The Impact of Your Gifts

We ask a lot of our faith community, and you always step up and deliver when it comes to giving and serving others. This past Christmas season was no exception: you gave gifts-in-kind of Christmas gifts, gently-used winter outerwear, and brand new mittens, hats and scarves.

Christmas Gifts
Thanks to you, Christmas gifts were provided to 50 Armful of Love families (approximately 200 people), over 60 Wingspan residents, 20 homeless youth (through Lutheran Social Services), and hundreds more gifts were donated to Southside Family Nurturing Center and Dakota Woodlands.

Bags of winter clothing waiting to be
picked up by families at our food shelf

In addition, 498 total items of gently-used outerwear were distributed to Apple Valley families served by our food shelf, and 8 other local nonprofit agencies. The brand new outerwear items donated to our mitten tree totaled 647 items. They were divided between 11 local nonprofit agencies that serve families in need.

The pastors and staff at Shepherd of the Valley sincerely thank you for your generosity! But don't take it from us, check out the thank you notes from children and their parents who received gifts this Christmas.


How to Help Now
It's almost April and Easter is coming soon - so why are we telling you about Christmas? Because as March ends, so do many of our current collections for gift-in-kind items. Please consider helping one of these ministries below, just as you rose to our giving challenge in December.


Hygiene Items
Tear Drop Ministries (as part of Fruit of the Vine Food Shelf) provides hot meals for 300 homeless individuals every Sunday afternoon in St. Paul. We are collecting the following hygiene items to be distributed to them in April. Smaller sizes of shampoo, conditioner and hand cream as well as soap, toothpaste, toothbrush and disposable razor.

Easter Baskets & Dinners
Shepherd of the Valley delivers Easter baskets to people who have experienced a loss, illness, or difficult year, and Easter dinners to Pueblo de Fe and All Nations Church. Your participation makes this outreach possible:

• Dinners need sponsors - there are currently 5 left. Sign up in the narthex at church.
• Dinners and baskets need to be packed. Sign up by registering for ServeTogether and attending on Saturday, April 5 from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
• Dinners and baskets need to be delivered. Currently, we need 6 more drivers.
• Monetary donations also accepted to purchase items. Enter "Easter Baskets" in the Misc Benev. line when giving online, or in the memo line of your check.

Pack the Pews for the Food Shelf
Help fight hunger during Minnesota FoodShare’s March Campaign, the largest food drive in the state. Fill a grocery bag with non-perishable food items and bring it to church anytime during the month of March. All donations will go to Our Daily Bread Food Shelf at Shepherd of the Valley. Of course, we accept monetary and food donations year-round, but let's make a big impact for the statewide March campaign. See our most needed items.

Again, thank you so much for your involvement in our ministries and your generosity to making an impact in our local community. March ends like a lamb - but let's make it the most generous lamb in the flock!