Serve Local

Food Bank
Friendship House
EDR
Meeting Ground
Table of Plenty
Service Challenge

Serve Local

Our serving ministries are led by Rachele Gilmore, our Director of Community Life! It is our hope to lead the church from a "hand out" program, through a "hands on" ministry, and into "hand-in-hand" relationships that welcome God's mission through transformational relationships. That is, when we enter into a relationship of friendship and mutuality - not transaction - with others (especially those unlike ourselves), God tends to use that relationship as a mission field to transform our lives, heal our brokenness, and open our eyes to the beauty around us. Take a look at some of the ways we Hand Out, puts Hands On, and seek to be Hand-in-Hand!

If you want more information on how to get involved, email Rachele, or if you want to receive our weekly outreach newsletter The Roots & Rays Rundown, click on the corresponding button below.

Email Rachele Sign up for The Rundown

Roots & Rays Service Challenge

Our 2026 Roots & Rays Service Challenge begins on February 18 and runs through Holy Week. Take the challenge and help us give back to our community in as many ways as possible over the course of the month! Use the sign-ups below to get involved.

Rise Against Hunger Blood Drive Signup Genius Sign-ups Food Bank Amazon Wish List

Food Bank of Delaware

The Food Bank of Delaware, a member of Feeding America, formerly America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network, is a statewide non-profit agency whose mission is a community free of hunger. Annually, the Food Bank distributes between 7 and 10 million pounds of food from all sectors of the food industry including fresh produce, meats, beverages, snacks and more. Through a network of more than 350 member agencies and feeding programs, the Food Bank distributes food to approximately 90,000 hungry people in our community. How does Red Clay Creek Presbyterian Church help? Red Clay sponsors day and evening opportunities for our members to help distribute the food to the hungry. Each year we hold a Lenten Food Drive and the congregation has generously supported this effort.

Friendship House

Since Friendship House first opened its doors 33 years ago, they have walked with thousands of individuals and families on their journey back to independent, self-sufficient lives in New Castle County through empowerment centers, a clothing bank, transitional housing, and the Hope Center.

Red Clay has partnered with Friendship House through financial support and also participates with bi-annual clothing drives, sending volunteers to the Clothing Bank to sort clothes, providing and serving dinners to the homeless men at Andrew’s Place and to the homeless women at Epiphany House, making go-bags, etc. Annually, Red Clay forms a team that participates in the Highmark Walk to raise funds for Friendship House.

Emmanuel Dining Room

Three EDR facilities provide nutritious meals daily to the hungry. The original Dining Room opened on November 30, 1979. It now has two locations: one on the west side of Wilmington at 121 North Jackson Street, and another in New Castle at 500 Rogers Road. The heart of this program lies in the ongoing support of over 90 churches, synagogues and civic groups that prepare and serve meals on a rotating basis. Red Clay serves a meal at the Walnut Street facility on the 23rd day of each month. To volunteer for one of our serving teams, please contact one of our group leaders. Financial donations are also welcomed.

Make the Chili!

Meeting Ground

Meeting Ground is an organization in Elkton, Maryland that offers transitional housing for men, women, and children, emergency shelter, free lunches, and a day center where people can shower, collect their mail, launder their clothing, and connect with medical services and job search assistance. It has long been quietly supported by Red Clay and we would like to do more.

Recently we had an outpouring response of gifts of luggage, duffel bags, and backpacks delivered to Meeting Ground’s Mary Randall Day Center in Elkton.

Table of Plenty

Mill Creek Outreach Partnership is a collaborative effort between St. John the Beloved’s Church Outreach Ministry, Community of Christ Church, and local churches like Red Clay that operate and support a program known as Table of Plenty. This mission program offers food and clothing to those in need who live between Route 141 and Polly Drummond Road, covering the entire Kirkwood Highway corridor. It is run out of the Community of Christ Church at 1205 Milltown Road in Wilmington, which provides both a drop-off point for donations and a place where people can find community and hospitality as well as food and clothing.

On Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, Red Clay puts together Easter Meals for donation at the Table.

Come to the Table!

Roots & Rays Service Challenge

The Roots & Rays Service Challenge is a yearly month-long initiative, that was born in 2023 for the purposes of engaging our congregation and greater community in meaningful and creative service to those in need in our area and beyond. Rooted in our devotion to putting the words of Matthew 25: 34-36 into action, we look to feed, clothe, care for, and visit those who could use a loving hand. We believe that our annual Service Challenge is an incredible tool for bringing our congregation together in service, and also for connecting us in friendship to other local churches and to the outside community. We saw evidence of this starting to take shape in our first year. This year's Service Challenge will take place during Lent and begin on February 22.

See the Brochure