King of Kings Lutheran
Social Action
Social Action is
responsible for informing the congregation of Outreach and Volunteer opportunities within
the local Community, as well as national and world Church outreach. This ministry is
responsible for selecting community organizations in need to receive Local Benevolence
funds on a monthly or one time basis.
Social Action provides the congregation with information on community volunteer needs by
inviting speakers from community organizations to present a Contemporary Lesson (short
talk) during Services.
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| Jump To On this page: | |
| Fair Trade Coffee | Stand With Africa |
| Argentina | |
| Food Gatherers | Foster Care Needs |
| Hunger Coalition | LSSM |
| SAFE House | LSSM Update |
| AIDS Pins | Action for LSSM |
Links to Tsunami Relief Organizations:
Lutheran World Relief: http://www.lwr.org/
Church World Services: http://www.churchworldservice.org/
Oxfam: https://secure.ga3.org/02/asia_earthquake04
Christian Children's Fund: http://www.christianchildrensfund.org/
Save The Children: http://www.savethechildren.org/
News from Social Action:
Thrivent Builds with Habitat
Are you ready to express your faith in an exciting new way? Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity needs you. We are currently seeking Congregational Champions and general volunteers to help make the dream of home ownership a reality for families in our county. Congregational Champions work within the congregation to help coordinate the congregation’s efforts in Thrivent Builds Homes projects. Volunteers are needed for construction, lunch/snack providers, publicity, etc. If you are interested in learning more about this great opportunity, contact: L. Vitale, Habitat Huron Valley, 734-677-1558 ext. 205 or by e-mail at comrel@h4h.org.
Jim Hicks will be a Congregational Champion for King of Kings. He would like a co-champion. Are you interested in helping with this project? Jim needs an assessment of interest from members to determine what kind of a commitment King of Kings can make. Please contact Jim Hicks if your interested in helping.
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FOOD DONATIONS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
King of Kings members donate an average of 90 pounds of food each month. Our
summer contributions were given to SOS Community Services in Ypsilanti. Food
Gatherers will receive our food in the fall.
WHEN DONATING FOOD, PLEASE CHECK EXPIRATION DATES. It is easy to bring food
that has been sitting on your shelves for a long time. Agencies are not able to
distribute food that is beyond its expiration date. We want all of our food to
make a difference.
OASIS CAFE REOPENS IN YPSILANTI
The Oasis Cafe is targeted to reopen on June 17th with expanded hours. 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. - 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is located at 20 N. Washington St. A joint agreement between Hope Clinic and the Prayer Outreach Worship Education and Restoration Centre Church is providing financial and technical support.
The Hope Clinic receives support from King of Kings benevolence funds. Hope Clinic is a nonprofit agency that provides a variety of social services including medical and dental care for uninsured people.
The Ten
Thousand Villages store in Ann Arbor. It is located at 303 S. Main St.
Celebrate the sights, sounds and textures of intriguing creations handcrafted by
skilled artisans in 30 Third World countries.
Volunteer help is being recruited for short and long term jobs, subs for scheduled workers, etc. If you want to find out more, please contact Ellen Magee or check out the
Ten Thousand Villages website.
Fair Trade Coffee and Tea
Equal Exchange Fair Trade Beverages and the Lutheran World Relief Chocolate Project
Equal Exchange Fair Trade coffees, teas and cocoa continue to be available for sale at King of Kings on the second Sunday of each month. We will also be serving Fair Trade coffees on that day. Your response has been very positive. By using fairly traded products, you can help support small-scale farmers, enabling them to farm sustainably, preserving wildlife habitats and protecting the environment.
We will soon be adding 1.5 oz. and 3.5 oz. chocolate bars to our inventory. By choosing fair trade chocolate for gifts or to enjoy personally, Lutherans ensure that cocoa farmers earn the income they need to feed their families, educate their children, seek medial care and improve their communities. At least 10 million people in Africa earn their income from cocoa. Fair trade ensures that no exploitative child labor was involved in the harvest of the cocoa crop.
Fair trade is more than just business. It proves that greater justice in world trade is possible. It highlights the need for change in the rules of conventional trade and shows how a successful business can put people first.
Joyce Deren
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Lutheran
Social Services of Michigan
ACTION from Linda Klenczar, new coordinator for ACTION for LSSM at
King of Kings
ACTION is a volunteer ministry meeting the special unbudgeted or emergency needs
of people served by LSSM. The people we have an opportunity to serve includes:
families and children, older adults, refugees, homeless families, persons with
disabilities, and women leaving the court system.
Some of the projects for our congregation to consider include:
1. Duffel bags for foster
children: we make a duffel bag and fill it with hygiene items like toothpaste
and toothbrush, shampoo, soap and deodorant, combs and brushes, washclothes and
face tissue. It can include socks and underwear, sweatshirts and t-shirts, hair
bands, stuffed animals and school supplies.
***consider donating mid to lightweight denim or twill fabric, pairs of
shoelaces at least 54" long or longer********
I will have posters and boxes for donations for these items in the coming weeks.
