Local Outreach Ministries

Alexandra House 
Baby Layette Program
Community Emergency Assistance Program (CEAP)
Christmas Basket Program
Family Promise of Anoka County
Habitat for Humanity
Meals on Wheels
Our Saviour's Housing 
 

ALEXANDRA HOUSE
Alexandra House helps families rebuild lives devastated by domestic violence. They run an emergency housing facility, as well as providing advocacy and support services to Anoka County women, children, and families who are experiencing violence in their lives, but who may not need emergency shelter. For more information, visit www.alexandrahouse.org. 

Various small groups from the congregation periodically host activity nights and projects for mom’s and kids staying at the facility. CLC observes Domestic Violence Awareness Month with a special worship focus during one weekend. Members of the congregation also participate in the annual Walk for Hope to help raise community awareness of domestic violence issues.  Used cell phones are accepted at the church office for donation to Alexandra House, where they are reprogrammed for clients to be able to dial 911 for help in emergency situations.      Top of page

BABY LAYETTE PROGRAM
Christ Lutheran provides baby layettes for families in need with newborns. Clients are referred from specific agencies in Anoka County. A layette is made up of the following new items: pacifier, onesie, bib, sleeper, socks, receiving blanket, bottle, rattle, disposable diapers, baby wipes, wash cloth, and a fleece tied blanket. The items are wrapped in the blanket, and tied with a ribbon that also holds the rattle on top. Donations can be brought to the church office. Project nights are held occasionally so that the congregation can participate in cutting /tying fleece blankets and assembling layettes. The program helped 62 families in 2012.     Top of page 

COMMUNITY EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (CEAP)
CEAP runs a community food shelf, and provides financial and other types of assistance to families living in Anoka County, who are in need. For more information, visit www.ceap.org. Christ Lutheran supports CEAP with food-drives several times a year, and backpacks for their Back-to-School Program in August. Non-perishable food items are accepted year round at the church. Here is a list of needed items.       Top of page 
 

 CHRISTMAS BASKETS
Every holiday season, the congregation gives Christmas Baskets to families in the community who are in need. The baskets contain food for a holiday meal and a gift for each member of the family. The baskets are personally delivered the weekend before Christmas. Recipients are referred by CEAP (Community Emergency Assistance Program) and members of the congregation. 100 families received Christmas Baskets in 2012.      Top of page 

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Habitat for Humanity works through locally formed affiliates to eliminate poverty housing by building simple, decent, safe, affordable housing for families in need. These families contribute hundreds of hours of sweat equity in the construction of their homes. They purchase their homes under 20 to 30 year, 0% interest mortgages. All Habitat homeowner mortgage payments go back into the creation of more affordable housing. 

CLC joins with St. Timothy’s Catholic Church to provide a volunteer work force for one week during the summer. The churches who work for Habitat also make a yearly financial commitment to the program, which helps to buy work materials for the project.      Top of page  
 

 MEALS ON WHEELS
Meals on Wheels is a program which delivers lunch to disabled, elderly, and other homebound adults. Christ Lutheran provides drivers every ninth week for the Coon Rapids/Blaine program.      Top of page 

 OUR SAVIOUR’S HOUSING SHELTER MEAL
Christ Lutheran Church serves the evening meal at Our Saviour’s Housing, 2219 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis, on the 4th Thursday of every month. Our Saviour’s houses 40 single men and women who have been homeless. Residents are drug free, either employed or actively seeking employment, and work with case managers who offer them counseling on housing, employment, and personal issues.

Opportunities to help with this ministry include donating food, helping to cook the food, or delivering and serving the food at the shelter. A sign-up sheet is posted in the church gathering space several weeks before each meal.

• Food donors purchase needed items, mark them “Shelter Meal” and bring them to the church kitchen.

• 2 - 4 cooks meet at the CLC kitchen around 4:00 PM on the day of the meal, and spend about two hours preparing the food and putting it into containers that are easily transported. Menu and instructions are provided the day of the meal. 

• 3 - 4 servers pick up the prepared food around 6:00 PM and take it to the shelter.  After serving the meal buffet style to residents, they bring the serving dishes back to the church and clean them.  Directions to the shelter are provided at the church the day of the meal.     Top of page