Warm Feet, Warm Hearts

We will once again, this year, be collecting NEW thick, warm, and durable socks for our brothers and sisters in Morris County. Specifically, Trinity Lutheran Church, Dover. While Morris County is home to some of the wealthiest people in New Jersey it is also occupied by a shocking number of poor and homeless people. These souls very much need our help and compassion. Please consider purchasing a pair, or more, of decent quality winter socks to place in the collection bin that will be in the Fellowship Hall. Since the men are often hired as day workers outside, warm socks and gloves are needed in the winter months. We will see that the contributions get to Trinity Lutheran Church in Dover, NJ for distribution through their Faith Kitchen which gives out hundreds of meals every week to people who are struggling to make ends meet while living in one of New Jersey’s most affluent counties.


Our previous sock collection drives have been remarkably successful. (In 2022 we had 145 pairs of socks, 107 little hotties, 11 hats, and 4 pair of gloves. In 2023 we had 155 pairs of socks, 15 pairs of gloves and 86 hot packs. In 2024 we had 191 pairs of socks, 43 toe warmers, 12 pairs of gloves, and a hat) Many people were spared illness and frostbitten toes through our generous donations.


We are hoping to equal or surpass our previous collections this year. Please help us meet this noble goal and thank you in advance for your kindness.


Our 2025 drive with First Lutheran Church in Stewartsville collected 327 pairs of socks, 50 pairs of gloves, 5 scarves, and 2 hats!  Thank you for your generosity and caring!

Past Mission Campaign Results

Our church members have shown their generous hearts during the past year. MANY THANKS to all the members and friends who have helped us this year.


Charged with the mission to love God, love our neighbor, and care for the world, we strive to share the Gospel and do God’s work in our community, our country and across the world. We remember that Jesus said "what you do for the least of these, you do also for me." We are helping to bring positive changes to people's lives and respond to human needs through ongoing activities such as:

SOUPER BOWL OF CARING

St. Luke's ANNUALLY participates in our own, home grown "Souper" Bowl Sunday ("Souper Bowl of Caring") food drive.  Every dollar and food item donated goes to our local Washington Food Pantry, as we demonstrate God's love for us and our love for our neighbors.


The February 2024 "Souper" Bowl food drive collected 125 cans of soup, and February 2025 drive collected 146 cans!

Tag-A-Bag

Each summer, we help children start school and prepare to learn by donating school supplies in new backpacks!  For the 2024-2025 school year, we've collected supplies to fill 17 backpacks.

Pedals for Progress

Our 2024 summer mission project was to help send pre-loved bicycles overseas with Pedals for Progress (www.p4p.org).  Pedals for Progress recycles serviceable bicycles and sewing machines to be used as economic development tools in developing countries.  The Warren Hills Computer Science Club has already collected bicycles, but it costs an average of $52 to ship each one overseas. We raised $462 to help refurbish and send these bicycles to people who will use them for work, transportation, and even by medical personnel who rely on a bicycle to get them to remote villages not accessible by roads.

RICE RALLY - NOVEMBER 2024

During the month of November WE COLLECTED, for the local food pantry, ONE(1) and TWO(2) pound bags of rice (white or brown).  Rice is a staple worldwide and is used to stretch many types of dishes.  How many people could we feed with 25 pounds of rice?  Typically, a standard serving of uncooked rice is 1/2 of a cup. One pound of uncooked rice is typically 2 cups. So, there are 4 servings per pound of uncooked rice.  25 pounds of uncooked rice, which would be enough to feed 100 people (25 pounds of rice x 4 servings per pound = 100 servings total).  How many hundreds of people in our community can we feed with our collection this November?

2024 UPDATE = 80 LBS COLLECTED !!!

80 LBS x 4 SERVINGS/LB = 320 PERSON-SERVINGS

 THE JESSE TREE

In 2024, we collected money to purchase twenty-nine (29) $35 Walmart cards for the moms at the Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Center (DAASAC). This money helps the moms shop for their children for Christmas.

CHRISTMAS DINNER

Thank you to all of you who donated a turkey for the Christmas Dinner this year! Your collective generosity allowed us to only have to purchase the last few. We are also grateful for financial support from Thrivent Action Team funds and gift cards.


Thank you to all those who gave time to carve and help package, serve and deliver meals, and clean-up afterwards!!! This is only possible with an entire team of volunteers! We are very grateful for the help of our new chefs!