2. We can help funding at LSSM with the GreenFund Network, recycling iink and
toner cartridges. Soon, I will have the necessary recycling boxes and the list
of cartridges that are accepted for this program.
There are three pages of items, so see the poster and jot down your cartridge
numbers at home to see if yours are included. It will be very helpful as some
of the cartridges draw from $2 to $8 in the recycling world.
3. There are many sewing and crochet projects for which I will list and
provide patterns in the next month. Crocheted baby sweaters, children's
sweaters, knitted headbands for ear warmth, mittens and slippers. In our
quilting congregation, we can use baby quilts (44"x 54") as well as twin bed
quilts at 72"x 84". Flannel receiving blankets are needed at 42" to 45"
square. I will provide all of the data required to make any of the projects, by
making a bulletin board with copies of the patterns that you may pick up.
You may bring finished items to church, and I will have a receptacle for pickup,
or call me and I will arrange to get the items from you.
Linda Klenczar
Thank you for your support for LSSM ACTION committee
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The
Hunger Coalition and the New Community Kitchen
FEEDING the HUNGRY. King of Kings will continue to cook at the new Community Kitchen at the Delonis Center on Huron St., Ann Arbor**.
For many years we have been part of the Hunger Coalition of Ann Arbor and have cooked & served for as many as 140 people on the 4th Tuesday
every other month at one of the churches that host these meals. It recently became apparent to the Hunger Coalition advisory board that the dinner
meal organization should be turned over completely to the Food Gatherers (Food Gatherers were organizing the other meals). Hunger Coalition
encouraged the churches to continue to volunteer to cook & serve meals at Delonis,
and after discussion at the May Social Action Ministry meeting, committee members decided to continue that long-standing tradition of service.
The Hunger Coalition Board is now looking at ways to further serve the hungry, perhaps by doing Friday backpacks for students (children who receive
meals at school during the week often go hungry on the weekends) or serving meals at another area location (perhaps Ypsilanti). Decisions will be
made this summer and we will be invited into participation when details are worked out.
And so, your Social Action Ministry invites YOU to
1) continue to cook,, serve or clean-up after for the hungry if you have been part of this wonderful experience .
2) sign up and try it if you've never done so before.
Cooks are needed 3:15-5 PM; servers & cleaners come 5 - PM. The Delonis Center will validate parking receipts for up to two hours if you park in a
city lot and bring the ticket with you when you come to work.
**Children under 12 are no longer allowed to help in the kitchen (due to enforcement of strict state rules). As always, parent or adult supervision is
necessary for 12-16 year olds, and they will be helping in areas away from hot work/serving areas. For those under 12 who have so enjoyed helping,
we thank you for all your time and energy and remind you that you now have something "to look forward to" later.
There is a box in the narthex to collect your contributions or you can take them directly to Food Gatherers.
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LET'S BE FOOD GATHERERS. GET ACTIVE! HELP END HUNGER!
Our theme for October continues to be hunger. One way you can help is to bring food to church every time you come --- even beyond October. Make it a regular habit. Put a can or box of food by your door on Saturday night so you remember to bring it to church with you on Sunday.
Here are some suggestions of canned and dry goods that are nutritious and easy to use (no opened containers, expired products or items in glass):
Tuna Fish or other canned fish or meat
Beef Stew, Meat Soups, Hearty Soups
Canned Spaghetti, Chili
Beans (kidney, pinto, green, yellow, refried or black beans)
Baby Food or Formula
Ensure or other nutritional supplement drinks
Rice, Dry Beans, Noodles, Macaroni
Powdered Milk, Pancake or Baking Mixes
Cereal/Oatmeal, Granola Bars
Peanut Butter, Jelly (in plastic jars)
Personal Care Items are also needed:
Diapers, Toothpaste, Toothbrushes, Soap, Shampoo, Disposable Razors
We want at least 50 pounds of food every Sunday --- that's about 75 cans. Food Gatherers will pick-up that amount of donation. Let's make it happen at King of Kings. Great info about the Food Gatherers is on their website: http://www.foodgatherers.org/
Thank you!
Joyce Deren
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Social Action News
More Ways to Help Others
FRIENDS IN DEED is an inter-faith volunteer organization that provides for needs of Washtenaw County residents
that are not being met by other human service agencies. FID provides information, referral, and screening services to
congregations and agencies, as well as resources to people in need. Here are some services the agency provides:
Clearinghouse Referrals—FID provides information and appropriate referrals to clients for services provided by other
agencies, and to congregations seeking help with requests that are coming to their offices.
Direct Financial Assistance—Financial help is provided for unmet basic needs such as housing, utility bills,
transportation, childcare, clothing, prescriptions and medical needs.
Car Repair and Donation Program—Minor car repairs are done for those who use their cars for transportation to work
or doctor’s appointments.
Volunteer Services—Congregational volunteers provide a wide variety of services on an emergency basis as the
needs arise.
Furniture Program—FID operates a furniture program that matches donors with needy families.
