Merge is committed to Christ and Community. To support this mission, we go on a mission trip every spring break. If you’re interested, please contact our campus minister, Roxy – she would love to tell you more about it! It’s always a blast and we grow closer as a group when we volunteer together.
If service is something that you enjoy, there are several opportunities locally and globally…
Locally
- Habitat for Humanity
- There’s one right here in Bloomington/Normal! You can volunteer on a day-to-day basis at their website. They help build houses as well as do repairs for existing houses.
- Home Sweet Home Ministries
- A homeless shelter in town that supports people as they try and rebuild their lives. They’re always looking for volunteers!
- School Street Food Pantry
- Located right inside Normal First United Methodist Church, they give free food to college students! If you want to help volunteer with them, you can apply on their website.
- Midwest Food Bank
- A prominent food bank in Bloomington – and it’s always looking for volunteers! Midwest Food Bank is open to adults outside of college, so you’ll meet a lot of different people there!
Globally
- Revive 225
- An urban home repair ministry sponsored by First United Methodist Church in Baton Rouge, LA. We worked with this group three times over the last couple of years to help repair a church as well as a couple houses!
- Habitat for Humanity Collegiate Challenge Spring Break Trips
- Habitat for Humanity works with their future homebuyers to build houses and get loans at a more affordable rate than the surrounding area. Habitat brings people together to empower neighbors and build lasting community!
- Appalachian Service Project Fall Trips
- A Christian ministry, open to all people, that inspires hope and service through volunteer home repair and replacement in Central Appalachia.
Other Opportunities
These last ones are things we’ve done in the past that might not be ongoing, but they’ll give you a sense of things we’d be willing to work on! If you have any ideas or causes that you want us to throw our support behind, please let someone on staff know. We would love to be involved.
- Coat Drive for the people of Afghanistan
- Students donated two wells in Nana Cru, Liberia
- Bake Sale for Nothing But Nets which tries to prevent malaria in third world countries.
- Project Linus which helps make baby blankets for kids in hospitals