Where does our offering go?

Every year, our budget includes a line item called “budgeted benevolences.” This is where we as a church tithe on our own income. Let us now celebrate some of what we are able to accomplish together.
The Budgeted Benevolence committee (comprised of Janet Keeley, Jean Jensen, Randy Presuhn, Adolfo Ramirez, Susan Duran, and Laurie Gaumer) received input and met and prayed and discerned. They were able to recommend to the council the following distribution of benevolence:
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Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
$3800 allocation of 2018 Budgeted Benevolence
LIRS works with refugees, children, and migrants to ensure they are protected and welcomed into local communities throughout the United States. Our faith and our nation’s values compel us to respond compassionately to the worst refugee crisis in history, with over 22.5 million refugees worldwide. Through our services, unaccompanied children, refugees, and migrants obtain access to protection, integration, justice, and stability.
LIRS services and advocacy fall into four concrete categories, which are hallmarks of their work:
Protection-Newcomers are safe from harm and have access to legal and physical support, and protection of human rights, as required under international law.
Stabilization-Newcomers are able to independently meet their basic needs in their communities through access to information and resources.
Integration-Newcomers are engaged with their communities. Healthy integration encompasses strong social connections and opportunities for economic success.
The Long Welcome-Successful integration is a long-term project encompassing the efforts of newcomers and the receiving community, professionals and volunteers.
 
Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries
$300 allocation of 2018 Budgeted Benevolence
This contribution supports ELM as they mark the occasion of their 300th Proclaim member. Proclaim is ELM's professional community for Lutheran Ministers and candidates who publicly identify as LGBTQIA+
 
Sunday Friends (a 2017 recipient as well)
$200 allocation of 2018 Budgeted Benevolence
Sunday Friends is a non-profit organization on Story Road in San Jose, Sunday Friends was founded in 1997 by Janice Barron, a Silicon Valley engineer and mother of three. A volunteer-based program, the Sunday Friends focus is the empowerment of family to break the generational cycle of poverty, encouraging parents to support their children's life success. The model is children and parents working together to learn, earn and serve the community.
 
Veggielution (a 2017 recipient as well)
$200 allocation of 2018 Budgeted Benevolence
Veggielution is a volunteer based organically managed community farm located on King Road at the Emma Prusch Farm Park in East San Jose, part of a low income, working class, multicultural immigrant community. Veggilution was founded by three San Jose State University students who wanted to build community through food and farming. Breaking ground in 2008 on a 1/3rd of an acre, today, Veggielution is a thriving 6 acre farm for neighbors of the Mayfair community, a gathering place for thousands of Silicon Valley residents each year.