AGAPE HOUSE Spring 2014 Lutheran-Episcopal Campus Ministry at San Diego State University The 11th Annual Agape House Chili Cook-off & Cookie Chill-off Award Results Golden Ladle: Hannah Shawkey & Michael Lakin St. Andrew s LC $3,802.46 Golden Spatula: Brian Kelly Christ LC $571.00 Silver Ladle: Jeff Jacobson Shepherd of the Valley LC $3,065.00 Bronze Ladle: Lina Griffin Hope LC $936.00 Silver Spatula: Earline Trinkle & Linda Juhasz Gethsemane LC $507.25 Bronze Spatula: Sue Fennema St. Andrew s LC $358.91 We had a fun & successful event Thanks to our chili and cookie entries And to our generous donors and sponsors Grand Total Raised $14,319.46! (Thank you to Thrivent Financial for co-sponsoring this event!)
Jess Marin presents the Ladle awards to: Left: Hannah Shawkey & Michael Lakin; Middle: Pr. Dan Roschke & Jeff Jacobson; Right: Pr. Jogy & Lina Griffin CONGRATS TO OUR WINNERS! Jess presents the Spatula awards to: Left: Brian Kelly; Middle: Earline Trinkle; Right: Sue Fennema
2014 Chili Cook-off & Cookie Chill-off Amazing Cooks & Tireless Volunteers!
From Dirt to Food Security: The Agape Garden is Growing As a part of a multi-pronged effort to address student poverty, we have transformed the backyard of the Agape House into an area that will create community, teach valuable skills, and spark important conversations about faith, life, and justice. How? By creating the Agape Garden. In this garden we will partner with students, the campus community and you, our congregational partners in ministry, to meet the immediate hunger needs of our students while working together for a just community where no one is hungry. All gardeners and farmers know that to grow good food you need good soil as a foundation. At the Agape House we are creating a foundation, literally and figuratively, from which our Agape Garden will grow and flourish. Our community is rich with the excitement, commitment and vision that will be the fertile soil in which the Agape Garden can set deep roots and abundant harvests in our effort to address student poverty. The Agape Garden consists of three garden beds that will be used by the Agape House as learning beds for students and provide produce for our weekly meals and eventually produce distribution. The remaining garden beds will be tended by Agape Garden members with a portion of their produce being tithed to the Agape House and partner ministries. These Agape Garden members will be made up of student groups, faculty, staff, and supporting congregations like yourself. Beyond growing food, the Agape Garden is a space where we will gather for conversation, learning, and worship. The Agape Garden is a space where we can grow together. We invite you to join us. How can you help? Here are 5 great ways: 1) Help us fill our beds! To grow good food we need good soil. You can help by sponsoring our soil. Organic soil for our beds costs $3/cubic foot. We need 324 cubic feet of soil to fill all of our beds. How many feet of soil will you sponsor? 2) Share your wisdom. Are you a gardener who can share their wisdom with the students? Lead a gardening workshop for us! Share your love of cooking with students eager to learn! 3) Sign up for a garden bed. Does your congregation, small group, or youth group want to do some gardening of their own? We are taking names of interested groups and individuals who would like to tend one of the community garden beds. 4) Help us stock our garden tool shed. We are in need of garden tools, trellises, and other supplies that will help us tend and grow. What is in your garage, shed, or garden that needs a new home? 5) Help us get work done. Join us for an upcoming work day at the garden. For more info or to volunteer, contact Melissa James at farmtofaithsd@gmail.com
Thank You s for Yesterday, Fresh Welcomes for Today, and Bright Hopes for Tomorrow With lingering gratitude, we are so thankful for the great turnout and generous support of so many congregations and individuals who rallied together for our 11 th Chili Cook-off and Cookie Chill-off! We also received several helpful suggestions for next year, which we plan to act on, so please contact us if you d like to help us shape next year s event. opportunities, new students are connecting their faith and values with action that strengthens community while improving lives. Right now, students discern God s call to make housing more accessible to poor students, support vulnerable immigrants, and improve safety on and around campus. Welcome Melissa James, Agape Garden Steward Thanks to a Domestic Hunger Grant from the ELCA, we are launching our Agape Garden, Pantry and Table programs to serve low-income students at SDSU. We are grateful to have leadership and wisdom from Diaconal Minister Melissa James! Welcome Carolina Heredia, Bookkeeping Intern As our student staff evolves with each semester, we have the opportunity to offer an internship to accounting student Carolina Heredia from the Agape community. Thank you, Carolina we look forward to serving with you! Carolina says, I m really grateful for the opportunity to learn and gain experience. Connecting, Equipping & Empowering As we have previously reported more SDSU students have shown up at Agape with increasing financial strain, food insecurity, homelessness, and fear of campus crime. Students have been moved to respond by coming together in common cause. This led the Agape board and community to join Justice Overcoming Boundaries, a Gamaliel community organization. Through training and leadership A recent leader training event at Agape House Faith-Rooted Community Organizing, Agape Partners with Justice Overcoming Boundaries by ChristianAhmad Bell I've never had an organization like JOB (that's Justice Overcoming Boundaries) to put me on my current path and teach me what it means to help myself by helping others. Since I've joined JOB I've been groomed to the position of a leader, and I've been able to be involved with task forces on immigration, transportation issues, public safety, and one of my personal favorites, affordable housing. It gets better though. JOB functions as a nonprofit as well so I've learned processes of leadership training and exciting community fundraisers, like one of the largest family events in San Diego Fiesta Del Sol is coming up on 12-13 July. It's cool to see how I can get involved in not only my own community, but I get to show love to yours too.
