So...look for those opportunities to raise funds for a local charity, a national organization or a person or family in need.  A fund raiser can be an event such as a breakfast, dinner, tag sale, walk, plant sale, car wash, concert, or a special offering.  Distributions can be made to non-profit organizations such as Lutheran World Relief, food pantries, summer camp scholarships, locally distributed food baskets and food cards, Habitat for Humanity, Market Street Mission and individuals who need support.  Just take a look in your own neighborhood and choose an agency or concern that can use you financial help!

Contact the congregational coordinator in your congregation to process the paper work to make a request and submit it to the board for approval!  We do all we can to make your activity work!

Prior approval is necessary and can be obtained by contacting Peggy at 973-998-0725 or putting in a written request when you mail in paper work requesting activity funding. All receipts for seed money must be sent to Peggy Burke at 5 Nottingham Court, Morristown, NJ 07960.  

At this time, the board has not set a limit on the numer of seed money events any one congregation might request.  The decision will be revisited next fall to see how it is working!

Remember!
The congregation can receive reimbursement for the following:
2 cakes (up to $50 each) for special congregational events
$100 in postage for mailing to college students, LWR, military, other
$10 each for lunch for workers at a Habitat for Humanity site
Up to $200 "seed money" for a fund raising event
Just send receipts to Peggy with the name and address of person who receives reimbusement.

Some activities ideas:
Plant flowers, shrubs and trees in a park or other location. Work with a landscape architect and/or master gardener to develop a special garden in a park, at a nursing home or group home.
Repair bicycles to give to disadvantaged children. Teach them bicycle maintenance.
Collect stuffed bears (and other animals); write messages to tie or clip onto the bears and give them to local police departments.
Clean out an illegal tire dump and find a place that recycles tires.
Plant a vegetable garden at a seniors’ residence or children’s center.
Do yard work at a group home or homeless mission.
Install safety devices; clean yards or gutters for seniors.
Pot flowers in planters with seniors at a senior living facility.
Volunteer at an animal shelter.
Assemble transition bags for children at safe houses.
Go grocery shopping for seniors who live alone.
Install ramps for seniors who need them.
Paint park picnic tables or bleachers.
Write letters to Armed Forces soldiers.
Help families of soldiers deployed in Iraq by doing things around the house (cut grass, paint, clean gutters, plant flowers, etc.

Each project should have 6 Thrivent members to support the effort and be intergenerational.  
All projects need to be completed by June 30 and results sent to Peggy Burke by July 15th.

If funds are needed to purchase supplies for the project, please contact Peggy Burke at 973-998-0725 or email at pburke8248@aol.com.

June 21      July 17      August 22      September 19     October 17      November 14      December 12

Deadlines:  December 12 last day to have a project approved.
                  ALL PROJECTS MUST BE REPORTED BY DECEMBER 15TH.  IF YOU HAVE A PROJECT
                 THAT GOES PAST THIS DATE, PLEASE TALK WITH PEGGY ABOUT COMPLETION.

Chapter leaders with the Morris County Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans do just that with the Care Abounds in Communities® program! And with chapter leader elections just around the corner, the time to get involved is NOW! Our chapter will have several leadership opportunities for 2008. The only requirements are: being a Thrivent Financial member; a desire to help people; and five to 15 hours per month volunteer time (depending on the position).

We very much need you on the chapter leadership board--without a full board, our chapter will not qualify for the funding that helps people and our community. Help us take full advantage of this unique opportunity to significantly impact our community and contact Neil Holtzman at 973-659-9299 today to find out more or add your name to the election ballot.

If serving on the chapter leadership board does not work for you but you would like to be involved or volunteer in some capacity, there are many other volunteer opportunities, both short-term and longer-term, available as well. Please contact us and we'll describe how you can make a difference through the Thrivent chapter system in a way that fits into your schedule.

The support for Grace Lutheran was initiated and carried forward by Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Florham Park.  As part of their 50th anniversary celebration, an organ concert was conducted by Paul Bordignon at which $1,100 was raised!  Morris County Thrivent matched these finds with an additional $500, providing a check for $1600 to be sent to Grace Lutheran and their appreciative Sunday School!