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The Northern Utah Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has many opportunities for members to become involved in their community by volunteering. We have funds available to assist individuals who have suffered a disaster and need a hands up. We have funds available to assist "Not for Profit" organizations, both Lutheran and non-Lutheran. While the funds are available for financial support, the biggest support we can give to the individuals and the organizations is with our personal involvement through volunteering. We can volunteer and help in two ways, through a fund raising acitivity or through a hands on activity. If we have a fund raiser, we put forth our efforts to raise the money to help the individual or organization through Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. The Thrivent Financial Service Team (six different Thrivent Financial Households) determine how to raise the funds, the amount to be raised. These funds can be supplemented byThrivent Financial for Lutherans. The acitivity should be advertised to maximize the efforts and to allow the community to become acquainted with Thrivent Financial fraternal outreach. The other activity is a "Hands On" activity. The Thrivent Financial Service Team puts together a project that requires the volunteers to help an individual or organization through work. It can be to help a handicapped individual by building a ramp, and the material is purchased through Thrivent Financial. It can be a service team shopping and purchasing materials to donate to an orgainzation. It can be a quilting group making quilts for various orgainzations individuals. The opportunities to help in the community is tremendous. If you know of anyone needing help, consider forming a Thrivent Financial Service Team and make a difference. Your Chapter Leadership Board is there to help you organize, finance and carry out your project. This is a great opportunity to be involved and make a difference.
Chaplain Keil, a Lutheran Pastor at Ascension Lutheran Church in Ogden, was on an Army Reserve assignment to Afghanistan. Realizing that we Americans have so much and the Afghan people have so little, she made arrangements for clean, used clothing, children's toys and school supplies to be sent to the American Forward Operating Bases. The American military units could distribute these items directly to the Afghan people. This made the American military jobs of connecting with the Afghan people so much easier and possibly helped save some American military lives. Her congregation at Ascension Lutheran Church was one of many groups nationwide to join in this effort to distribute supplies to the people in Afghanistan. Goups from the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, the Rocky Mountains of Utah, the corn fields of Iowa and the eastern shore of Virginia came the message of "We Care About You". A community service team was organized in the Northern Utah Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, spearheaded by Bruce Marlow, set out to assist in this worthwhile project. Thrivent Financial members from four Lutheran Churchs in our chapter collected and sent some 31 boxes of clothing and school supplies. Some $3,300 was donated to purchase school supplies and pay the postage to send the 1,300 pounds of supplies to Afghanistan. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans made $1,000 available to assist in shipping these items. This was another successful project made possible by volunteers who joined together to make a difference.
A Thrivent Financial Service team joined together to purchase and deliver food supplies to the Box Elder Community Pantry. Six Thrivent Financial households joined together to establish the service team. A total of 9 volunteers participated in this project. Thrivent Financial granted $500 toward the purchase of these much needed supplies. Currently two other service teams have been formed to purchase food for their communities. One team from Elim Lutheran Church has been granted $600 for purchase of supplies to SHARE Inc. Another team from Ogden and Roy has been come together with a $1,600 grant for purchasing holiday food for Thanksgiving and Christmas through Open Hand Food Pantry. These are examples of Thrivent Financial Members willing to give their time to benefit their communities.
This newsletter was written and edited by volunteer leaders of your local Thrivent Financial for Lutherans chapter to keep you informed of chapter news. If you have any questions and/or comments about the content of this newsletter or would like to learn more about chapter activities being planned in your area, please contact one of your chapter leaders. To access your chapter leader contact information, go to www.thrivent.com; Members/Chapters; Information About My Chapter; View Leadership/Activities/Website; Chapter Leadership Board.
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