God challenges us at the end of the entire Old Testament, “‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.’”

Thanksgiving Food Pantry Donations

It always feels like those floodgates are opened when we restock the Food Pantry through the congregation’s donations at Thanksgiving. The Board of Human Needs is asking congregational members who are able to bring a bag of non-perishable food items to share with the needy in the Fort Collins community through Saint John’s Food Bank.

Bags with giving suggestions will be provided on Sunday mornings starting November 6 and the following weeks prior to Thanksgiving. Please return your bags at or before the Wednesday evening Thanksgiving service.

The following Saturday, November 26, we will meet to restock the pantry of the Food Bank. All willing hands are appreciated.

Uganda Pillowcase Dresses

This project has now wrapped up with a final October donation . Marlys Hansen coordinated the sewing and sending of:

• 54 dresses
• 95 pillow cases
• 126 boy’s shorts
• 132 packs of girl’s undies
• 30 Beanie Babies
• 14 packages of material squares
• 13 yards of material
• An assortment of bias tape

Marlys sends her appreciation—as do the children of Uganda—for the many gifts.

Future Plans

The Board of Human Needs is entering their busiest season, with Thanksgiving Baskets for Laurel Elementary’s homeless children approaching. Board members donate and use board funds to stock ten to fifteen baskets with Thanksgiving dinners. They will be delivered to Laurel before school is out for the holiday. If you wish to make a monetary donation for this project, please make your check out to Saint John’s Lutheran with “Thanksgiving Baskets” in the subject line.

We are also approaching Christmas with the Giving Tree project in December.

The board is considering new projects this year, such as the “Santa for Seniors” in Larimer County and the “Orphan Grain Train” of Lutheran World Relief.

If these projects strike a chord in your heart, please consider joining us for our next meeting: Saturday, November 5, at 9:00 AM. New members are very welcome and seldom asked to work very hard … the first few months!

Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion for the world is to look out;
Yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good;
And yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now. Saint Teresa of Avila

Nelly Sanford chairs Saint John’s Board of Human Needs, which finds opportunities for the members of Saint John’s to provide a Christian witness by helping people in the community struggling with daily necessities.