The Ankeny Klothing Exchange ( T A K E ) is a non-profit organization that operates a store, offering free gently used clothing, shoes, linens, household goods, & more to community members in need right here in Ankeny, IA. Ankeny First partners with TAKE whenever they need assistance with special requests, volunteer days, or financial assistance.

To support TAKE on your own, you may donate items to their free store where clients can shop (free of charge for needed items), volunteer your time, or donate items under their account number at Stuff, Etc. Ankeny. Visit their website for more information https://takeankeny.org/. 

A Mid-Iowa Organizing Strategy (AMOS) believes in the inherent dignity of each person, and every person's ability to take action. We seek to channel individual action into a responsible and powerfully organized force for the common good. Find out all about what they do at https://www.amosiowa.org.

Four times a year, we host Life Serve blood drives at our Uptown location. Watch for 2025 dates to be published at the beginning of the year. https://www.lifeservebloodcenter.org/. 

We support Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) food pantry throughout the year with multiple food drives. We have drop-off bins for non-perishable food at both our Uptown and CLC sites that are delivered to DMARC once a month. We also take financial donations. We host Mission of the Month drives for them twice a year as well as host creative ways to collect donations such as on Souper Bowl Sunday and during the CYHAWK game week. For more information, visit https://www.dmarcunited.org/.

IMPACT's mission is to reduce the barriers and burdens that families in poverty experience by increasing access to essential needs.  IMPACT has many locations in central Iowa including one right here in Ankeny. It houses a food and personal care pantry. For additional information, you can visit their website at https://www.impactcap.org/. We assist IMPACT by collecting donations for the food pantry and personal care pantry, deliver excess Panera Bread items to distribute, and having occasional special events. You can always volunteer on your own or with your small group. 

Our Joppa ministry team supports the organization by the same name that helps the homeless in the Des Moines area. To get involved with this team, contact Kate Pauly today! Regular, consistent participation with these tasks is desired. More information about Joppa can be found at https://www.joppa.org/. 

Kid's Hope USA is our mentoring program in partnership with Southeast Elementary school.  For over 25 years, Kids Hope USA has provided a proven, life-changing program through church-school partnerships that train and equip mentors to reach kids in public schools who are in-need of caring, reliable, one-on-one relationships. Mentors, standing alongside teachers and parents, ensure children that they are not alone. Through the power of relationship, children build resilience and a brighter future.
 
Mentors meet with a child for one hour per week during the school year.  Each child/mentor team is assigned a prayer partner.  There is the opportunity to serve as either a mentor or a prayer partner.  This is a great way to make a difference in the life of a child.

Ankeny First United Methodist Church has an informal partnership with Trinity Las Americas United Methodist Church, 1548 8th Street, Des Moines, with the goal of blending urban / suburban ministries to the benefit of both congregations.

Trinity Las Americas UMC has been serving the Riverbend community of Des Moines for nearly a century. The church location on 8th street offers weekly bi-lingual worship celebration in English and Spanish.