We support charities and organizations, from local to global, with our facilities, our money, and our prayers.
Fresh Harvest Kits
Through a partnership with High Desert Food & Farm Alliance Our Savior’s collects local produce from farmers and gardeners and creates meal kits with this leftover produce. We collect pantry staples so that whoever gets this kit won’t have to do any additional shopping. The recipe is printed in English and Spanish. The first two weeks of the month volunteers bring these fresh harvest kits to St Vincent’s food pantry on Wednesday evenings. The last two weeks of the month volunteers bring the fresh over to First Baptist’s food pantry Monday Morning. Last year (2021) during the harvest season we diverted over 600 Ibs of produce into the hands of the food insecure. We are thankful for the ways we can partner with our neighbors so that all are fed.
Shirley Whiting Estate “Mini-Grants”
Through a generous gift of one of our dearest members, we were able to offer financial partnerships to several groups who are working to provide support and training for non-profits in Prineville and Crook County. We were particularly interested in funding groups who provide food and nutrition education, arts enrichment and education enrichment, and other community services. We received 23 applications for grants and were able to fund 15. Here are our new community partners:
- $500 went to Boy Scout Troop 47 for camperships and supplies for projects. The Troop responded to our grant by saying “your support has helped to allow us to continue a schedule of character building outings and events.” This came in a letter from Scoutmaster “Red” Ashcraft and had a note attached signed by the whole troop.
- $600 to Oasis Soup Kitchen for Crook County Project Connect May 14. They sent a note thanking us and showing how many people were served during the day.
- $1000 to Youth and Children’s programs at Crook County Library. Jill and Juli are the coordinators of the children’s library program and say,”we are very exited for the opportunity to further develop the Wee Read program.” We are, too.
- $400 to the Community Garden at Prineville Presbyterian Church for a roto-tiller, which has now been purchased and put to work. Pastor Cheryl Borne of the Presbyterian Church says, “we are so grateful for the financial help to make our garden touch the lives of those who hunger in Crook County.”
- $1000 to Families Forward to help settle homeless Veterans into new housing. Kenny La Pointe from Housing Works and Families Forward says the money will be put to good use.
- $600 to Cecil Sly Elementary School for new pediatric couches in the health room.
- $1000 to the Future Center at Crook County High School to assist in the college entrance and finance process. Becky Munn told us that in the 5 months they had been working, they have 7 mentors and have assisted over 40 students to pursue their post-secondary careers.
- $500 to scholarships for Crook County Kids Club. Angelia Wagner says that such community support is “truly needed and greatly appreciated.”
- $500 to St Vincent de Paul for job training in Freon recapture technology.
- $600 to Friends with Flowers to provide flowers to hospice patients in Crook County, for which we received a lovely thank you note from Heidi Berkman, president.
- $1000 to 4-H Lego Robotics to teach computer skills to elementary school kids. Jeremy Logan stopped by in person to thank us and tell us that several kids are already participating in this developing program.
- $800 to Rager Emergency Services to provide pediatric emergency training materials.
- $700 to Medical Teams International to bring the Dental Van to Prineville through First Baptist Church, for which we received thank you’s from Medical Teams International and The Rosenbaum’s who coordinate this project at First Baptist Church.
- $500 to Robert Hayden Yard Care to finish a patio and water feature at Rimrock Trails Adolescent Services, which will be combined with contributions from Sagebrush, Inc to finish this project.
- $500 to assist with freezer repair at Soroptimist International to support their home-delivered senior meals and meals at the Senior Center. The Soroptimists sent us a gracious thank you note.
- $500 to Crook County Foundation Picnic in the Park. We received a lovely note from Kristi Steber, the executive director of the Crook County Foundation and a concert schedule.
This was an exciting venture for us, and hearing from the groups we partnered with to improve our city and county is a blessing for us. We are so grateful to Shirley Whiting for her generosity in remembering our ministry in her legacy. Such generosity shows a love for God and the ministry of her church that is an inspiration. We are privileged to be able extend that love and thank the groups who made this partnership possible for us.
Discretionary Fund
We contribute to a fund for use at the pastor’s discretion. Our funds partner with St Vincent De Paul of Crook County to provide support for families who experience emergency needs. Last year our Discretionary Fund contributed nearly $3700 to help families.
Prayer Shawls
Knitters and crocheters gather every week to create prayer shawls. Each stitch is created with prayer for people the creators don’t even know, to provide loving, prayer-filled accompaniment to those who are facing health crises and losses. Shawls are dedicated with prayer as they are gathered together, and distributed as there is need to people in the congregation, to friends, and sometimes to friends of friends. Often we gather to wrap the recipient in the prayer shawl and pray over them as they receive it.
Quilts
A small but dedicated group of quilters meets weekly to create quilts for Lutheran World Relief. These quilts are gathered yearly from the Northwest for transport to LWR’s Baltimore warehouse. They are then distributed to places like Turkey and Pakistan following natural disasters and to places like Kenya where people are living in refugee camps. In this photo, quilters are placing finished quilts on our church pews to dedicate them to God as the work of our hands for the care and support of any who need it. The whole congregations prays over them before packing them off to the LWR warehouse for distribution around the world.
Rachel’s Day
Rachel’s Day is a remembrance of neglected and abused women and children, which happens each year on the first Sunday in May. This year WELCA gathered kits for distribution who women who are escaping abusive situations. These kits included things like a camera and log book, pen and pencil for documentation of stalking.
Thankoffering Sunday
Each year in the Spring WELCA brings together their Thankoffering Boxes. Pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters go into those boxes during the year as daily thanksgiving for blessings. When they are collected and gathered into one large national offering, those pennies provide grant monies for special projects worldwide.
Since so many organizations offer food baskets at Christmas, we decided several years ago to pack food baskets for Thanksgiving for families who struggle to provide daily food. We are joined by a Girl Scout Troop, several of our youth, and many volunteers from our congregation to assemble the boxes. All packaged foods have been donated and Thrivent Financial provides cash for certificates for meat. In 2018 we packed baskets for 20 families.