Doing More by Working Together

By Vickie Denning, Communications

This was TVLC’s eighth annual celebration of “God’s work. Our hands.” days of service. We join with other ELCA churches across the nation to serve and love our neighbors.

Sue Jensen gets excited each year for the ideas and energy that the TVLC family brings to the event. “TVLC is full of people concerned with outreach to the community, in fact, there are many in our congregation who find ways to serve others every day. There is an understanding among us that this is what we, as people of God, are called to do.”

Projects were redesigned and carried out in different ways this year, but Sue noted that TVLC members and friends responded with their “usual enthusiasm and generosity to the opportunities presented.”

Sue explained that the events provide a chance “to focus on a variety of projects that speak to our hearts, and also a way to include everyone who would like to participate.”

And that wide range of heartfelt activities spanned months, not just days here at TVLC.

• Beginning on September 7, ELCAVotes project volunteers attempted to contact TVLC members and friends by phone and email. They checked in with the TVLC family and shared information about voter registration, registration deadlines, early voting, ballot drop-off locations, and offered transportation to the polls.
• On September 20, high school students painted kindness rocks for homebound members and for use at Wheeler Elementary School.
• On October 17, a drive-thru food donation event was held in TVLC’s parking lot. Over four hundred pounds of food was brought in and donated to the food bank at Interfaith Community Services.
• On October 18, we received more than 60 heartfelt notes of appreciation and thanks for teachers and other staff members at Wheeler Elementary School. We gathered and offered new and gently used games, puzzles, art supplies and over 100 pounds of children’s books.

Sue sums up our TVLC family’s welcome and gratitude for the annual event. “Everyone I talk to expresses appreciation for the opportunities presented in the days of service projects, and anticipation for what ideas and goals will come next. There is a realization that we can do more when working together toward a worthy goal than any one person can do alone.”