This results in an increasing number of students being unable to afford basic supplies needed to learn, or even enough food to nourish them over the weekend.

This year we’re changing things up a bit, collecting school supplies for classrooms at Ephesus Elementary School. In conjunction with our school supply collection, we will use the month of August to raise funds for TABLE. This funding campaign is the first of our new model to highlight each of our core missions (TABLE, Zoe Empowers, IFC and Habitat) once a year.

Our goal, which will provide the bulk of support to TABLE from University UMC for the 2019/2020 school year, is $8,000. This money will be enough to provide food for 16 children for the entire school year. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

How You Can Help: We are encouraging individuals, families, youth, and children to participate in both the school supply drive and the campaign for TABLE.

1. Make a monetary donation. Monetary donations made between now and September 8 will go towards our funding goal for TABLE. Please put a check in the offering plate with TABLE in the memo line, or donate online through the Give tab on the church website (www.universityumc.church) by choosing TABLE from the drop-down menu.

2. Use the supply list on the reverse side to shop for classroom supplies for Ephesus Elementary School. Bring the items to the collection bins at the church by Sunday, September 8. Children and youth are encouraged to bring supplies to their Sunday School classes on September 8.

3. Help with Golden Rule Rally collections. The Missions Team is looking for volunteers interested in assisting with the Golden Rule Rally collections this year and moving forward. Please contact the Missions Team at