Annual Holiday Bed Drive—Funds are raised during the holiday season for the purchase of new beds for those in
need in the community. Beds continue to top their furniture list as the most requested item.
Ways we can reach out to those in need through this organization include:
Delivering Furniture
Volunteering for their Help line & Furniture Line
Providing Clerical Work
Repairing Appliances & Providing Minor Household Repairs (Our own Glen Meske was their main furniture/minor
repair volunteer for many years.)
Providing Chore Services
FRIENDS IN DEED. Call (734) 485-7658 or check their website, www.comnet.org/friends.
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Volunteer Opportunities in Our Community and Beyond
Volunteer with SAFE House!
Volunteer Positions Include:
24-hour Crisis Line
Children’s Advocacy
Autonomy Advocacy
Speakers’ Bureau
Kitchen Moms
Non-direct service opportunities also available.
The Domestic Violence Project, Inc./SAFE House
P.O. Box 7052
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48107
Phone: (734) 973-0242 Crisis Line: (734) 995-5444 TTY: (734)973-2227 Fax: (734) 973-7817
E-mail: DVPSH@aol.com Web site: http://comnet.org/dvp
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Give a gift of hope by purchasing a beaded AIDS pin made by women of Sinikithemba, an HIV+ care center in Durban, South Africa.
The AIDS pins, made with traditional Zulu bead work and mounted on an attractive and informative gift card, are one of several income-generating projects sponsored by CWS (Church World Service) that are helping caregivers and people living with HIV/AIDS earn money for themselves and their families.
You, your family, and friends can proudly wear this AIDS pin that declares you care. Just make a contribution of $5 or more to the AIDS response efforts of CWS. To order visit the link below:
http://www.churchworldservice.org/Educ_Advo/aids-pin.html
Stand With Africa:
A Campaign of Hope - Business as Usual Is Not Enough
Widespread hunger is declining worldwide, but increasing in Africa. AIDS also is cutting a deadly swath: 17 million Africans have died, leaving 13 million AIDS orphans to face a rocky future. This extraordinary situation calls for an extraordinary response. The World Hunger Program in its 27-year history has never launched a campaign like Stand With Africa. But now, the ELCA Division for Global Mission has joined with The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and Lutheran World Relief to provide the means to save lives and bring hope through the World Hunger Appeal.
The campaign supports African churches and communities as they battle AIDS, hunger and chronic poverty. As part of the program’s first year of a three-year program, 100% of Stand With Africa-designated gifts to the World Hunger Appeal will go to help AIDS orphans and to prevent further spread of the disease.
We as the Church are asked to take four actions:
1) Learn about Africans’ needs, concerns, joys and hopes;
2) Pray for ELCA partner organizations, companion churches and missionaries in Africa working tirelessly to combat HIV/AIDS;
3) Advocate for the U.S. to give more aid to Africa to fight HIV/AIDS;
4) Give generously. Support our church’s ongoing commitment to walk with African partners by giving to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal. And go the "second mile" with an additional gift designated "Stand With Africa." 100 percent of gifts for Stand With Africa-AIDS will provide additional help to deal with the HIV/AIDS crisis.
You may give through your congregation or directly:
By mail: ELCA World Hunger Appeal
P.O. Box 71764
Chicago, IL 60694-1764
By phone or the Internet with a major credit card at: 800.638.3522
www.elca.org/co/hunger/howtogive.html
For more information and regular updates, visit the Stand With Africa Website at www.standwithafrica.org
Or call The World Hunger Appeal office at 800.638.3533, ext. 2764, or write: ELCA World Hunger Appeal, 8765 W. Higgins Road, Chicago, IL 60631.
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Needs of Children in Foster Care
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Food is Just a Click Away
Here's a website which embodies the spirit of the season. Click on it just once a day and feed some people who need help.
http://www.hungersite.com/
All you have to do is bookmark the page, go once a day and click on "Donate Free Food". The ad sponsors pay for it. Pass it on.
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Social Action also organizes King of Kings participation in the following:
- Annual CROP walk
- Monthly Interfaith Blood Drive
- Walk for Habitat
- Habitat for Humanity (click here to check out the local web site)
- Adoption of Family at Christmas
- Lutheran World Relief Blanket Drive
- ELCA Hunger Drive
- Food collection for the Catholic Food Cupboard
- and other community outreach projects.
King of Kings also supports Lutheran Social Services of Michigan (LSSM) and works on the following projects:
· LSSM Action
Days - on Action Days, small projects like quilts, totebags and hand exercisers may be
started. Skills needed are sewing ability and a desire to share fellowship.
· LSSM Kits - some needed items are all cut and ready to sew. Skills needed are the
ability to sew and be mildly creative.
· LSSM Congregational Representative for King of Kings - sew or collect items for state
institutions, arrange for pick-up or delivery to regional rep., keep records and file
quarterly reports. Skills needed are organization, an eye for collectible items,
willingness to filling out a form.
· LSSM - volunteer to work in local thrift shop. Skills are organization and
communication.
Last
updated: February 25, 2006