Community Outreach

This page showcases numerous programs, benefits, functions and projects sponsored by members or groups of members at Church, which are typically outside the immediate focus of our Ministries and the Bethlehem Women of the ELCA. The goal is to bring these efforts together in one place so that we all may be better informed and those who desire to express their interest in joining, participating or volunteering may view the wide range of members ongoing activities and efforts. It is with earnest desire and passion that this page will serve the congregation's desire to become involved on any level of participation.

Bethlehem Cares Fund: In these times of financial uncertainty, we have a fund to help those in need of groceries, medical bills etc. Contact Rose or Pastor Laura at the Church office.

T.A.C.O. ~ Third Avenue Charitable Organization See the Church calendar for your next opportunity. Church members volunteer to serve in the First Lutheran Church's soup kitchen, downtown at 3rd and Ash, at 3:30 PM. No cooking involved -- all that's needed is a friendly face and willing hands. Questions or need a ride? Call Lori Cook at 760 918-2401. Hope to see you there! Matthew 25:3
TACO update page.

Bethlehem Advocacy Committee Group (BAC) has a new name and a focused vision. The goal of the new Bethlehem Advocacy Committee (BAC) is to advocate for social justice within the congregation. We take our directive from the words of the ELCA Constitution: to participate in God’s mission to meet human needs, study social issues and trends, advocating dignity and justice for all people. Our vision is to alleviate poverty locally and abroad. This April we are supporting Jubilee and Lifestraw project. Coordinator: Gail Winterbourne bcpresch@blcenc.org

Jubilee was formed in the late 1990’s by people of faith and conscience who felt compelled to address the growing international debt crisis. Bethlehem Lutheran Church is a flagship congregation of Jubilee. In 2008 we have an opportunity to break the chains of debt and change the lives of millions. The Jubilee Act is the single most important piece of debt legislation and one of the most widely supported anti-poverty bills in Congress. Together, right now, we can make history. Contact your Congressman to support the Jubilee Act or come by the Jubilee table to sign a postcard which will be hand delivered to your Congressman.

Wahu Kaara of Kenya, the founding director of the Kenya Debt Relief Network, a past Nobel Peace Prize nominee spoke to us through an invite by the Jubilee San Diego Coalition. News articles from the San Diego Union and North County Times are linked below.

SDU - Kenyan rights advocate to speak to local groups on global social justice

NTC - ENCINITAS: Thanksgiving Eve celebration features prayers, songs, laughter

The Center for Global Awareness fosters understanding of peoples and cultures throughout our world. Program Director: Diane Nichols globalawareness3@hotmail.com For April, The Center for Global Awareness will focus on one aspect of poverty, access to clean water. You can help ensure that children have an opportunity to drink clean water by donating to Lifestraw, a personal and portable plastic filtered straw, designed to turn most surface water into drinking water. Lifestraw kills disease-causing microorganisms that spread cholera, diarrhea, dysentery and typhoid. Please take a donation envelope from the Giving Tree and save the life of a child with each $4 purchase.

Military Support
As a congregation, we wish to continue to offer support to help and appreciate those who are serving in active duty military and their families.

What are we doing now? ELCA women are sewing pajamas and distributing them to families through Military Outreach Ministry. Women from Scraps and Prayers make quilts for the Wounded Warriors Center at Camp Pendleton and Naval Medical Center in San Diego. We supported Stand Down for Veterans and Operation Homefront.

Here are more Volunteer Opportunities:

1) Operation Homefront

Provides emergency support services to military families in San Diego County to help them through financial and emotional crisis, ranging from the struggles that deployments bring to coping with injury recovery and recuperation.

Visit this website for more information, www.operationhomefront.net/sandiego or call 866-424-5210.

2) Armed Services YMCA

Here is a sample of their volunteer opportunities:

Operation Hero is an afterschool mentoring program to address issues faced by young military youth.

North Co. Honor Campaign is a fund to assist the education of children who lost a parent during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The Wounded Warrior Center helps the Iraqi Freedom wounded recover.

The Ball Gown Giveaway program assists active duty and dependent spouses to attend the Navy and Marine Corps Balls.

Home Hospitality allows single service members to share a homecooked meal with a family.

Visit this website for information, www.asymca.org or call 760-385-4921.

3) Military Outreach Ministries

Provides food, baby and children's items,furniture, household goods, gift cards for grocery and gas stores to military families in need. Maintains the Bread Ministry, referral services, bible studies, and babysitting.Contact www.militaryoutreach.org or call 760-908-7043.

4) Navy-Marine Corps Relief Services

Provides financial, educational, assistance with car breakdown, maintains food lockers, thrift shops and visiting nurse services to the Navy and Marine soldiers and their families. If you can volunteer your time or talents, they will offer reimbursement for mileage and childcare. You don't have to be military to volunteer. Contact www.nmcrs.org or call 760-725-5337.

5) Army Air Force Exchange Service

Buy prepaid phone calling cards for our troops in Iraqi Freedom to call home and for their families to use. Visit www.aafes.com to find out how to help.

6) HirePatriots.com is a Christian web site dedicated to help to our Marines, sailors, vets and their families find one day or short term jobs in the local area. These One Day or short term jobs are very, very important to our military neighbors but there are never nearly enough. The site gets 1500 local troops a day looking for One Day or short term jobs but the site usually only gets 5-10 jobs a day posted. Go to www.hirepatriots.com for information.