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Purchase a Gift of Hope:

Gifts of Hope offers a variety of gift items from which you can choose and which will directly benefit our member organizations and the people whom the organizations serve. You can choose gifts from the 2011 Catalog and other new gift ideas available only on this web page. PayPal will securely process your payment on behalf of Gifts of Hope and the Metropolitan DC Synod of the ELCA. You may pay using a debit card, credit card, or your own PayPal account, if you have one. After purchasing one or more gifts, you will receive an acknowledgement from Gifts of Hope that your donation is fully tax-deductible.

In addition to shopping online, Gifts of Hope offers two more ways to purchase gift items.

New Gifts of Hope

W-1 Suitcase for Foster Care Child $50

Foster care children don’t have much that is theirs to keep. Suitcases provide these children and youth served by Lutheran Social Services/National Capital Area with a clean and personal place to carry their belongings. No one wants to carry her belongings in a trash bag.

W-2 Gift Card for Household Items $40

Do you like to choose your own towels and bedding for your home? This Gift of Hope provides residents in Fellowship Square Foundation housing with the same opportunity—to choose items which match their decorating tastes.

W-3 Group Childcare During Parent Workshops. Community Family Life Services $25

This Gift of Hope provides 2 hours of group childcare enabling homeless and low income parents to attend life skills workshops to build parenting and critical thinking skills. Having child care enables the parents to fully participate in learning opportunities, provided by Community Family Life Services, without the distraction of their children.

W-4 Disaster Relief $30

Do you know someone who has needed help after a disaster? Make life a little easier for those who are overwhelmed. Help a family in our area who has been affected by a disaster with this Gift of Hope through Lutheran Social Services/National Capital Area.

W-5 Fare Card for Newly Employed $25

Imagine starting a new job, but lacking the transportation to get to the job and your first paycheck won’t arrive until after your first week of work. This Gift of Hope, through Southeast Ministry, will provide a fare card for the first week’s transportation costs.

W-6 Bus or Metro Fare Card $25

Help others travel the road to economic self-sufficiency. This Gift of Hope provides for a week’s worth of transportation to the clients of Community Family Life Services.

W-7 Public Transportation Fare Card $25

Most residents at facilities operated by Transitional Housing Corporation rely on public transportation to get to work, school, or job interview. This Gift of Hope provides for one week of transportation which will make life a little easier for those in need.

W-8 Nutritious Snack $15

Help the medicine go down! Make it easier for children who take HIV/AIDS medication by providing a nutritious snack, at Youth Haven Camp, operated by Lutheran Social Services/National Capital Area.

2011 Catalog

C-1 Camp Scholarship $250

A week at Caroline Furnace Lutheran Camp gives a needy child the experience of God’s love, the joys of nature and the fun of sports, shared with new friends and the caring camp staff.

C-2 Training for Independence $150

N Street Village supports homeless and needy clients by paying for adult education fees, CPR, First Aid and Food Handlers certificates and continuing education. This gift supports programs which point clients toward independent living.

C-3 Support a Seminary Student $100

Your gift to the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg helps ensure the training of individuals to be church leaders and proclaimers of the Good News.

C-4 Respite for Caregivers $100

Provide two days of respite along with spiritual, emotional, and practical support for those who care for their elderly parents through Lutheran Social Services/National Capital Area Support U Program.

C-5 Salary Support for a Pastor $100

Many congregations in El Salvador cannot support a pastor. This gift is placed in an ELCA endowment fund to create a sustainable source of income for Salvadoran pastors.

C-6 Education Program Services $75

Provide one month’s GED materials and individualized training for a Transitional Housing Corporation resident. Your gift includes computer software, assessment and practice materials, and regular tutoring sessions.

C-7 Repair A Broken Sewer System $65

The sewer system at Oshigambo High School in Namibia is failing and causing a health hazard to the Oshigambo community. Your gift to the ELCIN Synod in Namibia will ensure a healthier learning environment for students.

C-8 Wellness Center Supplies $50

Provide basic supplies, such as non-alcoholic cold and flu medications, reading glasses and skin ointments for N Street Village residents who have low immunity and chronic medical needs.

C-9 Child Enrichment Program $50

This gift will allow a child to participate in the Community Family Life Services summer camp and/or after school programs of academic enrichment, arts, sports, and other recreational activities. Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)

C-10 Anti-Racism Training $50

All new Lutheran Volunteer Corps members receive training to recognize and understand racism and promote racial justice in institutions, including the church, LVC and placement organizations. Your gift will help pay for one day of training at a fall retreat.

C-11 Mattresses for Camp $50

While comfy camp bunks may sound like an oxymoron, basic beds are a necessity. Help Mar-Lu-Ridge Lutheran Camp replace old mattresses with this Gift of Hope.

C-12 Scholarship Support for Metro DC Students $50

Students often struggle with tuition and other basic college expenses. This Gift of Hope will allow Roanoke College to support metro area students with college costs.

C-13 Books for Namibian Seminary Students $40

Paulinum Seminary of the Namibia Synods, does an outstanding job of educating students to become pastors. Students are eager to learn, but many enter the seminary unable to afford books. Buy a text book for a seminary student.

C-14 Emergency Dental and Medical Care for Moms $40

This gift provides medical and dental emergency care for homeless victims of abuse. Many Northern Virginia Coalition (NOVACO) children qualify for local and state benefits and health programs, but most of the single mothers do not. Your gift aids these mothers.

