Martin Luther Church has a long standing priority to reach out to our neighbors, both locally and abroad, to fill needs that address day-to-day living as well as emotional and spiritual support, and to address social justice concerns. In partnership with the ELCA Relief and Development and initiatives such as Food Pack for Haiti’s Hungry! and the Mt. Meru Coffee Project, we work to reach out to places we may never see, to share what we have been freely given.
At home, through our relationships with Serenity Inns, Inc., Luther Burbank School and Tosa Cares, we work to support and strengthen lives in our local community, and with our Christian Care Ministry, we serve the elderly and housebound members within our congregation. See below for some of our outreach opportunities.
ELCA Relief and Development
We are a church that rolls up our sleeves and gets to work. One billion of our neighbors — that’s one in seven people in our world today — live in poverty. As members of the ELCA, we are called to respond. Working through Lutheran connections in the United States and around the world, we start by listening to the needs of our neighbors and getting their ideas to help break the cycle of hunger and poverty. Then we partner with them to make their dreams and hopes a reality. From health clinics to microloans, water wells to animal husbandry, food pantries to soup kitchens, we work together to support innovative solutions that get at the root causes of hunger and poverty.
The ELCA has a long history of being present in communities, working to help and serve where the needs are greatest. Participating in this work that God calls us to in the world compels us to be attentive to complex and changing situations, as well as to the importance of both immediate relief and ongoing, long‐term assistance for our sisters and brothers and the communities in which they live.
See more at: ELCA Relief and Development
Serenity Inns, Inc.
Serenity Inns is a comprehensive, seven month transitional living program for homeless men who choose recovery from drug and/or alcohol addictions. This program addresses the physical, social, emotional, financial, and spiritual needs of its residents. It is a highly structured program modeled after a program of recovery within the ministry of Shared Hope in Washington, D.C. ‐ Samaritan Inns ‐ that has been successfully operating for the past 30 years. Martin Luther Church has been actively involved with Serenity Inns since its formation in 2004. Serenity Inns, Inc.
Burbank School
Strong community partnerships, such as Martin Luther Church, enable Burbank students to extend their education beyond the classroom walls. Thanks to the generosity of local organizations, new learning opportunities and unique experiences are part of the curriculum. Students receive academic support, interact with mentors and utilize donations of clothing and school supplies. Field trips to local businesses and organizations as well as classroom visits from community leaders allow students to view the world through new perspectives. Knowing that community leaders and local organizations support our students and their achievements, Burbank learners develop the motivation to continue their quest for new insight and knowledge. Burbank School
Mt. Meru Coffee
The Mt. Meru Coffee Project is focused on providing fairly traded Tanzanian Coffee. Building grower to consumer relationships around a great cup of coffee, and developing a sustainable coffee marketplace for the growers of a truly high quality AA Tanzanian Coffee. We like to say, Doing Justice Never Tasted So Good! See more at www.mtmerucoffee.org
Tosa Cares – Tosa Cares Food Pantry
Tosa Cares is an all volunteer organization which collects nonperishable food items, personal care items, clothing and school supplies, chiropractic care, eye exams and glasses, blood pressure checks, and other additional support to families in need. You can find out more about Tosa Cares on their web site: Tosa Cares
MLC’s Christian Care Ministry
Martin Luther Church has a rich 65 year history among its membership. Many of our members are now homebound and elderly and cannot be a part of our active church life, even though they wish they could be. We cannot and should not forget these pillars of MLC and what they did for our church. This is why we have organized, the Christian Care Ministry team.