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| Four page newsletter: April 2008| Four page newsletter: April 2008 | | |
| Central Blue Ridge NC Chapter, Spring 2008 |
| Join Hands Day Activities |
Join hands, improve the community while having fun, and watch the power of membership grow!
While the ninth annual JOIN HANDS DAY takes place on Saturday, May 3, 2008, there are opportunities available to participate in JOIN HANDS projects sponsored by the chapter through June. This national day of volunteering is sponsored by America's fraternal benefit 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 nationwide. Last year, youth and adult members conducted nearly 3,000 activities across the country.
How can you participate in 2008? It's easy. Contact one of the following people to participate in clean-up/repair and preparation for the summer season at our camps or identified homes.
Camp Linn Haven, Linville - Teirsa Lane @ 828-256-9489
Camp Lutheridge, Arden - Jimmy Styles @ 828-606-5685
St. Mark ELCA, Asheville - Ed Hauser @ 828-236-1992
You’ll find that the rewards of participating far outweigh the time and effort involved. So tell your family, friends and congregation about these activities, then "join hands" and see the power of membership grow!
| Henderson County Thrivent Builds House |
In 2008 our chapter was selected to receive a Thrivent Builds grant. Thrivent Builds is a 10 year partnership between Habitat for Humanity and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. The goal is to build over 2000 affordable homes in the US for those in need. In this partnership, Thrivent provides 65% of the funding needed to build a home; the local Habitat affiliate provides an additional 25% of the funds and the local Thrivent Chapter Lutheran congregations involved with the build must raise the remaining 10% of needed monies. Winning a grant is difficult and quite an honor. Thanks to Ed Hauser, our Chapter Thrivent Builds Specialist, this is the second year in a row that our chapter has received a grant.
Our chapter is partnering with the Henderson County Habitat for Humanity in the building of a Lutheran house. Grace Lutheran is the lead congregation, with Mt. Pisgah Lutheran, Lutheran Church of the Nativity, and St. Mark's Lutheran also participating. These congregations have pledged the $10,500 needed to meet the 10% funding requirement for the build. Construction started in March and the house is already roughed in with shingles and siding installed.
Many volunteers are still needed to hammer, build, paint, or perhaps serve as a host for a day or provide lunches for volunteers. Opportunities will be available at least through the end of June, when construction should be complete. At least 50% of the volunteers must be Lutherans and 25% must be Thrivent members. Participating in this build is a great way to express your Christian faith, and partner with friends and congregation members to help build a dream. If you, or a group from your church or community would like to help with the house, contact Ed Hauser, Chapter Builds Specialist at 828-236-1992.
Habitat for Humanitiy and Thrivent Financial are committed to helping people in need of housing beyond building the Lutheran house in Henderson County this year. First, the local Habitat affiliate must make a 10% tithe of the cost of the home to Habitat for Humanity International. This results in the building of two additional homes in second or third world countries, as the average home cost overseas is about $4000. Second, Habitat provides interest free loans to the partner family receiving the home, with all mortgage payments being placed in a revolving fund to be used in perpetuity. You can see that the Thrivent-Habitat partnership is committed to helping others and multiplying your support of Habitat in your local community and around the world.
| What is Care Abounds in Communities? |
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, community park or camp that could benefit from new equipment?
Through the exciting chapter Care program called Care Abounds in Communities®, 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.
If you have questions about forming a community service team, conducting an activity or the Care Abounds in Communities program, please contact one of our chapter leadership board members. Also read the next article for specifics of submitting requests for funding to your local board.
| Guidelines for Requests for Care Abounds in Communities Funding |
The article above gives some general guidelines for the Care Abounds in Communities program and how to request these funds. Following are some specifics that will be helpful when you apply to your local chapter, the Central Blue Ridge NC Chapter.
Before turning in your request:
1. Allow 30 days for approval of your request. Your board is a volunteer organization with officers scattered throughout our large geographical region. We cannot assure that a request can be entertained, except at our monthly board meetings.
2. Insure that your request form is complete. Forms may be obtained online at thrivent. com "Members/Chapters> Chapter Care Programs>Care Abounds in Communities>Forms," or from your chapter board.
3. Limit each request/funding activity to 3 beneficiaries/organizations and include the funding amounts intended for each beneficiary if there is more than one. Funds should benefit individuals or organizations in the chapter area.
4. Strive for $1 of supplemental funds from Thrivent for every $3 to be raised by your activity
Submit all requests to the Records Director; Jim Wright, 384 Hatfield Road, Franklin, NC 28734, orvis2@verizon.net.
After the request is approved:
1. Report results to the Financial Director; Margo Rabon, 3106 Hickory Hill Road, Hendersonville, NC 28792, margorabon@aol.com. Include the number of Thrivent members participating, volunteer hours, and funds raised.
2. All funds raised must be sent to Margo also. They will be deposited in the chapter account and a check from the chapter will be sent to the recipient which will include the supplemental funding from Thrivent.
3. Send all receipts from the activity to Margo. They will be kept with our chapter records, as required by the IRS.
| Update Your Membership Information |
Have you recently moved or changed your e-mail address or church membership? Or maybe it hasn't been recently, but your church membership may not have been changed in the Thrivent roles. There are many members in our chapter with church membership listed in other areas of North Carolina or even in other states. You now have an easy and quick way to not only ensure the information Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has on file for you is accurate, but to also update it – immediately!
The Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Web site now has a secure page to review and update this information – with just a few clicks of the mouse.
Go to www.thrivent.com and click on Your Accounts. Enter your User ID and Password (first-time users will need to complete an easy one-time registration) to access the My Accounts page, which provides a comprehensive financial summary of your Thrivent Financial products.
Click “Edit My Page” and a screen will appear showing your name, address, phone number(s), e-mail, church membership information and more. Click on the “Update” link to change any wrong or outdated information, such as where you have church membership.
You also can review and update information on other Thrivent Financial members who reside in your household (e.g., spouse and children).
If you do not have Internet access but need to update information, please contact your Thrivent Financial representative or Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and they will be happy to help you.
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