Community Outreach
Unity of Rockford is celebrated our 99th birthday this April and looking forward to our 100th birthday next year in 2027. We always say we may be small, yet we are mighty. Our goal is to carry on the legacy and traditions of those who have come before us. When people enter through our doors, they immediately say how they feel like they are home and comment on the warm and welcoming feel they have as they enter our church and meet our members and congregants. We truly believe that we are here to help each other and that includes our community. We do as much as we can for our community because we know in our hearts, we are truly here to help each other along our journey.
Our community outreach includes…
Helping our neighborhood school with a backpack drive, where we purchase school supplies to those students who may not have the means to do so. And helping our teachers and staff in those schools with telling them how much we appreciate them with goodies and snacks provided for them throughout the year in the faculty lounge.
We support our local NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) by providing them with new hats, gloves and socks in the fall to help them when the cold weather strikes.
We help our local food pantry, the Rock River Valley Food Pantry, with goods throughout the year including the holiday seasons.
We collect stuffed animals, hug on them during service and then take them to all the Alzheimer’s and dementia homes in Rockford where we have residents and staff choose a stuff animal to have as their friend. Last year we honored a 13-year-old girl Briana, when we tagged the stuffed animals with Unity of Rockford, as she lost her life to a fatal disease. When we have our members take the stuffed animals to the residents and staff, our hearts are filled with their reaction to these new friends. It is so heartwarming!
We have also provided these stuffed animals to Bright Point Crisis Nursery, formerly known as Children’s Home and Aid. Children may choose a stuffed animal, and this animal goes with them to their first meeting they have with a parent and their counselor.
The smaller stuffed animals have also made their way to Swedish American Hospital where children may choose a stuffed animal on the golf cart as they are taken to CT scans, MRIs and when they are getting casts put on.
Unity of Rockford writes Christmas cards each year to the veterans to show our support for them. We include two candy canes on the outside of the envelope that are taped together forming a heart to show how our hearts extend to their hearts. We had a veteran start at our church a year and a half ago and he has taken the cards and candy canes to our Veteran’s Drop Off Center and has made instant friends in his new home city.
In addition to providing these Christmas cards and candy canes to the Veterans we also wanted to support those community organizations who support all of us as in our Rockford community, so we also had Christmas cards and candy canes that went to the staff and volunteers at Carpenters Place, our two local Fire Stations and local Police Station nearest our church, Habitat for Humanity, Rock River Valley Food Pantry, Bright Point Crisis Nursery, and Rockford Rescue Mission.
We have also written Christmas cards and given candy canes to RAMP Disability Homes and Milestone in Rockford and the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Homes for residents and staff as well.
Unity of Rockford has donated personal care items, household items, towels and bedding to Rosecrance Greendale Transitional Housing residents.
Knowing there are so many causes in our community, we add additional outreach every year. Last year we added writing thank you cards to a local serviceman who was on the Honor Flight in October with other veterans to Washington D.C. to thank him for his service during the Vietnam War. “Mail Call” is where each veteran gets mail from home. The same kind of “Mail Call” that kept their spirits up during the war. Our members and congregants wrote cards to thank him for his service. His family said he was so appreciative and grateful and how much it meant to him that he received those cards, and from people he did not even know! It touched him that we would think of him.
We participated in an additional food drive this year for the Rock River Valley Food Pantry, a Cereal Drive in addition to a Peanut Butter Drive we have done for several years now. These food drives are to help children have a good breakfast and lunch during the school year and summer.
We have had a book Donation Drive to the Rockford Public Library and children’s books to Bright Point Crisis Nursery.
This year, in 2026, we will be doing a Band-Aid Drive for Swedish American Hospital. When we dropped the stuffed animals off, we asked if there were any other needs and the Child Life Specialist said there was a need for Character Band-Aids for the children. So, we will be doing a Band-Aid Drive in 2026 in addition to continuing our above annual outreach outlined above.
We truly believe in helping our community and giving back to others.
