Mission Outreach

Home Heating Telethon

One of our larger mission offerings is the Home Heating Telethon for fuel oil and winterization assistance which is sponsored by ACAP, United Way of Aroostook, and televised by WAGM-TV.

The United Way of Aroostook website notes, "The reliance on oil to heat Aroostook County homes makes the annual Helping Hands for Warm and Safe Homes Telethon vital to ensuring people can stay warm.  Most of the households that have received heating assistance over the years from this telethon have had at least one member who is vulnerable because he or she is elderly, disabled, or a young child." 

In December, 2024, over $88,000 was donated to help keep our neighbors warm. These funds allow ACAP to help many County families who may not qualify for HEAP assistance. 

Support for the Vulnerable

Our Church supports the following organizations through our yearly budget and through our social action contributions and special donations:

Homeless Services of Aroostook — the only emergency homeless shelter for the general public in Aroostook County, Maine, geographically the largest County east of the Mississippi.

Hope and Justice Project — helps people whose family and dating relationships are affected by abuse and violence. Their educators provide presentations and training to help create a community that promotes happy, joyful relationships.

Pride Aroostook

We are a proud sponsor of the Pride Aroostook Festival in June.

"Established as an official nonprofit in 2023 we are more excited than ever to continue serving the community by growing connections and bringing people together. ...

From the back roads to the back porches, Pride Aroostook is a welcoming & inclusive community of rural & small-town LGBTQ+ folks & our allies. We are committed to supporting County residents & providing spaces for us to be our whole, authentic selves." (from their website)

Grace Interfaith Food Table (GIFT) – Local Food Pantry

As one of the four founding partners of GIFT, the PIUCC church family is committed to providing weekly food donations from within our congregation and to pledging financial commitment through our yearly budget. GIFT was begun in 2003 as an interfaith, non-profit 501(c)(3) food pantry. It is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of representatives from its member churches – The Presque Isle Congregational Church,UCC; Grant Memorial United Methodist Church; St. John’s Episcopal Church; and St. Mary’s Catholic Church. GIFT’s mission is to provide food on a non-discriminatory basis to those with temporary, unmet nutritional needs, who reside in Castle Hill, Crouseville, Chapman, and Presque Isle.

The United Church of Christ 5 for 5 Commitment

We provide support for both the Maine Conference and the national offices of the United Church of Christ by contributing to Our Church’s Wider Mission (OCWM) as a 5 for 5 congregation. This means that we give to OCWM Basic Support and all four Special Mission Offerings of the United Church of Christ – One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) in March; Strengthen the Church (Pentecost Sunday); Neighbors in Need (NIN) in October; and the Christmas Fund in December.