Opportunities for Service & Outreach
Zion members find a variety of ways to serve both inside and outside our walls. The Outreach & Service commission helps facilitate service opportunities for Zion members and attenders. Below are a few upcoming ways for you to get involved in local efforts.
Upcoming opportunities
Food Pantry collection dates for 2026:March 29, May 31, August 30, November 29
Information for providing meals for immigrants or refugees through Church World Service (if interested in volunteering, contact Becky Brenneman to be added to the list):
Valley Brethren Mennonite Heritage Center - help serve a meal to volunteers on April 14. Contact Kathy Risser for more information.
Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) - Zion hopes to send a work team to work with MDS for a week sometime in 2026. If you are interested, please contact Becky Brenneman.
Service Sunday - February 1 - We will knot comforters and package cookies for the local food pantry.
Active Outreach Partners
As a congregation Zion is actively involved with these organizations and ministries. Click the links to learn more about the work that is being done through these partnerships. If you would like more information about how you can participate with Zion please email Lori Friesen at lori@zmcva.org.
Church World Service - https://cwsharrisonburg.org/
CWS Harrisonburg serves and advocates for refugees, asylum seekers, unaccompanied children, and immigrants in the Shenandoah Valley. Zion members can be on a list to receive requests for meals and groceries for newly arriving refugees and immigrants. Other opportunities include housing setup, helping transport clients to appointments, tutoring, etc.
People Helping People - https://phpharrisonburg.org
A one time gift was given to People Helping People (PHP). Zion has contributed a yearly gift of $1,000.00. This is a local organization that supports 72 households in our community. The organization was struggling to meet its budget currently. So we made a one time gift of $5,000.00 for this year (2023). Our regular budget will continue at $1,000.00 next year.
Valley Interfaith Action (VIA) - https://viavirginia.org/
“Valley Interfaith Action is a broad-based, non-partisan, multi-issue volunteer leader-led power organization made up of dues-paying member institutions in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Our member groups include faith-based congregations, immigrant, neighborhood, and other associations. We bring together leaders and their institutions across the lines that often divide us — political, rural-urban, race, faith, to take action on our common interests and improve the lives of families in our community.”
Open Doors - https://www.valleyopendoors.org/
“Our Mission is to provide safe shelter for the unhoused, as well as compassionate support and access to services for ALL in the Harrisonburg-Rockingham community. Open Doors operates out of the Navigation Center. The center is home to a low-barrier emergency shelter for adults and a weekday daytime drop-in center open to all in the community. We carry out our mission for our community with our community.”
Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale (MCC) - https://vareliefsale.com/
The Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale is an annual, all volunteer event that raises money for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). MCC is a worldwide ministry of Anabaptist churches that share God’s love and compassion for all in the name of Christ. MCC works with people at home and around the world to ease oppression, poverty, and conflict. They lead natural disaster relief efforts, community development and peace work in more than 50 countries.