Ways you can help support the United Methodist Women’s mission to serve children and youth at Cunningham Children’s Home.
1) Pray for our Kids
The Prayer A Day calendar offers a daily prayer for our youth, their families, and those who love and support them. Through the power of prayer, we can each help our kids find hope.
2) Join the Guardian Parent Giving Program
Guardian Parents help us look after the needs of our kids by providing recurring financial support on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis.
When you commit to give, you are also making it possible for youth to participate in field trips, summer camps, recreational activities, special therapies, and many other enriching experiences
3) Financially support Cunningham’s mission and ministry
While Cunningham receives money from state and federal sources, there remains a $37 a day gap per child between the actual costs of caring for a child and the reimbursements we receive. Your gift will help us bridge that gap to ensure our youth have the resources they need to heal, learn, and grow.
4) Invite a Cunningham speaker to address your unit or congregation
If you are interested in having a staff person from Cunningham come and share with your unit or to provide pulpit replacement on a Sunday morning, please contact Brooke Buzard, Associate Director of Advancement at 217.337.9073 or by email.
5) Plan a visit to Cunningham
One of the best ways to understand more about the mission and ministry of Cunningham is to take a tour of our Urbana campus. Tours may be arranged for groups of any size, but must be scheduled in advance. Please contact Brooke Buzard, Associate Director of Advancement at 217.337.9073 or by email to schedule a visit.
6) Scan General Mills Box Tops for Education
The Box Tops program provides Cunningham schools with thousands of dollars each year. Bring these Box Tops to your district meetings, send them with your Cunningham Representative, or mail them to us at P.O. Box 878, Urbana, IL 61803-0878—we’ll do the rest!
7) Purchase gift cards or items from our wish lists
Whether used at Christmas, on birthdays, or throughout the year as a special treat, purchasing gift cards or items from our wish lists allow us to meet the needs of our kids without spending additional funds.
8) Participate in the Festival of Quilts
The Annual Festival of Quilts is Cunningham's signature fundraiser. United Methodist Women and friends can help by donating quilts, attending the Festival, making goodies for the bake sale, volunteering, selling tickets, and more.
9) Make a gift to Honor or Memorialize a loved one
Our many friends and supporters often choose to memorialize or honor a special person by making a gift in their name to Cunningham Children’s Home. For more information on how to honor or memorialize someone special, please contact Tim Manard by email or by phone at 217.337.9071 or make your gift online.
10) Make a quilt for our kids
11) Nominate a member of your local unit to serve
Members of local units can reach out in mission by serving on the Cunningham Board of Directors, as a District Representative or by serving on special ad hoc committees. To recommend someone for this mission service, contact your district’s nominations team, the nominations committee chair of the Cunningham Board, or please contact Brooke Buzard, Associate Director of Advancement at 217.337.9073 or by email.
12) Lead your unit as a Spirited Servant
Share with us how you are serving our kids, using the Spirited Servant Award form.