The outreach Ministry of the Month for August is the South Brevard Sharing Center, and Hope outreach funds of $500 will be supporting their efforts to feed needy families and the homeless in Melbourne. The Sharing Center’s mission is to support, strengthen and empower families to achieve self-sufficiency in south Brevard County, Florida. For 50 years the Sharing Center has served families by assisting with food, clothing, household items and financial vouchers for prescriptions, utilities, rent and other miscellaneous items through case-managed services. More information for this important local agency can be found at mysbsc.org . 

Hope for the Homeless will officially begin in August, and the details will be completed this month. Essentially the new plan will be as follows: each month Hope will collect donations of a clothing item and a food or hygiene item for the homeless as coordinated with Daily Bread.  Hope members may also participate by writing notes of encouragement which will go along with the items. We are looking to use Thrivent and outreach funds plus member monetary donations to purchase additional clothing and food/hygiene items to supplement what is donated. Tori C. is our coordinator for this new program. If you have questions or ideas or would like to help in any way, please contact Tori.

Hands on Hope is being developed as an intentional effort to get Hope members involved in hands on activities, both to help our own members and people/agencies in our community. Previous Mission Weeks involved many hands on activities in a week’s time; Hands on Hope will aim to do similar activities, but will be spread throughout the year. Requests for help for Hope members will likely come through Lois Diebel (Hope Cares) and Pastor; other activity suggestions can come from Hope members and the outreach committee. Dave Roberts has agreed to be the point person for Hands on Hope. Please contact him if you have ideas or suggestions for hands on activities for Hope.

Our fleece lap blanket project for the children at The Haven is in full swing! The blankets have new directions this year which we hope will make them easier to do than the tied ones from  previous years. Check out the example in the narthex, and consider signing up to help by doing a blanket or two. Completed blankets are due on August 29th. If you have questions, please contact Nancy Sutter.

The pink beading group will meet on Friday, August 6, from 6-7 p.m. in the church fellowship hall. The group makes pink bracelets for breast cancer patients, and the hour is filled with fellowship and fun as well as bracelet-making. All materials are provided, and everyone is welcome—and this includes men! Janet Duddy is the contact person for the group, and she will be happy to give you instructions for making the bracelets at home if you choose to help in that way.

A huge thank you to members and friends of Hope and to Thrivent for supporting the Sherwood      backpack project! A total of 23 backpacks were filled with school supplies, and the teacher, media, and activity requests as well as most of the teacher wish list items were also fulfilled. The supplies were     delivered this past week in time for registration, and the Sherwood personnel were delighted to receive them.

The yearlong efforts of several members will be shipped to northern Minnesota after Thanksgiving. If you are a knitter or crocheter (or would like to learn!) interested in becoming a part of this ministry, contact Linda Miller.

Hope Cares is a program that matches needs of Hope members with the resources that are most helpful. This program is a way to help us bless and serve others with our time and talents. Hope Cares is also there to help in a time of need. Those involved can bring meals, give rides to church or other places, share greeting cards, or visit those who are in need. Hope has helped many people through this program with visits, meals and transportation. If you would like to bless others in this way or you know someone in need of assistance, contact Deaconess Lois Diebel or talk to Pastor.