Kirk of Kildaire

Serve

Volunteer Opportunities

Use your gifts to support the Kirk!

We Are An

Earth Care Congregation

The Kirk of Kildaire is proud to be recognized as an Earth Care Congregation by the PC(USA).

Earth Care Congregations are congregations that have committed to the “Earth Care Pledge” of the PCUSA and accomplished a specific number of actions toward caring for God’s earth in four categories: worship, education, facilities, and outreach.

For more information on this program at the Kirk, please contact Rev. Stephanie Workman, Associate Pastor for Christian Nurture & Mission.

Community Garden

The Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian (USA) Church of Cary, NC, hosts a community garden to:

  • Feed the hungry
  • Better connect to our local community
  • Engage our congregation and allow bonds to deepen through work in small groups
  • Offer our members a great educational opportunity

Workdays in the garden are Saturday mornings and Wednesday afternoons (during the warm season). All are welcome to join us!

Visit our Community Garden Facebook Page
Kirk Community Garden spotlighted on WRAL-TV! (May 2021)

Contact: Community Garden Leader.

Family Promise

Family Promise of the Triangle began in 1994 as Wake Interfaith Hospitality Network. It started with church based emergency shelter and meals to Wake County families. Since then, they’ve expanded the services they offer to include prevention, rapid rehousing, on-site emergency shelter, transitional housing and two post-shelter stabilization programs. Emergency shelter provides housing for 8-12 weeks. 77% of families work to graduate from the emergency shelter program due in part to their devoted team of social workers.

The Transitional Housing program enables guest families to have a much higher chance of remaining independent through intensive wrap-around services and stable housing. Families receive support services, including continued case management, life skills classes, support groups, and referral services.

The Kirk serves as a host congregation for guests 1 or 2 weeks per year:

Meal Skills

Providing gift cards for families to shop for breakfast and lunch foods while working on budget skills, healthy eating, and meal planning.

Dinners

Preparing dinners in individual plates so that families may pick up from the Community Center. These are delivered at 5:00pm.

Activities

Planning a special interactive activity for families to interact with our members for a night or afternoon of fun. (eg., Cook Outs, Bingo, Game Nights and other fun activities).

Supplies

Providing donation of needed supplies. These are listed on the Family Promise website as “Amazon WIshlist.”

More Information is available on their website familypromisetriangle.org

Family Ties Christmas Gift Giving

Family Ties is one of the most popular annual mission projects at the Kirk. It is a Christmas mission where we receive gift requests from organizations who serve folks in need, many of whom are children and the elderly.

The organizations we work with are:

  • Wake County Adult and
  • Children’s Services
  • Military Families
  • Neighborhood Families
  • Loaves and Fishes

We post these requests just before Thanksgiving and church members sign up and provide the gifts, wrapped and ready for Christmas giving. Family Ties runs from mid-November to early December. To participate, watch for announcements in the monthly newsletter, Kirk Krier and Sunday bulletins.

Contact: Lori Houck, Project Coordinator.

Rise Against Hunger

The Kirk of Kildaire has partnered with the Cary Rotary Club and Rise Against Hunger (formerly “Stop Hunger Now”) for over 10 years. In 2018, we packed our ONE MILLIONTH meal to feed the hungry across the globe. In 2023, we packed almost 120,000 meals. Typically held in November or December, the Kirk in conjunction with the Cary Rotary Club provides the funds to pack 100,000+ meals. In 2023 we reached out to other faith communities in the area and had 400 volunteers.

Rise Against Hunger delivers the raw materials, packaging, rice, soy protein, veggies, and vitamins to the church, volunteers unload the trucks, set up the assembly area, instructions are given and packaging begins. Each shift packages about one third of the meals, the boxes are put back in the trucks and the volunteers clean up at the end of the day. This is a great opportunity for families to do together!

Learn more: riseagainsthunger.org

Contact: Jim Pinson, Project Coordinator.

KOALA + Program

To prepare young people and their families to understand the options for post‑secondary planning. We want to help demystify the college and career prep process for students and help them create a path to their individual goals.

In collaboration with Wake Technical Community College and The Wade Edwards Learning Lab, this mentoring program will help low income youth to explore post-secondary school education and career options.  Mentors will work with students on their individual plans and goals. Each mentor will be matched with 1 student to provide individualized college and career support according to the student’s needs.

The Kirk will host speakers from The WELL and Wake Tech Community College twice monthly. Workshop topics will include:

  • Financial Assistance
  • Career Technical & Degree Programs
  • Short-Term Training Credentials
  • How to Apply for College
  • College Admissions
  • College Transfer Options
  • Interview Skills
  • Resume Development
  • Defining Goals
  • Etiquette
  • Leadership Skills
  • Organizational Skills

There are many ways to support this program. Individual and corporate donors may support financially with tax-deductible donations through the link HERE (select “KOALA+” under “Other Missions”). Giving levels are suggested below, but any amount is appreciated!

  • $50 – Provides funds for 1 student to apply for college
  • $100 – Provides equipment for 1 student to pursue vocational education
  • $300 – Helps 1 student set up their dorm room
  • $500 – Provides college textbooks for 1 semester for 1 student
  • $1000 – Provides college textbooks for 2 semesters for 1 student
  • $2000 – Provides a laptop for 1 student
  • $3000 – Provide 1 year of tuition at a community college for 1 student
  • $5000 – Provide 1 year of living expenses (meals, housing) for 1 student
  • $10,000 – Provide 1 year of in-state tuition at a public university for 1 student
  • $20,000 – Provide 1 year of tuition at a private college for 1 student

Contact for more information: KOALA+

Program Lead: Amber Barnes

Advisory Team: Betsey McFarland, Patty Snow, Virginia Anthony