VILONIA, Arkansas (January 23, 2026)—Vilonia United Methodist Church was recently awarded a $3,000 grant from the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas to assist with funds to help food insecure children and youth who attend Vilonia UMC’s Wednesdays at the Well evening program in 2026.
Originally a program that relied on parents or guardians, usually member families, bringing children to the church, Wednesdays at the Well changed in 2013 to include and provide transportation for children and youth in the surrounding neighborhoods. This change gave the Vilonia UMC congregation an opportunity to serve, meet and form relationships with the young people who attend on Wednesday nights.
“This grant will help us tremendously, as the need is great right now,” said Donna Lewis, Children’s Coordinator for Vilonia UMC. “The grant will not only allow us to continue helping the children and their families, but also allow us to continue forming relationships with them and showing God's love.”
According to Feeding America, in 2023, 20% of children in Faulkner County were food insecure. To help address this community need, Vilonia UMC provides a food bag for each child/youth to take home if they want. In addition, Vilonia UMC has started sending home holiday food boxes during November and December to help the children/youth and their families. One parent expressed her appreciation for their Thanksgiving food box by saying, “That was extremely kind and we are so thankful. The kids were so grateful and excited too! Thank y’all for all the hard work you put into serving others.”
“Our church is proud of the work we are able to do through this grant. We are able to do ministry with more families than we could on our own, and through our feeding ministries we are introducing young people to Christ and showing what a loving church community looks like,” said Vilonia UMC’s pastor, Rev. Chad Hornsby. “We are extremely grateful to the Methodist Foundation for their support.”
Vilonia UMC, located at 1112 Main Street in Vilonia, offers a variety of community ministries along with their weekly Wednesdays at the Well program, including a new summer ‘Lunch is on Us!’ ministry where sack lunches are delivered to children/youth and their families and are also available for pickup by all families in Vilonia. The church also hosts a Blessing Box to help with community food insecurity, coordinates community volunteering at the monthly Vilonia Food Pantry distribution, and offers special worship events for the community throughout the year.
For more information about Wednesdays at the Well or to get information about volunteering, contact the church at
About Vilonia United Methodist Church
Vilonia UMC’s core value: Experiencing, sharing, and proclaiming the love of God through Jesus Christ is at the core of all we do. God created all in his image and we seek to value everyone and celebrate our differences. We embrace one another and our neighbors as Christ would. Here relationships are created, encouraged, and supported. As individuals and as a church family, we seek to equip people of all ages to be followers of Jesus through worship, small groups and spiritual practices. We are committed to sharing our love, gifts, time, and talents with our neighbors. We are a lay-led church whose focus is directed outward rather than inward.
About the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas
With a mission to establish and manage charitable funds to strengthen and expand Methodist ministries across Arkansas, the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas manages over $260 million in endowment funds and other charitable assets that benefit local churches and other United Methodist ministries. Founded in 1963, the Foundation has grown into one of the largest United Methodist foundations in the country, managing more than 800 funds that support Methodist ministries. To learn more, visit methodistfoundationAR.org.
