THE HUB - Christ Lutheran Church of Fredericksburg

CHRIST-LUTHERAN-                                                                                      JUNE 2021
 CHURCH.ORG                                                                                             ISSUE 124

                             THE HUB
A HOLY CONNECTION
Meghann Cotter, Micah Ecumenical Ministries
For many years, furnishing an apartment of a newly housed neighbor caused a flurry of activity across
Micah Churches. A couple couches here, a table there, a dresser a few weeks later and often, after a
few weeks of sleeping on the floor, that neighbor might benefit from a hand-me-down bed. Then, one
day, after a huge collection of household items packed a couple of Sunday school rooms, one of the
churches declared, "can't we do this better."

The Micah Furniture Bank, which has operated from a warehouse on Lafayette Blvd, for the last three
years was born out of that mustard seed of an idea. People are often getting rid of good quality
furniture and household items. Neighbors moving out of homelessness, however, are often starting
over with nothing and have limited choices in how they can make their new house a home. The
Furniture Bank became a place where neighbors could connect with donated items, have choices and
ultimately move into a fully furnished home. With trucks, trailers and a whole lot of muscle, church
groups and other community volunteers have made it possible for items to be transported into the
warehouse and back out to the homes of our neighbors.

Over the years, other community partners have come alongside that vision, as well. Habitat for
Humanity's Re-Store has often swapped items we could not use for items someone needed to make
their household complete. Rappahannock Goodwill has supplemented what we could offer with
vouchers to their store. And Ashley Furniture stepped up to offer new mattresses to each person
moving into housing.

While the pandemic has expanded the flow of donated items beyond our imagination and we are
housing more people per month than we ever have, the storage space of our existing warehouse and
the volunteer capacity to maintain it has not kept pace. Again, we find ourselves asking "how can we
love our neighbor better?"

(Continued on page 2.)

                   Please note that Robbin will be on scheduled leave on Monday and Tuesday, June 21-22. She
                   will return to the church office on Wednesday, June 23. The church office will not be staffed
                   June 21-22.

                   Please note that Pastor Lou will be away from the church office and his home office June
                   15-29. He will not be responding to emails or messages during this time.

A HOLY CONNECTION
Continued from page 1
With the original vision in mind, collecting donated items and creating a shopping experience that
helps our neighbors to make their house a home, Micah has decided to transition our stand alone
furniture bank into a full partnership with Habitat for Humanity and Rappahannock Goodwill.
Starting this month, both organizations have agreed to accept donations on our behalf, allow our
neighbors to shop in their stores for free and coordinate with our church volunteer teams for
delivery. We are excited about the new capacity these partnerships will bring to our furniture
ministry and the ways it will enhance the dignity of those moving out of homelessness and starting
over.

Although Micah no longer maintains a physical furniture bank location, there are ample
opportunities for volunteering as part of our pick-up and delivery network or in the Habitat Re-
Store. To volunteer to work in the Re-Store, please visit https://fredrestore.org/volunteer. To serve
as a pick-up volunteer or driver, please email Jill at Micah at jill@dolovewalk.net.

Options to Donate Items

1. Drop off at the Habitat Re-store
   2378 Plank Rd, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
  Hours: 12pm-5pm Monday, Wednesday,
  Thursday, Friday, Saturday
  Only Furniture Accepted

OR

2. Drop off at your nearest Rappahannock Goodwill Store
Furniture and Household Items Accepted

OR

3. Fill out our online form or call Micah's furniture line at 540-693-0472 to schedule a pick-up

How it works

You give items to Habitat for Humanity or Rappahannock Goodwill

Neighbors moving out of homelessness shop in their stores for FREE, choosing items that make
their houses home

New mattresses are ordered from Ashley Furniture

Volunteers from community churches pick up and deliver items to a neighbor's new home!

Tuesday book study and conversation on Following Jesus by Henri Nouwen. You are
invited to join Pastor Anne on Tuesdays at 10 via Zoom for a book study on Following Jesus
by Henri Nouwen. The book explores the journey of faith during an age of anxiety. Nouwen
focuses on Jesus’ teachings on love to provide spiritual direction for navigating seasons of
fear, uncertainty, and anxiety. The book is available on Amazon as a paper copy, kindle
version, and audiobook. The ISBD number is ISBN10: 1101906391. The first meeting will be
on Tuesday, June 1st.

