This year our chapter has used 100% fo the $3900 allocated by Thrivent, and we have also raised $4095 in additional funds.  Five hundred and twenty-one hours of volunteer service have gone into these projects!  

Thrivent provides funding for members participating in community service teams in the Care Abounds in Communities® program. These teams are formed to conduct fund-raising activities and/or hands-on service activities benefiting individuals, families, local communities or organizations.

In 2008, our chapter raised $11,851 and used 100% of the $7630 allocated to us at the beginning of the year.  In 15 different activities our volunteers spent an amazing 3390 hours helping and honoring our friends and neighbors in the Columbus community and beyond.  From a January Soup-r-Bowl fund-raiser to yard sales and yard work to asking Sunday school children to donate change to buy hymnals for a congregation in Kenya, we took these missions to heart and worked hard make them successful.  

We sponsored several larger organizations, too, like the Special Olympics and Relay for Life, not to mention the work we've done with Habitat for Humanity.  Thrivent and Habitat work together on Thrivent Builds, encouraging our chapters to get involved with their local Habitat for Humanity organizations.  Our chapter specialist, Katie Stinar, worked tirelessly to raise funds and get our members out to the sites.  One of our most unique fund-raisers was Buy-a-Board -- for a $5 donation you could sign a board which would then be used in the building of a Habitat house, making you a permanent part of that home.  The owners of that home came to our final meeting of the year and accepted a check on behalf of Habitat for Humanity.  It was a very touching moment, and it made all of us present conscious of the necessity of our efforts.  

If you see a need in our community, please contact our chapter leadersip board for more information on how Thrivent can make a difference.