Give Time!

There are always opportunities around Trinity to share your time and talents.  Just email mail@tumc.org (unless otherwise noted below) for more information or to volunteer.  Some ongoing needs are:

• Community Connections - Develop and produce a simple monthly newsletter designed to keep the Trinity community connected to what is going on at Trinity.  Revive the We Are Trinity segment in which a different Trinity community member is interviewed each month.  Reach out to the homebound members by including articles that provide a window into life at Trinity.
• Counter - Stay after the celebration to count the offering.  Counters sign up for specific Sundays and celebration times, and receive reminders the week before.
• Data Entry - Help update and maintain Trinity’s database.
• Handy M’am/Handy Man - Putter around Trinity in your spare time!  We have a Honey Do List of things that need attention.
• Office Help - Weekly: Address and send prayer cards, send welcome letters to new families; Occasional: Help with mass mail outs, help with other tasks as they come up.
• Readers - Read liturgies during Sunday celebrations.  Contact readers@tumc.org to participate.
• Sermon Podcaster - Transform mp3s of Sid’s weekly sermons into podcasts and upload to the internet.
• Social Media Director - Develop and maintain Trinity’s social media presence (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

In addition, some of the programs at Trinity are often looking for volunteer help:

• Cold Weather Shelter - On any Thursday when the temperature drops to freezing, Trinity provides shelter, dinner, and breakfast for 30 homeless men.  Contact shelter@tumc.org to volunteer.
• Hope Food Pantry Austin - On Thursdays and Fridays, Hope Food Pantry Austin provides groceries to low-income families in the community.  Contact info@hopefoodpantryaustin.org to volunteer.  Visit www.hopefoodpantryaustin.org for more information.

Give Money!

As a community of faith completely funded by our members and friends, we know that what we desire for our congregation and society will not happen unless we commit with our hearts and pocketbooks.  There are many ways to support Trinity financially:

• Pledge – Your pledge allows Trinity’s Finance Team to create a sound budget and allows us to plan our future growth and development.  Download and print a pledge form, then put it in the offering plate on any Sunday or send it in the mail.  If you are unable to make a pledge commitment, you can still put a donation in the offering plate on Sunday or by mail.
• Find out if your employer gives matching funds for donations you make.
• Remember Trinity in your will.
• Donate stock to Trinity – If you have stocks that have appreciated in value, you can save money on taxes while helping Trinity.   Contact Amy at mail@tumc.org for more details.
• Donate online – Donate online through www.JustGive.org.  Dedicated to creating comprehensive tools and services to make charitable giving a part of everyday life, JustGive is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase charitable giving by connecting people with the charities and causes they care most about.  Note:  Trinity is charged a 3% fee for donations collected through JustGive.org.  We think this is totally worth it if it helps folks give.  However, we want to make you aware of the fee in case it is just as easy to setup a gift through your bank’s bill pay service, pop a check in the mail or the offering plate, or in case you want add a little extra to your gift to cover the fee.
• GoodSearch/GoodShop – Earn a donation for Trinity every time you search the internet or make a purchase online!  GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up!  GoodShop.com is an online shopping mall which donates up to 30 percent of each purchase you make to Trinity! Hundreds of great stores including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, eBay, Macy’s and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop.  Every time you place an order, you’ll be supporting Trinity.  Simply:

1. Go to www.GoodSearch.com and make it your home page.
2. Enter “Trinity United Methodist Church – Austin” where it asks “Who do you GoodSearch for?”, then click VERIFY.
3. Use GoodSearch each time you do a search online.

OR

1. Go to http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/trinity-united-methodist-church-austin and download the GoodSearch – Trinity United Methodist Church – Austin toolbar.
2. Use the toolbar to do all your searching and shopping online.