Written with love by Jackie, 3-1-26
Our 32nd Annual Rummage Sale
Thursday, April 30th, from 8am to 4pm
Friday, May 1st, from 8am to 4pm,
Saturday, May 2nd, from 9am to 1pm
Childrens Home + Aid
Members of Unity of Rockford presented the results of their Teddy Bear Project to Children Home + Aid. The gently used stuffed animals were kept in the church sanctuary as they were being collected, and they were held by churchgoers who “filled them with love” during Sunday services. Organizers like Alice Stacionis hope The Teddy Bear Project brings comfort to vulnerable children in stressful circumstances. Unity of Rockford plans to have an ongoing partnership with Childrens Home + Aid.
Thank you to WIFR for highlighting Children’s Home and Aide in one of your community segments this week. Thank you to Children’s Home and Aide for the passion you all bring to helping the children of our community.
See the segment on WIFR here.
Mothers House
We delivered over 200 children’s books to the “Mother House”
Stuffed Animal Drive – Distributed to various Rockford Independent Living and Alzheimers facilities
Talk about smiling faces, laughter and love! What an honor it was to collect and hand out these gifts of love. The elderly are many times forgotten in our society and this was our opportunity to let them know we see, respect and cherish each and every one of them.
Our neighborhood Elementary school is Swan Hillman Elementary.
Every year we collect school related items for students, teachers and office staff. The teachers and students are always over the moon excited to receive such love filled gifts.
Beautification or our grounds
We have a team of dedicated and knowledgeable angels that keep our grounds looking beautiful with flowers and plants of all kinds. Our team shows our neighborhood that we care and we offer sanctuary to all who want to come and enjoy this amazing space.
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) yearly donation drives
Hats, gloves, and socks, are collected and delivered to NAMI in October
Rock River Valley Food Pantry Drives
Our canned and non-perishable food drives help the Rock River Food Pantry distribute food to families in need in our community.
Christmas Card writing Project for Alzheimer residents and our Veterans here in Rockford
Our congregation writes notes in Christmas cards and seal them with “love” during hospitality, then the cards are delivered to local residential facilities and the Veterans Drop Off Center.
Library Donations
We updated and trimmed down our library this year. Our Library vision was to have only Unity and spiritual wellness related books, so we donated over 150 books to the Rockford Public Library.
Unity of Rockford Annual Rummage Sale (29 years and counting)
We hold our annual rummage sale in the Spring each year. We are known city wide for our exceptional prices, our transformation of our facility to a thrift shop for one weekend, and for our smiles that light up our neighborhood as we share joy with all who enter on Spiritual Center for this amazing event. After our rummage sale is completed, any items that we have left over are donated to numerous non-profit organizations here in Rockford. We share the prosperity and abundance, by helping our community and by helping our congregation keep our Spiritual Center Alive & Well through this community outreach and fundraising project!
2023 Rummage Sale “The Best Rummage Sale Ever!!!
Unity In Action
Inreach
Unity of Rockford Book Club
A Course In Miracles (Zoom)
Meditation Group
Unity Library
Prayer Team (pray for all)
We pray for all requests we recieve
Greeters/Hospitality/Sound room
Grounds Beautification
Community Space Outdoors
for reading & relaxing
Variety of Podcasts
Drumming Circle
Singing Bowls
Mind Body & Soul Workshop
Toys and books for Children’s Home & Aid/Mother House
Backpacks & Autism Bags, and School supplies for students, teachers and office staff
Hats, Gloves, and Socks for NAMI
Book Donations to the Rockford Public Library
Collection of canned goods for Rock River Food Pantry
Christmas card writing project for elderly and our Veterans
Rosecrance volunteer hours
Outreach
Unity of Rockford Book Club
A Course In Miracles (Zoom)
Meditation Group
Unity Library
Prayer Team (pray for all)
We pray for all requests we recieve
Greeters/Hospitality/Sound room
Grounds Beautification
Community Space Outdoors
for reading & relaxing
Variety of Podcasts
Drumming Circle
Singing Bowls
Mind Body & Soul Workshop
Toys and books for Children’s Home & Aid/Mother House
Backpacks & Autism Bags, and School supplies for students, teachers and office staff
Hats, Gloves, and Socks for NAMI
Book Donations to the Rockford Public Library
Collection of canned goods for Rock River Food Pantry
Christmas card writing project for elderly and our Veterans
Rosecrance volunteer hours
No matter where you are on your spiritual journey you are always welcome to participate in the work and learning we do here at Unity of Rockford Spiritual Center.
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