Commitment to Community
Special Fundraiser for Lady Doak College.
From now until July 10th The United Church of Chester will be collecting funds for Lady Doak College in celebration of their 75th anniversary. Lady Doak College was founded by Chester's own Miss Katie Wilcox. Contact the church office at (860-526-2697) for more information. Click here for more information about Lady Doak College or Katie Wilcox.
Listed below are some of the groups and organizations that currently meet at The United Church of Chester. Telephone numbers and/or links are included if you would like more information. The Church Office (860-526-2697) can provide you with additional information, meeting times and dates.
Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries is a non-profit interfaith community service that provides nourishing meals and/or groceries to people in need. We provide a meal on Sundays at 5:00. We serve those who live along the Connecticut shoreline in Chester, Clinton, Deep River, East Lyme, Essex, Killingworth, Lyme, Madison, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook. www.shorelinesoupkitchens.org
Scouting - Cub Scouts (Arrows of Light, Wolf Den,Webelos, Lions & Tigers and Bear Den) meet in either Fellowship Hall or the Pilgrim Fellowship room. Check the Calendar on the website to confirm meeting dates and times for the various scout troops.
Chester Garden Club meets the second Tuesday of each month (seasonally) at 7:00 in the Fellowship Hall.
Chester High School Reunion Committee meets at various times throughout the year to organize the Chester High School Reunion which is held at the church during "Come Home to Chester" weekend in September.
Backpack Program: The Chester Backpack Program was started in September, 2010 by the United Church of Chester. Several years ago, elementary school nurses and social workers realized that often students whose families qualified for the free lunch program at school were not receiving enough food over the weekend which was seriously affecting their school work on Monday and Tuesday. In order to reduce that problem backpacks of food are provided each Friday for these children to take home for the weekend.
During the 2010-11 school years we started with 9, then 11, then 13 students receiving the food each week. The food includes fruit juices, canned fruit, packaged milk, and packaged meals (mac & cheese, ravioli, hearty soups, spaghetti and sauce) and two snacks along with raisins and cereals or cereal bars. In the current school year (2022-23) we are providing this food to 8 students on a weekly basis.
The program is based at the United Church of Chester and supported by time and financial donations from church members along with generous support from the community, in particular the Chester Rotary Club. For more information, contact the United Church of Chester office at 860-526-2697.
