Each month of the year, we highlight a different organization, ministry, or movement that we believe in and as a congregation can support financially through monthly donations and offerings.
You may give a one-time gift by clicking the button below. *Enter your amount and for the designation, select CAUSE OF THE MONTH from the drop-down menu.
JANUARY 2023
ST. LOUIS PARK DINNER AT YOUR DOOR
St. Louis Park Dinner at Your Door is a nonprofit organization that serves hot nutritious meals to the homebound and disabled. Westwood has supported them through the years both financially and with volunteers. Westwood members deliver meals the fourth Thursday of every month and we have often delivered meals to members of our own congregation. For more information, you can contact Barb Bren.
FEBRUARY 2023
LSS REFUGEE SERVICES
LSS Refugee Services of Minnesota assists federally approved refugees from various countries. LSS assists in helping refugees get settled, getting proper paperwork filled out, in providing case management, and employment services. For more information check out their website at https://www.lssmn.org/services/refugees/services or contact Pastor at j.vanhunnik@westwood.church.
MARCH 2023
LUTHERAN DISASTER RESPONSE: UKRAINE
In light of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, the Westwood Community Partnership team has decided to designate Lutheran Disaster Response as the March and April Cause of the Month. All funds collected will be used to support relief efforts in the Ukraine and in the surrounding countries who are taking in Ukrainian refugees. For more information see HERE.
APRIL 2023
WESTWOOD EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER SCHOLARSHIP FUND
As part of the Mission & Ministry of Westwood Early Childhood Center and Westwood Lutheran Church, a scholarship fund has been established. The purpose of this fund is to assist families with young children who are in need of financial support to meet their childcare expenses. These funds are available to children of all ages (i.e. infant through preschool) and are available to current families experiencing hardship as well as families who could not otherwise afford to send their child to WECC. We are blessed to provide our community with a caring, high quality, faith-based early childhood program. What a gift! Please contact Kellee Nelson, Director of WECC with further questions.
MAY 2023
STEP FOOD DRIVE
The summer months are the most challenging for STEP (our local food shelf) because demand goes up with children and youth off from school and many volunteers and contributors away for vacations. As a result, Westwood holds its annual STEP food drive in the month of May. We will be collecting food during the month, culminating on Sunday, May 20th. You can also support this effort with a financial gift through the May Cause of the Month program. For more information on STEP check out their website HERE or contact Pastor Jason Van Hunnik.
JUNE 2023
LUTHERAN IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEE SERVICES
(LIRS)
Due to ongoing events along our southern border, the Westwood Outreach Advisory Team has selected Lutheran Immigration and Refugee services as the July Cause of the Month. All funds will go to support this part of LIRS work. For more information about LIRS and other ways to be involved check out their website at HERE or contact Pastor Jason Van Hunnik.
JULY 2023
AUGUST 2023
REDEEMER CENTER FOR LIFE
Redeemer Center for Life is a community development organization founded by Redeemer Lutheran Church in 1998. Located in the Harrison neighborhood, we work to answer resident’s call for job growth, attainable housing, and youth development. For more information check out their website HERE or contact Pastor Jason Van Hunnik.
SEPTEMBER 2023
EVERY MEAL
Help us support food-insecure students and families at Aquila and Park Spanish Immersion Elementary in St. Louis Park! Westwood is starting a Westwood partnership ministry with the “Every Meal” organization. Follow this link to learn more: What is Every Meal (formerly The Sheridan Story)? on Vimeo
OCTOBER 2023
OUTREACH FOOD PACKAGING INC.
Each year, hundreds of volunteers come to Westwood to package meals to support children in Dodoma, Tanzania, who have lost a parent or guardian to AIDS. Our sister congregation, Arusha Road Lutheran Church in Dodoma, Tanzania, distributes these meals to its surrounding community. Our goal is to send at least 100,000 meals annually to Arusha Road. These 100,000 meals can sustain 275 recipients for one year. Westwood remains committed to this outreach mission by allocating $30,000 annually to sponsor the event. These costs are partially off-set through gracious continued financial support from Thrivent Financial and Westwood's Holiday Fair funds. Be a part of this valuable mission by donating an hour of your time to pack meals. For more information contact Brenda Knutson.
NOVEMBER 2023
WESTWOOD COMMUNITY MEAL
On Wednesday evenings from 5-6:30 PM, Westwood hosts a community meal for folks from Westwood and our larger community. From humble beginnings of serving 40 people on its first night, this volunteer-led ministry now hosts from 200-250 folks weekly (150 during the summer) made up of Westwood folks coming to our ministries, families from the Westwood Childcare, people hungering for a space to build community, to folks in need of a good meal. While donations cover a portion of the costs, we invite you to help financially support this important ministry through a gift this month. We also are in need of additional folks to participate in making this meal happen. Please contact Ann Kisch with further questions or see more information HERE.
DECEMBER 2023
ARUSHA ROAD ORPHAN MINISTRY SUPPORT
Since 2005 Westwood has had a relationship with Arusha Road Lutheran Church in Dodoma, Tanzania. One of Arusha Road's ministries is food and education support of 150 Orphans from the community (many who lost their parents from AIDS). Westwood has pledged to provide support for at least 40 of these orphans through the food packed through Outreach Inc. in April and through financial support to cover the educational expenses. The cost to support one orphan is $225 a year. $175 of this amount will go to cover education costs and the rest helps Westwood package and send 100,000 meals. For more information contact Pastor Jason Van Hunnik. or to read more about our relationship with Tanzania click HERE.