Saint John's Board of Human Needs—where our gifts are used to benefit the needy.

Food and Clothing Bank

Wow! What a lot of groceries you donated to the Food Bank. It took hours to store it all away. Your Thanksgiving offering of food is much appreciated by the workers and especially by our customers. We recently were notified that a grant from Thrivent was awarded to the Food Bank for staples as well as items we usually don’t have in stock, such as diapers, personal toiletries and baby formula. Up to $10,000 of additional funds are also available to match cash donated to the Food Bank before the end of the year. The offering from the Thanksgiving Eve service and the special door offering we will be collecting on December 4 will be applied toward this match. All these combined should leave us well able to serve the needy for quite some time. Come by some Tuesday between 9:00 and 11:30 and see how your donations are appreciated.

Giving Tree

The tree near the Welcome Center is Saint John’s Giving Tree and has ornaments for children from Laurel Elementary as well as names of elderly in the community. The children’s gifts are to be wrapped and left at the church by Sunday, December 18. They will be delivered to Laurel on Monday the 19th. As a new addition we are partnering with “Secret Santas for the Elderly” and have names of 15 elderly people from nearby nursing homes. These are individuals for whom you are asked to buy a small gift and an edible treat, as well as pay a visit to them when you deliver the presents. The program sponsors say that it is the visit that means the most. So have a great time spreading Christmas Joy with others this year!

Proverbs 19:17 says “Those who are kind to the poor lend to the Lord, and He will reward them for what they have done.”

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.