Our Annual Meeting is on Monday, June 16th at 7PM in the Fellowship Hall. FLC is making an impact in our community. Read below!
OUR SAVIOUR’S OUTREACH MINISTRIES (OSS)
Quick Facts – You made a difference!
620 guests were served in the Emergency Shelter (the average stay is 30 days). From that group, 24% found permanent housing during the year, 42% of the residents were employed at the end of their stay, and 25% demonstrated monetary savings. 58 guests and families were served in Transitional Housing, with an average stay of 300 days. 61% departed to permanent housing, and 81% either increased or maintained their income.
What did you do?
First Lutheran served dinner to 40-50 shelter residents and staff six Fridays last year and cooked a hot breakfast in the alternate months. We strived to create balanced meals, and with your assistance – provided wonderful large servings of your favorite recipes. The residents enjoyed that home-cooked touch and wanted you to know how much they appreciate it. You donated over $1,000.00 for groceries this year along with those delicious food items and other supplies. Over 25 members and friends cooked, served, cleaned up or donated. First Lutheran also sent $949.00 from special offerings and helped the OSS board on their annual fund-raising event. This year, with the proceeds from the event and other donations including a grant from the City of Minneapolis, OSS is currently upgrading their facility to energy efficient heating, cooling and lighting, adding security features, improving the interior of the shelter, adding a fence near their alley and other exterior improvements. If you would like to participate, please contact any committee member. We thank you all for generously donating your time, money and culinary expertise.
FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN (FMSC)
Quick Facts – You made a difference!
With help from our congregation, Feed My Starving Children packed over 43 million meals and exceeded their 2007 goal by 3 million meals. With 18,000 children dying of starvation every day, there is still more to be done. FMSC has a 95% efficiency rating and feeds children in 58 countries around the world.
What did you do?
Every other month, almost 50 members and their friends spent two hours on Saturday morning at Feed My Starving Children packaging nutritious meals for children all over the world. The average output of those sessions is 5,000-15,000 meal packets. This year, FMSC received $419.00 from First Lutheran special offerings. This allowed FMSC to purchase ingredients for 2,500 meals that will feed 15,000 children.
DINNER AT YOUR DOOR (DAYD)
Quick Facts – You made a difference!
For some clients, Dinner At Your Door might be their one nutritious meal of the day or their only chance to see another person. This lunchtime meal for the homebound and elderly is so important.
What did you do?
There is a core group of ten First volunteers who never miss their monthly commitment, but more drivers and delivery people are always appreciated. Serving five routes in St. Louis Park and averaging 5-9 stops on each route, this group brought nourishment and fellowship to at least 40 homebound individuals. Every month. Please consider volunteering if you have free time around lunchtime or to fill in on an occasional day off.
WORLD HUNGER
Quick Facts – You made a difference!
854 million people are hungry. Over 1 billion people in developing nations live on less than one dollar a day. 75% of deaths in children under age 5 are caused by malnutrition or related diseases.
What did you do?
Your $300.00 in special offerings donated to ELCA World Hunger feeds one child for 10months or sends a student to secondary school for one year.
ST. LOUIS PARK EMERGENCY PROGRAM (STEP)
Quick Facts – You made a difference!
STEP assisted 6,502 households and 19,508 individuals by distributing over 385,000 pounds of food in 2007.
What did you do?
Throughout the year, the items that you brought to church were taken to STEP to replenish the food shelves. In November and December 2007, we had a holiday food, gift card and toy drive for STEP. In February, the Sunday School children and others with an artistic bent made clay bowls for the Empty Bowls annual fundraiser in March 2008. This event generated over $25,000 for STEP. First Lutheran met our March 2008 Minnesota FoodShare drive goal exactly — 233 pounds! Congregants also directed other cash donations to STEP throughout the year. First Lutheran donated $1227.44 from special offerings. Each dollar donated to the food shelf has nine times more buying power than what we purchase on our own. Our donation allowed STEP to assist our neighbors with necessary food and staples valued at over $11,000.00.
MEMORIAL BLOOD CENTER
Quick Facts – You made a difference!
Blood drives are essential for maintaining a safe, adequate life-giving blood supply for local patients, and this past year, the need was especially great after the supplies were taxed by the 35W Bridge collapse.
What did you do?
Two blood drives were held in October and May, co-hosted with St. George’s Episcopal Church. Between 35 and 40 people registered and at least 25 pints were collected each time. Fifty pints of blood is the average amount used to care for victims of a car accident.
COMMUNICATION
Quick Question – Did we help you make a difference?
Our goal is to share information about social issues facing our community today. We feel that it is important to provide you with resources related to the organizations you support with your funds, your time and talents. This year, First Lutheran had additional service opportunities to investigate new areas by teaming with our SPARK partners including activities like: learning more about what we can do to work for affordable housing in our community, collaborating with congregations of all faiths to assist STEP, and working at the Kids Against Hunger event at Westwood.
What did you do? You continued to make a difference!
We thank ALL of you for your continued involvement in social ministry. Over 80 members have participated in at least one of the service opportunities that our congregation supports (and that doesn’t count all of you who bring those anonymous donations of food for STEP that we find back by the coat racks.) At least 40% of our members actively looked around in the community and found ways to “be the church” outside of our four walls. Keep up the good work and let’s make that number climb even higher in the new church year!
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9 (NIV).
