Social Ministry at Grace and Beyond

WACM HUNGER WALK— On September 26, the Woodstock Area Community
Ministries, of which Grace is a member, is sponsoring a 6-mile walk through Wood-stock. Registration is at 1 p.m. on the Woodstock Square, and the walk will begin at 1:30 p.m. Envelopes for sponsors and further information may be obtained from Jan Skolnik of the Social Ministry Team, or by contacting Joe Pienschke at (815) 479-9525. All proceeds from the Hunger Walk will remain in Woodstock.

VOLUNTEER HELP NEEDED —Home of the Sparrow is in need of volunteer help at their Woodstock store at 120 E. Calhoun St. Sparrow's Nest thrift stores are open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please contact Joy Martin, Home of the Sparrow Outreach Coordinator, at jmartin@h-o-s.org or at 815-444-1660, Ext. 24.

Grace is holding its summer blood drive July 25th. Appointments are available from 7:30 am to 12:10 pm. Please sign up in with Gretchen Hutchens in the narthex or call her at 815/341-7544 to make your appointment. This is a great opportunity to Share Gods Grace with our community. Each blood donation made can help to save up to three lives.

PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter)
On the fourth Wednesday of each month from October through April Grace members prepare and serve dinner to homeless people who are staying at the emergency shelter at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation church. Check the poster in the narthex for ways you can contribute to the meals.

PADS offers shelter and services for people who are homeless. For more information about other services for the homeless, visit www.mchenrycountypads.com.

CHRISTMAS FAMILY SHARING: Each year in December, Grace members “adopt” families in Chicago and Woodstock and make their holidays merrier by providing gifts and a meal. Look for a sign-up table in the narthex in late November so you can be part of this wonderful program.

MITTEN TREE: During Advent, we decorate Christmas trees with mittens, hats, gloves, and scarves.  Socks and underwear are also collected.  These items are then distributed through agencies such as Bethel New Life Center, Family Health Partnership Clinic, and PEACE4All, so that families in need will have these basic necessities for the winter months.

DIRECT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM —The Direct Assistance Program (DAP) is operated by the Woodstock Area Community Ministry.  WACM strives to provide emergency assistance to those families who need it most.  Because of the tremendous growing needs of the community, DAP has had to cut back on its  services due to a shortage of funds. You can help by making a regular donation to DAP using the white pew envelope.  WACM is jointly operated by 12 local congregations and     organizations, including Grace.

Hearland Blood Drive -   On May 16th from 7:30 until 12:30 we will be holding a blood drive here at Grace. Lets see if we can beat our previous number of donors! Please contact Gretchen Hutchens at 815/338-2639 to set up your appointment.

Food Pantry needs

The Woodstock Food Pantry needs our help to restock its shelves. Donations of nonperishable food, paper goods, and toiletries can be placed in the basket in the vestibule. Items especially requested include canned vegetables (corn, green beans), canned fruit (peaches, pears, pineapple), soup (vegetable, cream of mushroom, chicken noodle, tomato), toilet paper, toothpaste, deodorant, and feminine hygiene products. Cash donations through the church office are also much appreciated. Please bring your items on “Food Pantry Sunday” – the first Sunday of each month – or at any time. Thank you!

 

Habitat for Humanity

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY WORK DATES SCHEDULED -

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY — A new Habitat for Humanity/Thrivent Building project is beginning this month
in Harvard. This is an opportunity to Share God’s Grace with a low-income family working toward first-time home ownership. Volunteers from our church are needed on Saturday October 9. Volunteers can work on the construction or can help by making lunch for those working on the house. For more information, contact Kristin Thurow (ekthurow@owc.net ).

For information about Habitat for Humanity, visit www.habitatmchenry.org.

Share the Bounty - Many thanks to all of our intrepid gardeners who have helped get the 2010 Share the Bounty ministry off to a great start. We will continue to have the table available every Sunday in the courtyard to share plants and produce. Some of those early crops should be showing up soon.

The ELCA website is a great resource for putting our faith into action through social ministry.  For more information about our church's efforts to help people who are hungry, poor,  or affected by natural disasters around the world, visit www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Responding-to-the-World.aspx.  For more information about ways we work for peace and justice in our world, visit www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Justice.aspx.

 

ONE Sunday
Grace celebrated ONE Sunday on September 27th, 2009] with opportunities for everyone to learn more about poverty and hunger around the world and what we can do to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of eradicating extreme poverty. Click here for more information about the issues.

 

Tanzanian Banner Gift

Grace has received a painted banner crafted by the members of our partner congregation, the Arusha Town Lutheran Parish in Arusha, Tanzania. We offer our prayers of thanks for our partners in ministry at the Arusha Town Parish. The youth at Grace have painted a banner with the message "We are One in the Spirit," which was delivered in early July to Arusha.