July and August 2026
Helping people build stronger futures
What does it take to build a better future?
Sometimes it begins with a safe place to live, support during a difficult
season or someone to walk alongside you through a crisis.
Other times, it starts with a small loan that allows a person to launch a
business, support a family or pursue a dream.
Though they work in different ways, our Benevolence partners for the
midsummer months share a common purpose: helping people move from
hardship toward hope and opportunity.
In July, we will support Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper
Michigan (LSS), an organization that has been serving neighbors in need
for more than 140 years. Founded in 1882 as a home for orphaned
children in Wittenberg, Wisconsin, LSS has grown into one of the
Midwest’s largest human service organizations, helping individuals and
families find stability through mental health and addiction recovery
services, affordable housing, foster care, disability services, support for
older adults and more. Today, its work reaches communities across
Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, providing a path toward safety, healing
and independence for thousands of people each year.
In August, our focus will shift from stability to opportunity through Kiva, a
nonprofit that connects people around the world through microloans.
Since its founding in 2005, Kiva’s community of lenders has funded more
than $2.4 billion in loans to approximately 5.6 million borrowers in more
than 90 countries. In 2024 alone, Kiva helped fund more than $109 million
in loans to underbanked women and nearly $19 million in loans supporting
refugees rebuilding their lives. Borrowers historically repay about 96% of
Kiva loans, allowing funds to be recycled and used again to help others.
Through our Benevolence giving, we help extend both compassion and
opportunity to neighbors near and far.
You can contribute financially by:
Mail: Send a check to ELC and note “Benevolence” in the memo.
Online: Visit the ELC website and click “Give”.
Digitally: Download the “GivePlus Church” mobile app, or text “Benevolence” to 608-400-0183 with the amount you wish to give.
On behalf of Benevolence,
Adam Mertz
adammertz2@gmail.com
