Reaching Out

What a blessing it is to be a blessing to others! Below are some opportunities to reach out and share God's love beyond Trinity's walls. If you'd like to find out more about these opportunities, please talk with the contact person listed or call the church office.

Clothing and shoes collection
You may have seen the bags of clothing and shoes in the Gathering Room. We collect them on an ongoing basis (whenever people have the need to clean closets). We collect all sizes of clothes and shoes (no underwear please) and donate it to places such as Guest House, Family House, Milwaukee Rescue Mission and others we learn about.

Please make sure your donations are clean and in good condition. We don't sort the clothes into male/female. If you have a large donation of men's, women's or children's clothes, please mark the bag. That will help us determine your donation's final destination. Shoes -- in good condition -- are welcome.

Donations will be distributed on a quarterly basis, at the end of March, June, September and December.

Making baby blankets
Knitters and crocheters -- you can use your talents to make baby blankets. They can be made from cotton or acrylic yarn (no wool). Light-colored baby yarn is nice, but other types can be used as well. The size should be approximately 30 by 30 inches. Use your own pattern or simply knit a 30" by 30" square. There are a number of ways the blankets can be done: Knit or crochet one continuous piece, or knit strips or squares and sew or crochet them together. The possibilities are endless! If you need yarn, visit the yarn exchange in the Gathering Room. Take what you need, and return the extras and the finished blankets.

All Peoples Church
As a partner with All Peoples, Trinity supports this community of faith in Milwaukee's central city with prayer, financial resources (supported through our mission envelopes), and sharing ideas, time and talents of our members. We are always looking for ways to enhance our relationship for the sake of Jesus Christ in the world. In the past we've eaten and worshipped together during a Lenten service, and helped cook and serve a meal during the teen time on Sunday mornings in the summer. There are many other ways in which we can grow together as people of faith. It would be good to go into the city to worship together. Their worship times are Sunday mornings at 9 and 10.

Their contact information is:
All Peoples Church
2600 N. 2nd St.
Milwaukee, WI 53212
414.264.1616

www.allpeoplesgathering.org
allpeopleschurch@gmail.com

Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/fb-apc
Twitter: @allpeepschurch

Family House
Family House is a residential facility in the inner city of Milwaukee. Along with providing a comfortable home to homeless senior citizens and disabled adults, Family House provides services to children of the neighborhood, helps young mothers, provides work preparation and skills training, provides medical services to the community, and serves as a hub for revitalization of the neighborhood. Food and clothing drives are periodically held to support this ministry.

Family Sharing
Located in Grafton, Family Sharing is a nonprofit community organization that helps area individuals and families in times of special needs and crisis. Family Sharing clients are comprised of the working poor, unemployed, elderly, and mentally and physically disabled residents of Ozaukee County. Family Sharing operates a food pantry, provides clothing and household goods on an as-needed basis or through sales at a nominal cost through their resale shop, assists with school supplies for the children of qualified participants, and makes referrals to appropriate agencies when additional assistance is needed.

Trinity collects food for Family Sharing. Please leave items on the shelves in the Gathering Area or in the baskets at the back pew in the sanctuary.

Guest House
Guest House is a facility in Milwaukee where homeless men come to turn their lives around. It provides an education program that focuses on problem solving, decision making, communication and self-esteem. Year-round support is needed with donations of bedding, men's clothing and shoes, and hygiene items.

Homeless Veterans Initiative
There are over 200 homeless veterans in the Milwaukee area. The Homeless Veterans Initiative was founded by two local vets whose sole purpose is to empower homeless vets to lead more productive lives. We can help in this mission financially or by donating any of the following: furniture, household items, clothing and food. Clothing donations can be placed in the Gathering Room -- please include a note that they are for the Homeless Veterans Initiative. If you're making a financial donation, please note "Veterans Initiative" on the memo line. Now is the time to show our support for the men and women who served our country. If you have any questions about how you can help, please contact Sharon Oberheu.

Lutheran World Relief
Empowered by God's unconditional love in Jesus Christ, Lutheran World Relief envisions a world in which each person and every generation lives in justice, dignity, and peace. Lutheran World Relief works with partners in 50 countries to help people grow food, improve health, strengthen communities, end conflict, build livelihoods and recover from disasters.

Updated Lutheran World Relief Kits
Recently, LWR concluded a study on the use of the "kits" we make and send. Below are the revised lists. If you or a group you work with make other kits (layettes, now called Baby Care, or Sewing Kits, now called Fabric Kits) please visit www.lwr.org and select "Kits" under the "Be Involved" tab for updates.

The School Kit now requires a "drawstring backpack." LWR supplied directions to make them. If you would like to be put on the sewing list, please contact Jeanne Mueller.

Include the following items in each School Kit:
4 - 70 sheet notebooks of wide or college-ruled paper approximately 8" x 10.5", no loose-leaf paper
1 - 30-centimeter ruler, or a ruler with centimeters on one side and inches on the other
1 - Pencil sharpener
1 - Blunt scissors (safety scissors with embedded steel blades work well)
5 - Unsharpened #2 pencils with erasers; secure together with a rubber band
5 - Ballpoint pens (no gel ink); secure together with a rubber band
1 - Box of 24 crayons
1 - Eraser approximately 2.5" long

Include the following items in each Personal Care Kit:
1 - Bath-size Towel (approximately 52" x 27"), dark color recommended
2 - Bath-size Bars of Soap (4 to 5 oz.), any brand, in original wrapping
1 - Adult-size Toothbrush in its original packaging
1 - Sturdy Comb, remove packaging
1 - Metal Nail Clippers, remove packaging

Do not add other items or leave out any of the items listed. All items should be new or in good condition. Wrap all the items in the towel and tie securely with ribbons or yarn. Do not enclose the kit or any of its contents in plastic bags.

Please put items in the BLUE BINS located in the Gathering Room.

St. Ben's
St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church in Milwaukee serves an average of 375 homeless and hungry guests each night. The food is purchased, prepared and brought to the church each night by volunteers from some 75 churches, community groups and workplaces. Trinity partners with Faith Lutheran Church in Cedarburg to prepare and serve meals at St. Ben’s one afternoon (the second Friday) every other month. You can help by coming along to serve food, or by helping to prepare the food at Trinity. Please contact Diane Weber for more information.