Hudson Valley NY Chapter

Two page newsletter: SUMMER 2006

Two page newsletter: SUMMER 2006

Hudson Valley NY Chapter, Together, We're Making a Difference

Thrivent Builds Home In Newburgh

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh are working side-by-side to provide decent, affordable housing for a hard-working, low-income family in Newburgh, NY. Recently, volunteers from Lutheran churches in the Hudson Valley Chapter of Thrivent Financial and from Habitat for Humanity have worked to deconstruct a house at 58 Henry Avenue in the Washington Heights neighborhood where the new home will be built. Currently, work has been temporarily halted for asbestos abatement. Work should resume mid-to-late June with a completion date scheduled for December.

Financially, the Hudson Valley Chapter of Thrivent is calling upon Thrivent Financial members and Lutheran churches to raise a total of $9000. Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh is providing $18,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will fund the remainder of the cost of the house. Also, half of all the volunteers for the project are to be Lutheran and half of the Lutherans are to be Thrivent Financial members. If you would like to contribute to this project financially, then please write your checks out to Thrivent Builds-Newburgh, and send them to Pastor Charles Catterall, 44 Liberty St. WH, Newburgh, NY 12550. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Pastor Charles Catterall at (845) 561-3302, or catterall7@hotmail.com.

"Raising Hope" in 2006!

In 2005, our chapter was involved in the "Raising Hope Around the World" Care in Regions® project with many other chapters throughout New York State. Our chapter's service teams raised $3200 of the over $12,000 total, and we did it in just a few weeks! For 2006 our goal is bigger, but so is our time frame, and we want to involve more chapters! We have applied for and been approved for a challenge grant of $10,000, to be added to our fundraising goal of $30,000. Our chapter's portion of this will be $5000, and we need YOUR help to reach that!

Last year the majority of our fundraising efforts focused on Thanksgiving Pie Sales, which several churches have once again expressed interest in doing again, but that is by no means the only fundraising option! A youth group in Middletown last year raised $400 by putting collection cans in area businesses for several weeks, and by selling refreshments at their local Thanksgiving Day Parade. Other contributions came from individual donors or Special Giving Sundays. All fundraising ideas are good ones and NO amount raised is too big or too small... it all contributes toward our chapter's goal, and the ultimate regional goal.

Whether you would like to get involved in pie sales for Thanksgiving (a "tips & tricks" sheet is available upon request), or you have a different idea in mind, please contact Deb Kress at kress@hvc.rr.com or 845-399-4160 (cell) to let her know your service team will be helping in these fundraising efforts. A tri-fold brochure providing information on the three benefitting organizations (KEMPS in Tanzania, Crossroads Springs Orphanage & Care Center in Kenya, a hospital in Nicaragua) is also available to help your team raise awareness of this need. Get involved, and help our chapter and our region in "Raising Hope Around the World!"

Make your voice heard!

If you have not done so, please type in the following link into your web browser and add your name to our petition. Please feel free to pass this information on to ANYONE that would be interested. Fraternal benefit societies in New York State are treated as though they issue property/casualty insurance even though fraternals operate as life companies. Previously, fraternals were treated as life companies, as they are in every other state. As a result of these changes, fraternals are unable to invest appropriately, which negatively affects their long-term financial health.

Thrivent is trying to get this situation changed, and in order to do so, the New York legislature needs to hear from you.

Over 300,000 members of fraternal benefit societies live in the state of New York. This law needs to be changed in order for fraternals to continue to increase their monetary giving and volunteer efforts every year. If you click on the link below, it will take you to the NFCA website where all you need to do is type in your ZIP code where it says "Take Action Now!" and letters to the appropriate state representatives will be generated and sent. It will take less than a minute of your time! Really! I have already done it and it does take just about a minute. Here is the NFCA link:

http://capwiz.com/nfcanet/issues/alert/?alertid=8736661&type=TA&show_alert=1