We have the opportunity to assist in a Foreign Aid Project that is helping orphanages in Ghana. The orphanages need everything necessary to raise happy and healthy children. Clothes, shoes, school supplies, books, over the counter medications, grooming products and toys. There are a couple of people from Wake Medical that made a trip to Ghana in 2010 and are returning in July on a service trip to help orphanages in Ghana and we are looking to help supply them with all the things a child needs and wants. The children range from infants to teenagers. We will have boxes set up in the Narthex for donations of new and gently used items and will be collecting thru the month of June. Please contact Lynda – Lynda_lyle@yahoo.com or Sonja at sonjanordie@yahoo.com with any questions or if you would like to make a donation to help with the shipping costs. Thank you for your support.

Affiliates are on the ground in Oklahoma, assessing the immediate and long-term needs of those affected by the tornadoes. Your gifts are needed now to begin coordinating volunteers, rebuilding homes and offering spiritual and emotional care to those in need. Gifts designated to “U.S. Tornadoes” through Lutheran Disaster Response will be used entirely — 100 percent — to help survivors of tornadoes rebuild their lives and livelihoods.   If you would like to help, you may place a check in the offering plate made out to Lutheran Disaster Response, with “U.S. Tornadoes” on the memo line, or you can go to www.elca.org.  Find the photo area titled “Responding to Tornadoes,” and then click on “Gifts.”

We will be hosting a blood drive in the bloodmobile on Sunday, April 21 from 9:00 – 1:30.  You can sign up online at redcrossblood.org by clicking on sponsor code and entering “Abiding Presence,” or you may contact Beth Hartzel at bethhartzell@aol.com or by phone at 919-557-0778 for assistance signing up.  Every donation saves 3 lives and all donations are appreciated.

We are hosting a blood drive on Sunday, January 6, in the bloodmobile from 9:00-1:30. If you would be willing to give, please sign up online at

http://www.redcrossblood.org/

Then click on enter sponsor code and enter Abiding Presence. If you have any problems contact me at bethhartzell@aol.com or at 919-557-0778 (leave a message) and I will sign you up. Especially during the holidays supplies are low, so all donations help. Thank you.

S.T.O.R.M. (Service To Others Resource Ministry) will once again be setting up the ANGEL TREE in early December to provide gifts for families in our area who are in need. The tree will be set up in the narthex and decorated with paper ornaments with gift information listed on it. If you would like to help in this area of ministry, select and ornament (or as many as you would like). Purchase the gifts(s), wrap it and put the ornament on the gift so we will know who the gift is for. The gifts must be brought back to church and placed under the Angel Tree by Sunday December 16th. We also need some volunteers to help deliver the gifts to each family. Please contact Sonja Nordheim at 919-995-5890 or songanordie@yahoo.com if you would like to help deliver or have any questions.

Want to help those impacted by Hurricane Sandy? Your gift, designated for “Hurricane Sandy,” will be used entirely – 100% – in response to this disaster. You can designate your gift for Hurricane Sandy – where the need is greatest, or you can donate gifts specific to the United States or the Caribbean. To donate online, please go to www.elca.org/disaster. You can also donate via the offering plate or send your check directly to ELCA Disaster Response, 39330 Treasury Center, Chicago, IL 60694-9300. Please write “Hurricane Sandy” or “Where needed most” on your check’s memo line.

The APLC STORM Team needs your help in providing ready-to-cook Thanksgiving dinners for five local families in need who have been identified by Wake County Social Services. On Sunday, November 18, we will deliver the dinners to the five families. All of the food items should be delivered to the kitchen during church on Sunday, November 18. There is a poster in the narthex identifying the food needs. Please sign up so we know what food we will have. If you prefer, you can also e-mail or call Dan Young at EHSDan521@aol.com or 919-389-6000 and identify what you would like to donate. Cash donations to purchase food are also gladly accepted. Please make checks payable to APLC and put Thanksgiving Dinner on the memo line.

There is one more Tuesday remaining in Ruby Tuesday’s “GiveBack” promotion for SWFCA.  Next Tuesday, October 23rd, 20% of your total tab for lunch, dinner or take-out will be donated to SWFCA.  Flyers are available on the table by the front door in the narthex, and must be presented for SWFCA to receive the donation. This is a great way to support SWFCA’s mission in the community and have a fun night out at the same time!

We are hosting a blood drive Sunday, September 30 in the bloodmobile from 9:00-1:30. If you would be willing to give please sign up online at http://www.redcrossblood.org/, then click on enter sponsor code and enter Abiding Presence. If you have any problems contact me at bethhartzell@aol.com or at (919) 557-0778 (leave a message) and I will sign you up. As always supplies are low, so all donations help.

You can donate a Backpack filled with: crayons, pencils, pencil sharpener, ruler, hand sanitizer, wide ruled paper, blunt scissors, 2 folders with pockets, 2 spiral notebooks (wide ruled), and a pencil box; or just donate the backpack or any of the individual supplies. Return your donation to the church narthex in the box labeled “School Supplies” by Sunday August 19. Note that the North Carolina Tax-Free Weekend for 2012 is August 3-5 for this type of purchase. Contact Elaine Coffee at 919-546-3244 or 919-552-2941 or any STORM team member with questions.