Amazon Link for Book

Scripture Study on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM: Join Pastor Lou for a lectionary Bible study focused on
the following Sunday’s Gospel. No preparation is required. Join when you can. Please note that this group
will not meet on June 23rd or July 7th.

Let's Talk on Sunday's at noon: Join a faithful group of adult CLC members for conversation and
mutual support each week. Key leader: Robert Kravetz.

The Worship Video Team could use your old iPhone!
If you happen to have an iPhone (version 6 or older), donate it to CLC! The folks that live-stream the
Sunday Worship Service each week could put your old phone to use. Feel free to drop off your iPhone
(please note the password so we can delete the contents) at the church office. iPhone chargers would be
helpful as well. Thanks!

Get involved with the new Ministry: Video Live-Streaming. We could use your help!
The folks that do the video live-streaming each week are looking for individuals to join the team. No
experience necessary –we'll train you on the established workflow. The live-stream can be monitored
while continuing to take part in the Sunday morning worship service. Help spread the Word of God via the
church's social media platforms. Live-streaming will continue to be a key part of our ministry moving
forward; and by volunteering in this role, you can play an important part. Please email Mitch Higgins to
express your interest, or to ask questions.

City School Summer Feeding Program
For information on the Fredericksburg City School Summer Feeding Program and resources available,
please review the PDF attached to the HUB email or contact the church office at office@christ-lutheran-
church to receive a copy of the PDF.

CLC Food Pantry Reopening
The CLC pantry has been authorized to reopen on Wednesday, July 7th with hours from 2-3:30. We can
use some more volunteers to help stuff bags or check guests in. If you cannot do a regular Wednesday
can you be a substitute? Our volunteers will be masked until further notice by the reopening committee.
Please consider volunteering for this very special activity that serves our needy in the community. Contact
Steve Scheibe, Cathy Williams, or the church office to volunteer or for more information.

COVID-19 UPDATES & RESOURCES
                                 Helpful Counseling Resources
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990
is free.

Our partners in ministry, enCircle, formally Lutheran Family Services, has immediate openings for new
patients using their telehealth services. They have expertise helping people of all ages to include family
issues. They accept several major insurances, Medicaid, and self-pay. They also offer sliding-scale fee
arrangements. Schedule by calling 888-841-4835 or click here for more information:
encircleall.org/counseling

Feeling overwhelmed by COVID-19? The Virginia Department of Health has offered VA C.O.P.E.S. Trained
crisis counselors are available seven days a week (Monday through Friday, 9 AM - 9 PM, Saturday & Sunday
5 PM - 9 PM. Call or text 877-349-6428.

Emergency services remain available through the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board at 540-
373-6876.

Helpline at Mental Health America of Fredericksburg at 540-371-2704 This is a local community resource
line that can match the caller with our local mental health resources including counseling, local tele-
psychiatry, and support groups.

National Suicide Prevention Line is 1-800-273-8255 or simply dial 988.

Additional helpful links...

Virginia Department of Health:
https://www.facebook.com/VDHgov/

Virginia Department of Emergency Management:
https://www.facebook.com/VAemergency/

Fredericksburg Government:
https://www.facebook.com/FXBGgov/

Fredericksburg Civic Alerts:
https://www.fredericksburgva.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=938

If you live in other jurisdictions, please like/follow your local government resources on Facebook or the web.
Christ Lutheran will attempt to share practical and spiritual resources from the Lutheran World Federation, ELCA,
Virginia Synod, local health systems and other resources on our public Facebook Page and private Facebook group.

The Commonwealth of Virginia has announced that pre-registration is no longer required for COVID-19
vaccinations. Direct scheduling may be done for those 12 and up as indicated below. Walk-in clinics are
being announced as available. Follow the Rappahannock Area Health District on Facebook for more
information. If you need more immediate assistance, call the VDH Call Center at 877-ASK-VDH3 (877-275-
8343).