Outreach and Mission Programs

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 2007. 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.

2007 Update: In September Hurricane Felix hit Central America as a Category 5 hurricane, impacting many Agros villages. El Milagro and the surrounding area were spared the heavy winds but received a considerable amount of rain as the storm passed through. It doesn't sound like there was any major crop loss as in other villages but the road to the community washed out in several places. The road has always been a character-building experience but now needs some extra attention. The director of Agros in El Salvador will work with the local government to involve them in the repairs. Please continue to pray for El Milagro and all those who are affected by natural disasters.

2008 Update: Team dates for this year are June 21-29 and November 22-30. The November team will be during Thanksgiving week. For more information, or to join a team, please contact Kay Schroedl. 

Compass Center Ministries

The Compass Center in Seattle provides short-term transitional housing for homeless women. Our confirmation class provides and serves Sunday morning breakfast on the 4th Sunday of every month, serving about 80 men. 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.

Hammond House is the Women's Emergency Overnight Shelter, in downtown Seattle. Adult members of the congregation provide and serve dinner for 40 to 50 residents the first Thursday of every month. Money for these dinners and various other hunger projects is raised by the annual Easter Breakfast, which is cooked and served by the confirmation students; and joined with matching funds from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

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. There will be 2 homes built from the 2008 Golf Tournament proceeds!

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.

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

This year's projects:

Collecting art and craft supplies for Camp Korey

Winter food drive (fruit and hearty cereals) for Mercer Island Youth & Family Services

"Team Piehl" - participating in the MS walk for a church family in April

Page updated on Friday, May 09, 2008