C-15 Language Classes for Refugees $40

Help refugees supported by Lutheran Social Services/National Capital Area start a new life in the United States with a gift of two months of English language classes, enabling them to adapt to their new life and join the workforce.

C-16 Summer Fun and Learning $35

Treat a formerly homeless child to swimming lessons, camp crafts, tutoring, gymnastics and trips to museum. This activities program, developed by Good Shepherd Housing Foundation, makes summer a time for learning and fun.

C-17 Toys & Food for Children $35

19 children’s hostels, sponsored by the ELCRN Synod in Namibia, need toys, bedding, food and clothing for the children. Provide for those children in need.

C-18 Haircut for the Job Interview $30

Many of the Northern Virginia Coalition (NOVACO) clients are entering the job market and an applicant needs to look nice for the interview. A professional haircut and other accessories will help the woman’s self-esteem and the important first impression.

C-19 Tools for the Job $30

Getting a job is great until the supervisor requires a code book, uniform, work boots and/or tools and the applicant does not have them, nor the funds to purchase them. This gift to Southeast Ministry provides job-readiness supplies.

C-20 Groceries for a Family for a Day $30

Help meet an entire family’s basic food needs so the struggling family, served by the Northern Virginia Coalition, can concentrate on fulfilling their educational and parenting goals.

C-21 Memory Care Tool Kit $30

Provide activity packs to seniors at The Village at Rockville (formerly National Lutheran Home) who are in need of memory care. The tool kits’ bright colors, different textures and reminiscence tools provide stimulation which help exercise fine motor skills and improve memory connections.

C-22 Lunch Vouchers for Students $30

Theological students in Slovakia need financial aid for room and board. Provide a week’s worth of lunch vouchers for a student.

C-23 Dental Care $25

Your gift to Fellowship Square Foundation will help low-income elderly or disabled persons get needed dental care. Dental care can be expensive and is not fully covered by Medicare.

C-24 Job Skills Coaching $25

Community Family Life Services has a track record in job placement and job retention. This gift will support coaching in the skills needed to get a job: how to search, how to communicate effectively, how to dress, and how to interview.

C-25 Camping Activities $25

Youth Haven, a camp for teens with HIV/AIDS operated by Lutheran Social Services/National Capital Area, offers support and learning projects that introduce teens to professional possibilities and encourage positive self-expression. This gift will fund development of skills such as music production and photography.

C-26 Retreat Lodging $25

Support one night’s lodging for a Lutheran Volunteer Corps member on retreat. Retreats are essential to building community and learning new skills. All new volunteers go on retreat early in their year of commitment.

C-27 Books & More for Youth $25

Provide a month’s supply of educational materials for the Youth Enrichment Programs for children in Transitional Housing Corporation facilities. This program includes books, workbooks, tutoring and enrichment activities.

C-28 Metro or Bus Fare Card $25

Help homeless women get to a medical appointment or job interview. Purchase a fare card for one of these women served by Bethany Women’s Center at N Street Village.

C-29 Nutritious Meals for a Week $25

Support the purchase of food, preparation and serving of seven nutritious meals for a low-income resident at a Fellowship Square Foundation residence.

C-30 Honor a Caring Person $25

Lutheran Volunteer Corps members live simply, build community atmosphere, and seek social justice. Honor a friend who embodies these ideals with this gift which supports LVC volunteers during their year of service.

C-31 In-Home Care for Seniors $20

Be of assistance to a senior citizen, served by Fellowship Square Foundation, who wants to live safely at home, by aiding with housekeeping, basic medical care and daily chores.

C-32 Gift Card for Gas or Food $15

Gas and food gift cards can make a substantial difference for low-income families in need. Your gift to the Good Shepherd Housing Foundation will help put food on the table or gas in the car.

C-33 Life Story Journal $15

The Life Story Journal project helps residents at The Village at Rockville (formerly National Lutheran Home) bring back old memories and creates a long-lasting bond with future generations. It also offers a system of interaction for volunteers, friends and family.

C-34 Emergency Food, Transportation and Clothing $15

Community Family Life Services is the first point of contact for many people in DC who are in a crisis situation. Your gift helps CFLS respond with food, clothing assistance, delivery of meals to the elderly and transportation assistance.

C-35 Child/Teen Wellness $15

Support one week’s participation by a Partner Arms child or teen resident in the Transitional Housing Corporation wellness program which emphasizes fitness, health, good nutrition and family life skills.

C-36 Flash Drives for Job Club $10

The Southeast Ministry Job Club helps job seekers save resumes in multiple formats to fit different position requirements. Important documents such as birth certificates, social security cards and other IDs are saved on flash drives so they are readily available when job opportunities arise.

C-37 Reduce Carbon Footprint $10

The Chapel’s furnace at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg is 110 years old and energy inefficient. Converting to a geothermal system will shave the carbon footprint on Gettysburg’s historic Seminary Ridge. Help get the project underway.

C-38 Read This! $5

Southeast Ministry’s programs emphasize reading skills for youth and adults. This gift buys books and enables adult learners to participate in events such as the annual “Big Read”.

C-39 Our Daily Bread: A Gift Card for a Refugee $5

Supply food through a Giant or Safeway gift card to a newly arrived impoverished refugee served by Lutheran Social Services/National Capital Area.