If you see a need in your congregation that could be helped through this funding, please contact a Thrivent Financial congregational coordinator in your congregation. If you don't know who your three congregational coordinators are, please contact a member of our chapter leadership board as noted in this newsletter, and he/she will help you get in touch with a coordinator.

Central New York Chapter has over $17,000 to still distribute in 2008, and we are looking for Projects to Fund.  These monies are completely separate from your Care in Congregations funds.

Through this 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.

Through this program, Thrivent Financial provides funding to support members like you who want to make a difference. Accessing supplemental funds for fund-raising efforts or funds to purchase supplies for hands-on service activities is easy through our chapter leadership board. Your first step is to form a community service team—a team of volunteers that conducts an activity to help individuals, families and/or qualified not-for-profit organizations. Then you can contact our chapter leadership board for more information and help.

Does an opportunity come to mind for you?  We need your help identifying recipients so that the $17,000 stays in Central New York.  Possibly you are involved in planning a community project we can co-sponser.  

For more information contact any of the Chapter Leadership Board Members listed elsewhere in this newsletter.   Forms & contact info also available at Chapter Website:    

WWW.LUTHERANSONLINE.COM/CENTRALNYCHAPTER

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.

Central NY Chapter recently got involved with two Join Hands Day Events:

Vanderkamp Center Clean-Up Day – Approx 300 hours were put in by Volunteers of all ages, to help the Christian Camp on Oneida Lake prepare for the new camp season.  The Chapter provided Volunteers and $500 for Supplies.  

Packages for Troops in Iraq:  Teaming with the NY Fraternal Congress, and Split Rock Elementary School, 100 boxes of goodies were collected, prepared, & shipped to US Troops in Iraq.  Over 400 volunteers put in approx 5,000 hours to make this project a huge success.  

Special thanks to all the VOLUNTEERS who Joined Hands to Make a Difference!

Are you aware that as a member of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, financial gifts you make to a Lutheran organization might be able to have funds added from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans?
Through Thrivent Financial's GivingPlus® program, members can donate financial gifts to two different Lutheran organizations enrolled in the program each year, and Thrivent Financial will contribute $1 for every $2, up to $300 per year for each organization. For example, if you donate gifts of $600 or more to two eligible Lutheran organizations each, Thrivent Financial will contribute an additional $600 ($300 for each organization). In addition, Thrivent Financial will contribute an additional $25 for members who volunteer 25 hours or more at the organization receiving their gift.
All you need to do is complete a GivingPlus Member Gift form (available online or from the Lutheran organization) and submit it with your donation to the Lutheran organization. It's a very simple process.
For complete details and guidelines about this one-of-a-kind member benefit program and for copies of the Member Gift form, go to www.thrivent.com/fraternal/churchcommunity/givingplus.html.

Fraternal benefit societies such as Thrivent Financial for Lutherans are unique not-for-profit organizations that offer their members opportunities to achieve financial security and to help others. Although fraternals have evolved to meet the changing needs of their members, their mission remains the same: to help their members help themselves and others through charitable and benevolent activities; and to provide opportunities for their members to achieve financial security.

• More Than Money Matters - a 90 minute values workshop
• How to Thrive in Retirement
• Who is Thrivent Financial for Lutherans?
• My Legacy Matters:  Living and Planning a Meaningful Legacy
• From Me to We:  Pre-Marital Working Together to Create Your Financial Future
• Intermission:  Embracing Life Transitions and Planning for the Future
• My Life, My Plan:  Creating a Life Plan Based on Your Values
• Charitable Giving:  How to Make a Difference by Giving Back
• Focus on "College Funding"                                                
• Focus on "Estate Conservation"
• Focus on "Asset Allocation"                                                
• Focus on "Financial Management"
• Focus on "Investment Fundamentals"                                      
• Focus on "Retirement/Preparing for Retirement"
• Focus on "Retirement Distribution/Critical Decisions at Retirement"        
• Financial Independence: It's Women's Work (geared for women)
• Economic and Investment Update
• Congregational Endowment                                                
• Thrivent Retirement Income Optimizer
• Rollover IRA Client Seminar                                              

Vice President:  Jack Loos; St Mark’s Baldwinsville;   315-638-1429;   jloos@twcny.rr.com

Records Director:  Margit Backus; St Paul’s Liverpool; 315-638-7380;  margitbackus@verizon.net

Financial Director:  Bruce Redfoot; St Paul’s Liverpool;  315-638-0034;  bercsr@bluefrog.com

Congregation Service Team Director:  Margaret Stahl, Trinity Syracuse; 315-652-4485; moe_stahl@hotmail.com

Communications Director:  Penny Sunser; Prince of Peace;  315-598-3940; psunser@windstream.net

Youth Director:  Pastor Paul Herpich; King of Kings;  315-457-3591;  pherpich@twcny.rr.com