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NOTE: Elizabeth honored at Bay Shore Lutheran -
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Elizabeth honored in Appleton, Wisconsin -
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A. CHAPTER SUPPORT The Miami-Dade Chapter is in the initial stages of formulating our Thrivent Youth Ambassadors, an initiative to unite the youth of all congregations, to work hand-in-hand with them in community service projects, and to train our "leaders of the future." Elizabeth has been, and continues to be a moving force at each of the formulative meetings. With the guidance of the Youth Director and other chapter leaders, the youth have established their goals and have begun to create a niche, participating and assisting in the activities of the Leadership Board, and, at the same time, independently developing several significant service/volunteer activities for the youth and adults of the thirty five congregations in Miami-Dade County. Again, Elizabeth provides guidance to her peers and shoulders responsibility between group meetings. The group, in its infancy, has not yet chosen its leaders. There is no doubt, however, that Elizabeth will assume a major leadership position. She is mature and wise, well beyond her age, has innovative, creative ideas, and expresses herself in a manner which commands the respect of her peers and of the adults who serve as advisors. Moreover, she listens to, and appreciates the ideas of others.
Working with all Thrivent members in her congregation, a parent who is a Congregational Coordinator and one who is a Chapter Leader,
Elizabeth has had the privilege of seeing the chapter system close-up and in action.
She and her youth group have been given responsibilities to work on Care in Congregations projects as a part of the Thrivent team.
Elizabeth has been instrumental in organizing and working with the Youth Ambassadors on their current pre-Easter event for His House, a home for abandoned and abused, and children from families in crisis.
With the assistance of a Leadership Board Service Team, funds have been granted from Care Abounds in Communities to assist with the project consisting of cultural, educational, and craft activities.
A "Pied Piper", Elizabeth has reached out to her friends from the St. Paul Elementary School days, now attending myriad schools, and invited them to be a part of the Youth Ambassadors’ service/volunteer activities. She assists with a direct personal touch, making phone call to church youth groups throughout the city. She is a role model for them, as well as her two younger sisters who are already participating in the Youth Ambassadors’ service projects.
B. COMMUNITY SERVICE
While Bayshore Lutheran Church is located in the middle of what is known as Miami’s Little Haiti, the ministry to this ethnic group is minimal.
This congregation is, none-the-less, a multi-cultural congregation, ministering to immigrants of many Caribbean nations, including Jamaica, Antigua, and the Bahamas.
Personal and cultural growth is evident in the church activities in which Elizabeth participates at Bayshore.
She frequently cooks for potluck dinners, joining the ladies of the congregation in presenting ethnic and Caribbean food and entertainment.
For a number of years, Elizabeth has gone on new family visitations with her mother and father, the Pastor of Bayshore Lutheran Church.
She is at ease with adults as well as the children and her interjection and witnessing have been a blessing and major help as the family participates in neighborhood canvassing.
At St. Paul she sang in the Youth Choir and was a member of the School Youth Group whose major purpose was outreach to the students of the school.
During the recent hurricane disasters, Elizabeth was a part of a group in her congregation that organized and collected food and essentials for Miami-Dade’s adopted chapter in Port Charlotte.
She is involved in continued efforts to Support Thrivent’s Avenue to Recovery (STAR) throughout this year.
Join Hands Day 2004 was a defining moment for Elizabeth.
Her potential as a future leader for Thrivent and for this community were developed as Miami-Dade’s significant effort to assist His House Children’s Home evolved.
She helped to organize a baby food drive among the congregants – youth and adults – of her church.
City wide, this initiative gathered together sufficient food for the infants to last from May, 2004 until January, 2005.
As a member of the team, she organized craft and sports activities for the children of His House Children’s Home.
And, most importantly, Elizabeth learned the ins and outs of organizing a project of great magnitude, and of working with youth and adults from thirty different organizations.
C. MOBILIZING THE GENERATIONS
There is no greater way to close the "generation gap," than to find grounds for mutual respect.
Adults respect her. She is respectful, helpful, caring and kind to everyone.
Elizabeth pursues a rigorous academic course and is an exemplary student.
She daily demonstrates integrity, an inner passion for caring for others and values which set an example for her siblings and friends.
Join Hands Day has given Elizabeth the avenue to work with all generations, setting an example for the young and the not-so-young alike.
She and her generation are but 20% of the present.
They are, however, 100% of the future. With the potential Elizabeth offers, we can be secure that the future rests in good hands.
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The on-going program will target a number of activities these children rarely have the opportunity to enjoy.
In all she is doing, engaging other volunteers has been one of Elizabeth’s strong points.
For Join Hands Day 2005, Elizabeth is already putting her experience to work.
The first Join Hands Day meeting was productive and Elizabeth was able to share her ideas of those things she thought were successful and should be included in this year’s project.
Focusing on the involvement of many volunteers, she has invited friends from numerous high schools to join hands with us, and further, to ask their school clubs to conduct food drives for the children.
The Youth Ambassadors’ pre-Easter event is serving as a dry run to introduce many new volunteers to His House, to meet the children, to view the property and see the areas that need painting and landscaping for our Join Hands Day 2005 project.