Ways to Serve
"Living Like Jesus" isn't only something that happens on Sunday morning. It shows up in how we love our neighbors the rest of the week. At Sunny Lane United Methodist Church, serving is how we cultivate transformation in our community, putting God's grace into action right here in Del City.
There's a place for every gift and every schedule. Whether you have an hour on a Thursday or a heart for kids, music, or neighbors in need, you'll find a way to make a difference. Take a look at the ways to serve below, and when you're ready, let us know — there's room for you.
Whiz Kids
Every week during the school year, volunteers gather to read one-on-one with students from Townsend Elementary — and it's about so much more than reading. Tutors help kids build confidence, form caring relationships, and discover that they matter.
Here's how an afternoon flows: a church van picks the kids up from school, and they arrive around 3:50 to a good snack prepared by the kitchen crew. Then it's club time — a story, an activity, and one-on-one tutoring, with a Teacher Liaison on hand to coach tutors and share resources. Kids head home by 5:40.
Throughout the year, Whiz Kids also takes field trips to the library and the Science Museum, and the program celebrates with a Christmas party and an end-of-year party alongside the kids' families.
The heart of it: You don't need to be a professional teacher. You just need to show up, care about a kid, and be willing to read together. Tutors arrive around 3:30 to set up, and we'll provide everything you need.
Del City Creative Arts Institute
The Del City Creative Arts Institute (DCCAI) grew out of a simple conviction: every child deserves access to the arts, no matter their family's budget. What started as a dream within Sunny Lane has become a thriving program offering affordable, high-quality music and arts education to Mid-Del students — because creativity builds character, confidence, and community.
DCCAI runs on volunteers, and there's a place for all kinds of gifts. Musicians, vocalists, artists, graphic designers, and woodworkers share their skills. Others help with snacks in the kitchen, monitor halls, serve as parent liaisons, and handle check-in and check-out.
Ready to get involved? Volunteer application forms are on the DCCAI website, where you can also learn more about the program.
Volunteers in Mission
Volunteers in Mission (VIM) is a group of lay leaders who lead the way in caring for neighbors. They organize the Undie Sunday and Sock-it-to-Me Sunday drives, collecting underwear and socks that are distributed to counselors' offices at local schools. VIM also coordinates donation drives for Skyline Urban Ministries. This team hosts meals after worship on Sundays to fund this important community outreach.
It's hands-on, grassroots ministry driven by people in the congregation who saw a need and decided to meet it. Whether you want to help collect donations, cook and serve a Sunday meal, or simply lend a hand, there's room for you.
Our Neighbor's Closet
Our Neighbor's Closet is a thrift shop offering clothing and home goods at affordable prices — a place where neighbors can find what they need with dignity, and where every purchase supports the work of the church in the community.
It takes a lot of hands to keep the Closet running, and there's always a need for help sorting donations and serving as a cashier. It's a great way to meet neighbors and make a difference a few hours at a time.
Open Thursdays and Saturdays.
School Partnerships
Sunny Lane is invested in the students and teachers of Del City. At the start of each school year, the church hosts a school supply drive for the teachers at Del City High School, helping them stock their classrooms for the year ahead. Sunny Lane's music director is also deeply involved in the band programs at both Del City High School and Del City Middle School, supporting young musicians as they grow. We feed the marching band before football games on Friday nights in the fall. (Pictured to the left)
These partnerships are simple but meaningful: showing up for local schools and the people who pour into our kids every day.
Food Pantry and Good Samaritan Fund
Every Thursday, the Food Pantry is open to anyone who lives in Del City. Volunteers keep it stocked with pre-sorted bags of shelf-stable groceries, enough to help a neighbor get by for a few days.
It's a quiet, steady ministry that meets a real need, and it runs on volunteers who give their time to sort, stock, and serve.
Sometimes a neighbor just needs a little help to get through a hard stretch. The Good Samaritan Fund provides utility assistance to people in the community facing need, helping keep the lights on when money is tight.
Giving makes this ministry possible. We collect donations for the Good Samaritan Fund on the first Sunday of each month. Every gift helps Sunny Lane respond to neighbors in moments of real need.
