Partners in Mission

The Partners in Mission Designated Offering Program at Grace is one of the ways that we are Reaching Out in Christ's Love. Each month, we pass the plate for an organization that aligns with our Mission, and about whose mission our members and friends feel passionately. Our impact is doubled thanks to the Grace Foundation, who match every gift dollar for dollar, up to $2,000/month.

August 2024: Venezuelan Asylum Ministry

Campus Ministry has been a lifeline for college students for generations (maybe you were part of campus ministry?), and continues to be today. The CU Lutheran Campus Ministry has been connecting with students for years, providing a life-giving community where folks can find a place to belong and experience the benefits of being in a supportive and affirming community. The Bread+Belonging Tuesday night meal is open to all university students. Students come from all kinds of denominations and backgrounds, and some have no faith experience.

 

We know this: coming together in a community to enjoy each other is a grounding and life-giving part of any college experience.

 

The weekly Bread+Belonging gathering is their main event, including dinner, dessert, and fellowship on Tuesday evenings. Sometimes, they just share dinner. Other days, they might host conversations on advocacy, faith, anti-racism, and current events.”

July 2024: Community Food Share

In the early 1980s, hunger had not yet been identified as a community problem. But, when Boulder County Safehouse, the Community Action Program, Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA), St. Thomas Aquinas Food Bank, and the Salvation Army of Longmont came together and compared anecdotal stories and statistics, it became clear that, indeed, hunger was a pressing issue in our community. 

 

Community Food Share was created as a non-profit organization in 1981, receiving a seed grant from what is now Mile High United Way, and became an affiliate of America’s Second Harvest (now called Feeding America).

 

Raising awareness became a top priority of this fledgling organization. By the end of 1981, after operating for only six months, Community Food Share had distributed 48,000 pounds of food.

 

Due to its smaller size, Community Food Share was able to be more innovative in creating new programs to solve the issue of hunger in our community. That innovative spirit, combined with the support of our loyal volunteers, financial supporters, and food donors, has carried Community Food Share through the victories we celebrate today.

 

Learn more at https://communityfoodshare.org/

June 2024: Himalayan Development Fund

Mr. Karma Sherpa started the Himalayan Development Foundation with a focus on helping those in rural areas in the Khumbu region of Nepal.

 

Karma was born and raised in the small village of Cherlemu growing up in poverty. He now lives in Superior, Colorado, and uses the Foundation to help those in need in his home country, especially with access to care through a periodic medical clinic. Access to medical care and vaccines is only available in large cities like Kathmandu; many remote villages do not have roads...much less transportation. People must walk.

 

During the pandemic, folks in Khumbu lost jobs and income due to a lack of tourists, and the medical clinic was on hold. The clinic was resumed last year at the monastery in Taksindu where residents were treated free of charge.

 

This year the clinic will start on the Monastery grounds on October 30 and be available for 4-1/2 days. The Foundation is in the process of securing medical supplies and medications. The need has grown, and they plan to utilize Nepalese physicians, nurses, and volunteers.


Below are the organizations we have contributed to over the past few years through our designated PiM Offering.