THIS YEARS CHRISTMAS DINNER RESULTED IN THE PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF 108 COMPLETE TURKEY DINNERS.

Photo of the "12 Days Singers"

EPIPHANY FOOD COLLECTION

THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS 12/25/23-1/6/24

12 days of Christmas for the Pantry

Written by the 4th, 5th and 6th grade, Sunday School, November 2017

On the 1ST day of Christmas the Pantry asked of me:

Coffee or a box of tea

2 cans of soup, and

3 shampoos

4 bars of soap

5 mac and cheese

6 jars of jelly

7 ramen noodles

8 pancake mixes

9 jars of mayo

10 tubes of toothpaste

11 peanut butters

12 salad dressings


This song was used to launch this year's project.


THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS FOOD PANTRY DRIVE RESULTED IN THE COLLECTION OF 23 BAGS OF FOOD!


Other Ways We Have Regularly Responded to Human Needs Include:

  • Providing backpacks and school supplies to help local youth in need to be prepared for the new school year
  • Partnering with Habitat for Humanity to improve the living conditions of the elderly, low-income and disabled persons in our community
  • Participation in the "Hope in the Hills of Warren" community project to voluntarily repair homes for needy recipients
  • Annual Christmas Day Dinner serving free meals to the community for takeout and delivery
  • Jesse Tree collection and distribution of gifts for local families at Christmas
  • Making Christmas cards for Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service to share with children in detention centers
  • Christmas caroling at a local nursing home to spread cheer and brighten up the residents' holidays
  • Warm Feet/Warm Heart collection of socks, gloves and hats for the homeless
  • Ongoing collections of food & personal/cleaning items, as well as volunteer support, for the Washington food pantry, e.g. St. Luke's annual "Souper" Bowl Sunday's "Souper Bowl of Caring" food drive.  
  • Collection of monies sent to ELCA World Hunger, Lutheran World Relief and ELCA Disaster Response
  • Support for Family Promise to help achieve sustainable independence for homeless & low income families/individuals
  • Gift cards for local domestic abuse survivors
  • Collection of donations for the RIP Medical Debt charity to help relieve the heavy burden of medical debt in America

ST. LUKE'S SOCIAL MINISTRY 2023 ACTIVITIES

January-December 2023 Washington Food Pantry

Members have both served in the pantry and regularly donated at church.  This year we collected 25 pounds of hot dogs with buns, 34 cans of fruit, 120 rolls of toilet paper, 95 breakfast items, 96 cans of vegetables, 83 pounds of rice and $1,000 of gift cards (from SCRIPT sales of ShopRite gift cards) were shared with pantry to support their Thanksgiving baskets.

November 2023 Christmas Cards for Immigrants Housed in Detention Centers

56 cards were hand made by St Luke’s and 1st Lutheran, and were sent through the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) offices in Baltimore.

October 2023 Warm Feet/Warm Hearts

With 1st Lutheran, we collected of 155 pairs of socks, 86 Hot packs for hands and 15 pairs of gloves.  Items were sent to Trinity Lutheran Church in Dover for their outreach ministry in that community.

September-August 2023 Tag a Bag

22 school bags collected which went to DASACC.  (Warren County’s Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Crisis Center).

August 2023 Veterans’ Haven

1st Lutheran and St. Luke’s led bingo with prizes and snacks.  This is a haven for homeless veterans in Spruce Run.

July 2023 Festival in the Borough

We shared the Gospel and our ministry with the Washington community using a display of what we have accomplished this past year (see wall in parish hall).

June-September 2023 RIP Medical Debt

This was our “summer project” this year. 1st Lutheran and St. Luke’s raised $793, which relieved $79,300 of medical debt via co-funding.

May 2023 Sharing Mom’s Faith

24 English and 72 Spanish Bibles were sent to the Detention Center in Elizabeth.

March 2023 Dyeing for Peace

(Lenten project) $667 was sent to Lutheran World Relief (LWR). During lent, we learned how to dye eggs the using “Ukrainian method” – with wax.  LWR supports refugees around the world, especially in places of conflict where people are due to conflict and natural disasters.

February 2023 Souper Sunday

The annual collection of soup celebrating “Super Bowl Sunday” yielded 82 cans collected for the Washington Food Pantry.

January 2023 “12 Days of Christmas”

22 full bags of food were collected for the Washington Food Pantry.