Our 4th & 5th graders deliver gifts to the Compass Center

Outreach and Mission Programs

Emergency Feeding…. And You!

Through your sharing and the hard work of volunteers, Holy Trinity supports a variety of mission and outreach programs. One of those, the Emergency Feeding Program, supplies 48 grocery bags filled with nutritious staple foods every month for those who have need in the area.

Your financial support of this ministry allows us to make a difference in the lives of others. Currently each month requires approximately $900 to complete the bags, which contain specific food items to feed a family of four for 2 days. (This outreach used to be partially funded by proceeds from Rotary Cooking, a program which no longer exists at HTLC because the Rotary Club of Mercer Island meets elsewhere.)

Right now our Emergency Feeding Fund is running low. Please consider how you might give to support this
ministry of Holy Trinity.  You may make a designated gift by including a note with your check or making the
designation on the offering envelope.

El Milagro

In 2003 the Holy Trinity Church Council decided to partner with the Seattle-based Agros Foundation to provide an ongoing ministry opportunity for our congregation. Agros helps small villages in Central America and Mexico escape the cycle of poverty by enabling the villagers to buy and develop their own land. Villagers are building their own homes for the first time, and developing resources such as small gardens, greenhouses, chicken coops, and herds of goats.

Agros assists villagers in many ways. Women are selling homegrown produce in village markets, and children are being sent to school. Animal husbandry, alternative crops, soil conservation and irrigation are all taught to the farmers, so the villages can eventually become self-supporting.

Our commitment has been to support 20 families in the village of El Milagro ("the miracle") for 3 years. We have sent 6 mission teams to El Salvador since June 2004, with other trips planned for this year and next. On these trips team members helped bring water pipes to each home, built and repaired roads, helped with simple construction work, played with the children, taught English classes, painted, and conducted health seminars for villagers.

Compass Center Ministries

The Compass Center in Seattle provides short-term transitional housing for homeless people. Our confirmation class provides and serves Sunday morning breakfast on the 4th Sunday of every month, serving about 80. We also have ongoing collections of clothing and personal items for the residents.

Each December for the last 5 years, our 4th and 5th graders have set up the Angel Tree, decorated with wish lists from the Women's Compass Cascade Center. Congregation members shop and supply gifts, and the kids go shopping for the remainder, using funds they have raised during their annual Dog & Car Wash in August. Gifts are delivered the week before Christmas.

Thrivent Builds / Habitat for Humanity

Each year Holy Trinity participates in Habitat for Humanity of East King County in the effort to build houses for low-income families. In May we sponsor a Golf Tournament in Redmond, and there are other building opportunities throughout the year. Homes are currently being constructed in Patterson Park and Snoqualmie Ridge. 2 homes built from the 2008 Golf Tournament proceeds are being dedicated in September.

HTLC AND AL-ANON

Just what is this Al-Anon organization listed on the monthly calendar in Holy Trinity’s newsletter?  Their statement of purpose says that “the Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope, in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness, and that changed attitudes can aid recovery. Al-Anon is not allied with any sect, denomination, political entity, organization, or institution; does not engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any cause…”.  This is an anonymous organization that focuses exclusively on alcohol and drug issues at a family or friend level.  

The Al-Anon group called ‘Parents for Serenity’ has been meeting at our church for about eight years. This group focuses on the parent’s perspective in dealing with alcohol or drug problems in a son or daughter; however, the meeting is open to all who are dealing with abuse problems of family or friends. With forty to fifty people at the Monday night meetings this is one of the largest of the 150 or so Al-Anon meetings in the greater Seattle area with people coming from throughout the region. 

Although anonymity is the spiritual foundation of Al-Anon, Dian and I have given up our anonymity as we are members of both HTLC and Al-Anon.  Anonymity means that a person can share experiences with addiction at the meeting without it going any further.  We are extremely pleased and thankful that our church has supported Parents for Serenity by reserving a meeting place EVERY Monday night year around.  Likewise the Al-Anon group is most appreciative to the church for their support.  In additions to the monthly donations to the church the group cleans up after each meeting and restores (or sets up) the fellowship hall as found. It has been amazing to witness the life changes that come out of this program, and that is something for the church to be proud of in our outreach.  Parents for Serenity is open to everyone and invites anyone to be part of the meeting or just to come and observe. For more information check at www.seattle-al-anon.org ,or talk to Gary and Dian Schill.

Confirmation Service Projects

Advent and Lenten projects are usually a hands-on project to help a chosen community organization. Past projects have included making fleece pillows & blankets for Hammond House, and making baby quilts for Eastside Baby Corner and Children's Hospital. The Christmas Bake Sale in early December will be joined with funds from Thrivent, and sent to Camp Korey in Redmond, WA. We have also supported The Moyer Foundation and Camp Erin.  Our latest fundraisers have been for Hamomi, a children’s primary school in Nairobi.

Emergency Feeding Program

Each month, volunteers at Holy Trinity pack 48 nutritionally balanced food bags as part of the Emergency Feeding Program. In 2004 we provided 575 bags, worth $12,650. Each medium-sized bag feeds 5 to 6 people for 2 days, so this was equivalent to 20,700 meals!

"If Christ were to return to earth at this time, He would have to come as bread because there are so many hungry people here." (Gandhi)

Sunday School Outreach projects

2008-2009 projects will be decided by the Sunday School classes. This summer we have provided shoes and clothes to Treehouse (foster children) and First Place School (homeless children).

Collecting art and craft supplies for Camp Korey

Food drives for Mercer Island Youth & Family Services

"Team Piehl" - participated in the MS walk in April 2008 and 2009.

Page updated on Wednesday, July 21, 2010