Pictured are members of Memorial Lutheran, members of the Memorial Lutheran grant committee, and representatives of the many organizations that received gifts from the Memorial Lutheran Church Ministry Endowment Fund during a grant awards ceremony on November 9.
In the summer of 2009, Memorial Lutheran Church of Nevada announced a new grant program, through which the church would live up to the words on its logo–The Sharing Place.
Memorial funds left by Donna Rae Danielson allowed for the church council to put in place a Memorial Lutheran Endowment Fund, which, in its first year, gave out $57,200 in awards. It was noted that in that first year, the overall amount to be given would likely be higher than the amounts to follow, but the fund was set up as a “perpetual fund” in that the principal would never be exhausted.
Fourteen years later, the Endowment Fund is continuing to make an impact on people’s lives. Last week, 29 grants totaling $37,074 in gifts were awarded. Awards are given in three areas: To groups within Memorial Lutheran Church, to groups in the local/area community, and to groups that do work globally. Most of the grant awards each year — this year 21 of the 29 given — go to groups serving the local/area community.
Here is the breakdown of this year’s award recipients:
To groups within the church:
Memorial Lutheran Card Ministry: $500 — support for postage for cards sent to members and prospective members for special occasions
Music Ministry of Memorial: $500 — support for the music department for honorariums for guest musicians
Sanctuary Decor Team: $7, 578 — will fund new banners and the suspension of the wooden cross to make it a more welcoming place for members of all ages
Memorial Faith Formation Committee: $1,500 — funds weekly “Wednesday Night Live” gatherings throughout the school year, helping pay for food, crafts, and educational materials
To neighbors in the local/area community:
Parkinson’s Disease Singing Group: $550 — support for weekly singing group for individuals with Parkinson’s Disease, funds help purchase music and supplies for the annual singing festival
Nevada Fire Department: $1,120 — supports the purchase of photoelectric smoke alarms and fire-safe cannulas for individuals who are using home oxygen
Happy Harmony Mittens: $400 – supports the continued production of mittens by sisters Sue Kohler and Mary Brinkman, helping pay for fleece, sweaters, thread, etc., so that proceeds can benefit other community organizations/groups
Nevada Community School District’s Dr. Heather Ludwig Memorial Day of Service: $750 — supports supplies needed for projects on this annual day of service
Legal Aid Society of Story County: $559 — supports general program to offer legal services through one or more of the newly developed community outreach initiatives
Wings of Refuge: $1,800 — provides long-term restorative care to female survivors of sex trafficking, providing clothing and personal care needs for a full year
Bethany Life: $500 — provides care for aging population, including a memory care unit, and funds will purchase items for their sensory rooms
Martha’s House of Hope: $1,500 — provides support for women facing unexpected crisis pregnancies, and grant will fund supplies for moms participating in the “Healthy Moms & Babies” project
Threshold Learning Center: $1,000 — grant will support the enhancement of the garden, as well as provide scholarships for families involved in programming at this Zearing educational center
Boys & Girls Club of Story County: $750 — grant supports the growth of the Healthy Eating and Physical Activity initiative and provides food support for the Nevada Club House, located at Memorial Lutheran
The RedShirt Foundation: $1,100 — grant funding for youth and mental health and suicide prevention programming; funds will support youth in mental wellness, provide resources to parents/relatives of struggling youth, and provide free resources to schools for their wellness programs
Raising Readers in Story County: $1,200 — supports literacy development of young children in Story County and provides support for Reading Buddies program in Story County
The Bridge Home: $1,700 — provides programming and emergency shelter for those experiencing homelessness
Lutheran Services in Iowa: $500 — provides funding for LSI’s Refugee Community Services program in the Des Moines metro area, funds purchase personal care, cleaning, and household supplies for newly arrived families
Nevada High School iJAG (Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates) program: $1,000 — supports supplies for the DISH it Up project, where students learn the importance of budgeting, meal planning, grocery shopping, food prep and cooking
Cub Scouts Pack 128: $800 — covers feels for eight scouts, including participation fees and uniforms
The Salvation Army of Ames and Story County: $1,000 — supports the purchase of items for the Family Pantry Project, including personal hygiene items, diapers and wipes, and cleaning supplies
Nevada CROP Walk: $260 — funds to be used for the third annual walk in 2024
Nevada Community School District Student Assistance Fund: $4,000 — supports the Blast Back to School supply giveaway, Thanksgiving meals, Cubbie’s Cupboard, the Angel Tree, the Backpack Program, and scholarships for students for extracurricular activities and passes for the Fawcett Family Aquatic Center
Community Cupboard: $2,000 — supports assistance of families in need during the holiday season and beyond
Harmony Clothing Closet: $700 — grants will help the Closet with the expansion of its children’s section, helping to purchase supplies for building shelves
To organizations in the global community:
Reach for the Stars Foundation: $807 — funds will support “spreading the Gospel” project by purchasing Bibles in specific languages and dialects to be distributed in the Philippines
To God’s Glory: $2,000 — Supports education of children in Uganda, helping fund five students for the 2024 school year
Douglas Avenue Presbyterian Church: $400 – funds support Operation Christmas Child shoebox project, which distributes boxes of school supplies, clothing, personal items, etc., to children ages 2-15
Kits for Girls: $500 — helps fund menstrual hygiene kits for girls, assembled by the Ames Sewing Team, and distributed to developing countries and the US
The grant awards are always appreciated by those accepting them. Linda Munden of The Bridge Home read prepared comments from her phone as she accepted her organization’s award. Munden told church representatives that “the impact of this grant cannot be overstated,” and that what the church is doing through its grant program is “an act of kindness” that “serves as a beacon” to others.
Jodi Heeren, accepting the $4,000 gift for the Nevada School District’s Student Assistance Fund, said the funds provided through the Ministry Endowment Fund have saved people’s lives. “And I’m not exaggerating,” she said.
*See more photos of representatives receiving awards on the Stories by Marlys Barker Facebook page.
–Written by Marlys Barker, City of Nevada