Easy Money from Thrivent Choice Dollars Are you a member of Thrivent Financial? If so, you can help Agape House automatically at no cost to you! With the Thrivent Choice program, money is already set aside for you to direct to Agape House. Agape House received $486.00 in calendar year 2014 through this program. To find out more and sign up, please go online to thrivent.com/thriventchoice. It only takes about 3 minutes, and here are easy, stepby-step instructions to get this free money flowing to Agape House. Your support is greatly appreciated! Online / Internet Instructions: Step 1 Visit Thrivent.com/thriventchoice Step 2 Click on Log In at the top right of your screen. Then enter your MyThrivent user ID and password. (If you haven t registered on Thrivent.com before, click on register now. to choose a user ID and password) Step 3 Click on the MyThrivent box in the upper left corner. Step 4 Click on Direct Choice Dollars in the Thrivent Choice SM box on MyThrivent page. Step 5 Under Search Organizations type Lutheran Campus Center & San Diego & CA and Click on Search Step 6 If you are already using recurring direction and would like your Choice Dollars to continue to automatically flow to Agape House, Click on Set Up Recurring. When the pop-up box appears, Click on the square box to agree, and Click on the Yes bubble. Then Click on Done and you are done! Step 7 OR, Click on Direct Choice Dollars Now to direct your designated Choice Dollars. Phone Instructions: Step 1 Call 1-800-847-4836 and when prompted, say, Thrivent Choice. Step 2 When prompted, say, Choice Dollars. Step 3 Say or enter your Social Security number. Step 4 Press 1 to direct Choice Dollars, or press 2 to hear the Thrivent Choice program terms and conditions. Step 5 A representative will then work with you to direct Choice Dollars. How to keep free money flowing to Agape House: Thrivent Financial is phasing out automatic distribution, so you will need to login at least once a year (or at any time) to distribute your Thrivent Choice Dollars to Agape House. Thank you to Thrivent Financial for supporting Agape House campus ministry with Thrivent Choice Dollars!
Your gifts in God s hands are sure to change lives at Agape House! Name Address City State Zip Phone E-mail Agape/SDSU Alum? (years ) Thank you for your support of Lutheran-Episcopal Campus Ministry at SDSU. 100% of your gift will be used at Agape House. Please apply my gift of $ as follows: General Ministry Fund $ Facility Improvement $ Other $ This gift is in Memory or Honor of:* *Please notify (name) (address) Please make checks payable to: Agape House (Please tear here and return to Agape House) Please Check any that apply: Contact me about automatic donations Contact me about serving as a volunteer Contact me about making an in-kind or estate gift Students, Alumni, Staff or Faculty for us to contact: Name: Phone: Email: Please return to: Agape House, 5863 Hardy Ave, San Diego, CA 92115 or email: agapehousesdsu@gmail.com Ways for You to Give Agape House is a qualified 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, so your gifts are fully tax deductible within IRS limits. Please contact your tax advisor to confirm current tax laws regarding charitable contributions as they apply to you. Here are just a few creative ways that you can support the outreach of Agape House. 1. Gifts of Cash Cash contributions are an itemized deduction in the year you make the donation, up to 50% of your adjusted gross income (IRS rules are subject to change). Excess charitable deductions can be carried forward for up to five additional years. 2. Congregational Pledges Suggest including or increasing Agape House support in your congregation s annual spending plan (budget). Even one-half of one percent of your budget can make a big difference! 3. Donation of Assets By donating appreciated assets such as real estate, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, coins, etc., you will build up our ministry for years to come. There also may significant tax benefits in gifting property. 4. Donations of Materials, Labor, etc. Call to learn about current and upcoming projects. 5. Wills and Bequests Planned giving in wills, trusts, life insurance and retirement plans are means to leave a legacy of ministry while benefitting you and your heirs by saving on estate and other taxes. 6. Memorials One way to express lasting gratitude for people who have shaped your life is by giving a gift in their name and/or to a purpose close to their heart. 7. Corporate Matching Gifs Your company or employer may already have a matching program in place that will multiply your gift, even if you are retired. Find out how to multiply your support by contacting your human resources department. 8. Challenge Gifts Consider challenging others to grow in their giving by offering to match their gifts.
Lutheran Campus Council of San Diego, California 5863 Hardy Avenue San Diego, CA 92115 NONPROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID SAN DIEGO CA PERMIT NO. 2406 Return Service Requested Agape House - Lutheran-Episcopal Campus Ministry at San Diego State U. Board of Directors: Teresa Spoulos, President Cyndi Jones, Vice President Bea Lathrop, Treasurer & Staff Advisor Pat Swanson, Secretary Ryan Frisella, Student Org. President Campus Ministry Staff: Darin Johnson, Campus Pastor Patricia Patty Ruiz, Campus Ministry Assistant Jessica Marin, Program Assistant Carolina Heredia, Bookkeeping Intern Radbeh Rod Ravaz, Resident Assistant Melissa James, DM, Agape Garden Steward www.agapehousesdsu.org 619.583.3972 agapehousesdsu@gmail.com Upcoming Special Events: 06/04 JOB Affordable Housing Meeting @ 5:30pm 06/09 Volunteer at T.A.C.O. @ 3:00pm 06/10 Board Meeting @ 5:30pm 06/14 Hosting Not-It Youth Scavenger Hunt 06/20 Volunteer at T.A.C.O. @ 7:30am 06/24 Poetry afternoon & Ice cream social 06/25 Beach Clean-up, then Day at the Beach 06/30 Hiking Day