Is someone in your community suffering from health problems and high medical expenses?  Do you know a family in financial need who could use help maintaining their home?  Is there a school, a community park or camp that could benefit from new equipment?

Through the exciting chapter Care program called Care Abounds in Communities (R), Thrivent Financial provides funding to members who form community service teams to conduct fund-raising or hands-on service activities to help individuals, families and/or qualified not-for-profit organizations.

So, do you want to help, but don't know how to get started?  It's as easy as ABC, 1-2-3.

This online tool--located at www.thrivent.com/ABC--is available to help you translate your desire to help into an action plan for making a difference.  It provides easy steps to guide you as well as ideas, checklists and tips so you can successfully form a community service team and execute an activity through your Thrivent Financial for Lutherans chapter.

Here's a glimpse of topics you can read about:

Getting things started
1.  Identify recipient of funds or service project.
2.  Form your community service team.
3.  Explore your capabilities; select your activity.

Making a plan
1.  Request chapter leadership board funding approval.
2.  Plan activity logistics and details.
3.  Get the word out.

Do it!  And Celebrate!
1.  Do it!  Carry out your plans to help others.
2.  Celebrate completion of activity and recognize your volunteers.
3.  Tell us what you did.  Then pay bills and provide funds to recipient.

$1,000  St. Paul's, Fundraiser for Pearson
    333  St. Lukes, Fundraiser for Werts
    500  Little Mountain Ruritan Turkey Stew Scholarship Fundraiser
    600  St. Phillip's Chicken BBQ Fundraiser for Fire Dept. Equipment
    573  Stoney Hill Fire Dept. Steak Supper Fundraiser for Breathing Apparatus
 3,000  Songfest Fundraiser for Beck medical expenses
    800  ELCA World Hunger Bake Sale
 1,262  Love Offering for Bickley Medical Expenses
    242  Love Offering for Cheathem
    635  BBQ Fundraiser for Boys Farm
    800  Summer Memorial Daycamp Fundraiser
    757  St. Luke's Love Offering for Minick medical expenses
    800  Heartland School of Religion Fundraiser
    150  Inter Faith Community Services Fundraiser
 1,000  Silverstreet Lutheran Men Turkey Stew Fundraiser
 1,333  Stoney Hill Community Center Turkey Stew Fundraiser
 2,550  Zion Methodist Church Fundraiser for Hamm

Chapter Members are invited to attend meetings beginning at 7:30 PM.

July 24, 2008, Meal at 7:00 PM, Mt. Tabor, Little Mountain
    RSVP to Mrs. Faye Hawkins (364-1417) by July 17

Oct. 23, 2008, Elections held and Meal served at 7:00 PM at Stoney Hill School
    RSVP to Mrs. Faye Hawkins (364-1417) by Oct. 16

PLEASE NOTE:  These are PROPOSED dates; if there is a change, you will be notified.  Please RSVP by dates listed so that the proper amount of food can be prepared.

We encourage you to participate in the ninth annual JOIN HANDS DAY on Saturday, May 3, 2008.  This national day of volunteering is sponsored by America's fraternal venefit societies, including Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, to generate awareness about the impact of grassroots volunteerism.  It encourages youth and adults to come together to identify, plan and conduct activities to improve their communities.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and our members strongly support the purpose of this special day and the impact it has on communities nationwaide.  Last year, youth and adult memebers conducted nearly 3,000 activities across the country.  The ideas were limited only by the imagination.

How can you participate in 2008?  It's easy.  Find a need, form a service team of individuals from six separate Thrivent Financial households, and contact one of our chapter leaders to see how we can help you.  We have many resources to help make your activity great, such as:
- A checklist that includes everything you need to know to conduct a successful activity and receive funding from the chapter.
- Promotional items to help you recruit volunteers and publicize your activity for optimum attendance.
- Funding to purchase T-shirts, refreshments, supplies and more.

To strengthen the impact of this special day of service, we prefer chapter service teams to conduct JOIN HANDS DAY activities on or near May 3, but eligible activities may be held between April 1 and June 30.  (Our chapter  activities will be held on May 17.)  Activities held on May 3 may be considered for national recognition by JOIN HANDS DAY.  

You will find that the rewards of participating far outweigh the time and effort involved in planning an activity.  So tell your family, friends and congregation about this day, then "join hands" and see the power of volunteerism grow!

Your chapter leadership board is here to help you along the way.  Please call Tommie Wicker at (803) 276-0615 for more information.