Outreach Ministries

Did you know that a household of two which earns less than $4,300.00 per month qualifies to receive food from HOPE?
Do you know of anyone that is food insecure? (1 out of 4 Oregonians is food insecure.)
If so, please share this information about receiving an emergency food box.

HOPE’s area of service for emergency food boxes includes West Linn and other communities surrounding Oregon City. Since the HOPE food pantry is affiliated with the Oregon Food Bank, the USDA and Feeding America, they expect HOPE to hand out 3 to 5 days worth of food to every participating family each month. Lately HOPE at the 1st Baptist Church of Oregon City is being visited by over 65 families each Friday and is handing out a shopping cart full of food to each family. Each cart includes food from ALL four food groups. Much of this food is donated by the OFB, the OC Safeway and Market of Choice.

The Father’s Heart is a day shelter in Oregon City that serves people who are currently experiencing houselessness. Its mission is to provide safe refuge from homelessness, hunger, and addiction. At the shelter, visitors can find a meal, a change of clothes, a shower, and a variety of basic health care and other resources with the help of staff and volunteers. On their website, https://tfhstreetministry.com/, you can find details about how to volunteer, what donations are most useful, and the story of the ministry. At WLLC we can forward financial donations and we run a collection box that is available for needed hygiene, clothing, and other supplies (be sure to check their Facebook page or website for what is currently needed).

Going Home II is an outreach to “assist inmates with making a successful, long-term transition back to their communities and families so they may lead productive and fulfilling lives, therefore, reducing recidivism rates and cyclical behaviors.” They work with inmates from Columbia Correctional Institution at this time. The president of Going Home II is Michael Fesser. Fesser spoke at WLLC in March regarding his unlawful arrest by the WLPD and the ongoing resolution of the case. He invited us as a community to work with him and others in building bridges between the suburbs and communities of color in Portland. One avenue is the support of this important ministry with released inmates and their communities. Learn more at the Going Home II website and watch a video with testimonies and more information on the Going Home II Facebook Page.

WLLC has been friends with a congregation in Sacele, Romania for about 20 years! We send a financial contribution to the congregation annually, usually early in the fall. Money we send helps pay for winter heating of the church, and mission work the congregation does with the elderly and hungry in the community. COVID has been especially difficult for their community as both loss of life and loss of employment has hit the area hard. With WLLC’s help, the congregation remodeled a building across from the church to be a retreat and community center. Throughout the year there are programs for all ages to benefit health and spiritual growth of all. The congregation also maintains a cemetery next door to their sanctuary. We look forward to more sharing between the congregations as we continue to grow in relationship, and in our common mission to spread the Good News of God’s love in Christ!

INCIGHT is blessed to be the mission month charity for April. We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful church family continuing to be behind INCIGHT and our mission based work on behalf of those with disabilities and barriers. We all know the challenges the last year has created for the church, nonprofits and for each of our friends and family members. INCIGHT has not been an exception to experiencing these challenges. We have experienced losses in revenue, reductions in staffing, cancelled fundraisers and an inability to hold certain program events. The ride has been a bit bumpy with a fair amount of turbulence at times. Still we have found new opportunities in the midst of the pandemic to adapt to new ideas and establish new programs. For instance, we have been unable to have our in person job fairs but now we are offering virtual job exploration tours of local businesses. We were unable to have our Gala fundraiser last fall so we ended up running a successful ‘Tis the season for potential campaign. Our curriculum for transition students with disabilities has taken off during this time of virtual learning.

Lutherans for Full Participation is the organization that WLLC worked with to write our Welcome Statement and become a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) congregation in 2015. WLLC has hosted two Building Inclusive Community trainings to help congregations to publicly and intentionally welcome people of all sexual orientations, gender expressions and gender identities. Your support of ReconcilingWorks in this PRIDE Month helps them continue to equip and support congregations and members across the Lutheran churches and ecumenical partnerships. Learn more at ReconcilingWorks.

Quilts for Empowerment is an organization that teaches quilting to impoverished women in Kenya, including obstetric fistula survivors, and supports young sexual assault survivors. QFE’s goals are to provide women with the skills and self-confidence to become economically independent and to assist the girls to complete their education. WLLC met the director, Mary Ann McCammon over the past few years when she brought the beautiful handiwork of the women to the church. We have been able to support them in the staffing and housing for women, the quilting education, and even the rescue of women. Last year’s donation purchase many stoves for the women to use in their homes – which many saved to open until Christmas because they felt it was such a special gift! Read about this and many more stories, along with videos and news about the women and girls in COVID quarantine on the website!

This month your outreach gifts will go to support the work of our own “in house” ministry. The WLLC quilters and Blanket Makers! There are a few different kinds of sewing projects that this group creates together to donate to people in need. “Quilts of Comfort” and Fleece blankets are given to people in our congregation and to Legacy Emanuel Chaplains as a need arises. Some are passed out to House of Zion, Children’s Center and Father’s Heart. Many Fleece Blankets and scarves were happily received at a food pantry and clothes closet in Gresham. Activity Quilts (Fidget Quilts) – small quilts with different textures and small items to keep fingers busy – are needed through out the community.

They have been a blessing for the recipients and their families. Anyone who enjoys sewing or hand work is welcome to join us. Very little skill is needed. Most sewing is done in our homes. We get together as a group once or twice a month (second and fourth Monday afternoons)at church. Donate money, new quilting fabric, or new fleece fabric.

Camp Lutherwood Oregon is excited to welcome guests and campers back after the pandemic. Outdoor School students have returned for day camp programs and we are preparing for summer staff and campers. Registration is now open for all youth camps, family camps and women’s retreat. We can’t wait to show off the new dining hall, renovated A-Frame bathrooms and all the updates to the site and facilities that have been completed this year. We are still hiring for all summer staff positions- more information can be found on our staff employment webpage.

We are grateful for the ongoing support of West Linn Lutheran Church as one of our Association Congregations. Any outreach support to camp from WLLC will support new raised beds and supplies needed to plan our garden which is used as part of our Care for Creation program and craft supplies for our summer programs. Visit the Camp Lutherwood Oregon website for the most current information about camp.

​Working with other congregations, in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, WLLC partners with ELCA World Hunger. From health clinics to microloans, water wells to animal husbandry, community meals to advocacy, your gifts to ELCA World Hunger make it possible for the ELCA to respond to the needs of many throughout the world. This month we will also feature the “Good Gifts Catalog” that gives you options for holiday gifts that truly make a difference in the world!

This month we are partnering with CASA of Clackamas County. Their mission is to train and support community volunteers to provide a voice in court to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in the foster care system who need safe and permanent homes.
Donations will specifically help children within our county. Donations to CASA help with training and support of volunteers in Clackamas County. The volunteers go through 35 hours of training before becoming a sworn officer of the court. They then will be appointed to a case of a child in foster care. They advocate for the child’s best interest. They investigate by interview key persons in the child’s life (therapists, teachers, relatives and caregivers) to have a full picture of the child’s needs.You can find out more at: www.casa-cc.org