Local Outreach at
Village Church of Bartlett
Serving Our Neighbors and Growing as Disciples of Jesus
Local Outreach partners with local organizations, schools, and social workers to serve the vulnerable populations in Bartlett and the surrounding area. By mobilizing our church body to serve, our goal is to build bridges in our community through relationships and care, while giving the people in our church opportunities to grow as disciples of Jesus.
Local Outreach Holiday Initiatives
Thanksgiving Food Drive 2026 Volunteer Opportunities
What is the Thanksgiving Food Drive?
The Thanksgiving Food Drive provides Thanksgiving meals to families in the Bartlett area who are in need. We do this in partnership with our local Jewel-Osco and Bartlett-area schools. This year, we will serve households from six schools. Watch this video to learn more about the food drive and its companion event, The Christmas Gift Drive.
What can I donate to the food drive?
We need the following items:
- Packets of Gravy
- Boxes of Cornbread Mix
- Packages of Stuffing Mix
- Cans of Sweet Potatoes
- Boxes of Pudding -or- Jell-O
- Packages of Cookie -or- Brownie Mix
Items can be purchased and dropped off in Village Church's Food Drive Donation bin. Donations will be accepted until Sunday, November 15.
How do I collect donations at Jewel?
Volunteers sign up for 1-hour time slots at Jewel (located at 125 E Stearns Rd, Bartlett, IL 60103). During that time slot, volunteers will stand at a table set up in the front entrance of the grocery store to greet customers as they begin shopping. Volunteers provide flyers to shoppers then invite them to consider doing one of two things:
- Purchase grocery items (listed on the flyer) and deposit them at the front of the store
- Donate financially to the food drive upon checkout
Volunteers may sign up for as many shifts as they want! Shifts are best enjoyed with a friend. 😉 To see an example of what an experience may look like, watch this video.
What is the packing party?
At the Packing Party, volunteers pack food donations into bags that will be delivered to schools. We will enjoy lunch together, pack the donations, and prepare additional delivery items for the bags. Sign up here.
What does meal delivery involve?
After the donations have been sorted at the Packing Party, a team of volunteers will deliver meals to Bartlett-area schools on Friday, November 20. Volunteers will meet at Village Church in the morning to discuss the delivery sites, then divide into teams for delivery. If you are comfortable driving, let us know when you register here.
Who can volunteer?
All ages are welcome to join in any of these opportunites. As you will in our recap videos, these are very family-friendly events.
What will a financial donation cover?
All monetary donations help cover the cost of both the Thanksgiving Food Drive and the Christmas Gift Drive. While donated food items compose the bulk of our gift to families, other costs associated with these events include packaging, volunteer appreciation, additional gifts for unaccounted for items, and more. All donations are appreciated and can be made here.
Stay tuned for Christmas Gift Drive Volunteer Opportunities
As the holiday season moves into the Christmas season, we continue our support of many of those same families by providing gifts for their children and support for the adults.
Local Outreach Partnerships and Ministries
The Ruth Project
The Ruth Project is a non-profit organization based in Elgin, IL on a mission to end the modern-day orphan crisis. Through donations and volunteering, they abundantly provide resources to foster and adoptive families, setting them up for long-term success.
The Forgotten Initiative
Through The Forgotten Initiative, agency workers directly interact with foster parents, vulnerable adults, and children in foster care. This organization provides support through Journey Bags, Foster Family Support, Social Worker Support, and on-the-ground care for foster families.
Safe Families
Safe Families provide a safe home for children and a supportive community for parents while they get back on their feet. This network of relationships keep children from entering the foster care system, and ultimately, helps keeps families together. The goal is family reunification.
ECFA
Evangelical Child & Family Agency (ECFA) offers compassionate and Christ-centered services to children, families, and individuals through adoption, pregnancy support services, counseling, and intact family services.
Open Hearts Open Homes
Bartlett Community Care Collective
Michelle McGrath
Local Outreach Director
Devote Yourself To Good
We help others and devote ourselves to good not because it guarantees us salvation, but for two distinct reasons. First, Jesus tells us to serve others, and He modeled it in His life on earth. Second, because good works naturally flow out of us as an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, who continually works in us to make us more like Christ.