Service to others — both locally and globally — is at the center of our church community. Each month, our Benevolence Program collects contributions from our social justice-minded congregation for deserving charities both locally and globally.
Benevolence presentations are made at services on the second weekend of each month. A special collection is made at that time, but donations can be made throughout the month for that month’s designated charity. The funds are then sent to the recipient organization following that month. Ten percent of each month’s donation goes to Divine Savior, ELC’s sister church in Cataño, Puerto Rico. The full remainder of funds goes to the designated recipient organization. If there is more than one recipient organization in a given month, the funds are split equally between all the charities.
See our list of monthly projects below.
JANUARY ($957): Compassion International provides educational, health and spiritual guidance to “our” kids: Vanesa, 15, in Mexico, and Simon, 8, in Tanzania.
FEBRUARY ($997): We’ll facilitate racial justice programming to bring a better understanding within our congregation and as an outreach to our community.
MARCH ($797): ELC summer youth programming. Through Vacation Bible School, Mission Week and camperships, we’ll touch the lives of dozens of kids over break.
APRIL: Divine Savior (Puerto Rico), our sister congregation in Cataño, receives financial assistance for operational needs and to support its ministers and congregation.
MAY: Neighbors Helping Neighbors provides free food, clothing, footwear, bedding and access to social services to our neighbors in need. As part of its services, NHN supports the summertime backpack lunch program, which offers a steady source of nutritious food to kids from homes where food insecurity is a regular issue.
JUNE: Lutheran Social Services delivers a wide range of programs and services, including
adoption, foster care, addiction treatment, senior housing, mental health, and family assistance.
JULY: Habitat for Humanity empowers people with limited resources to obtain safe, modern housing.
AUGUST: Lutheran World Relief tackles global poverty by helping people adapt to the challenges that threaten their livelihoods and well-being. Our church creates and collects quilts, school kits and health kits, which volunteers load into railroad boxcars this fall, destined for Lutheran World Relief.
AUGUST: Supporting both LUAD and ELCA Disaster Relief connects us to a local and national / international strategy to help people overcome natural disasters.
SEPTEMBER: Through SABA, International, we aid The Nest Children’s Home, New Dawn Orphanage, and Bethel Outreach Children’s Center in Kenya.
OCTOBER: Building Bridges provides a mental health safety net for youth who have sought a residential intervention, coordinating partnerships and collaborations between families, advocates, community and residential service providers, and oversight agencies.
NOVEMBER: Accessible local health care through Our Lady of Hope in Madison and Community Connections Free Clinic in Dodgeville supports people in our region who would otherwise have few or no options for assistance.
DECEMBER: Madison Area Jail Ministry features 1-on-1 devotion to the spiritual needs of people who are incarcerated and the sheriffs deputies who work at the jail.
BONUS: We’ll reinvest repaid microloans through KIVA to small businesses worldwide.
