10th Annual Loved Sent Servant Event: OCTOBER 7, 2023
Join us for the 10th annual Loved+Sent Servant Event! This is a day when our church body and our friends work on diverse service projects all across St. Louis. It’s an opportunity to get a little outside our comfort zones, be a blessing to our community, and get to know new people by working alongside them. Most importantly, we get to use our hands and our hearts to reflect our Savior, Jesus.
Note, this year’s LSSE is back to a single day event. All events will take place on 10/7 unless otherwise noted (this differs from the “Season of Service” structure the last couple of years).
This booklet contains a list of pre-organized volunteer opportunities.
You may notice there aren’t as many site options this year – that’s by design! We’re intentionally focusing the sites on our ongoing CM/Reliant mission partners and serving alongside those organizations who are loved and sent with us! But! We know there are many other needs around our city – we encourage you to serve however you feel called, and pursue those opportunities as well!
For any questions or guidance please contact the LSSE committee via email at lsse@cmstl.org.
Schedule of Events and FAQs
8:00 a.m.—Doors open at Christ Memorial and Reliant
8:30 a.m.—Send-off at Christ Memorial and Reliant
9/9:15 a.m.—Arrive at event sites
NOTE: There are two Send-Off Sites
Sites will be sent off from both Christ Memorial and Reliant. The send-off site for each event is noted in the descriptions below.
FAQs
Is lunch included?
No, please pack yourself a lunch if you are attending an all-day site.
When is the last day to register?
Wednesday, September 27. But your favorite sites might be filled up by then!
Should I attend the send-off?
Yes! Not only is the send-off a fun time to get everyone together, hyped, and in prayer together before our day of serving, but you’ll also need to take care of some logistics while you’re there. This includes signing in, signing a liability & photo waiver and getting a t-shirt!
When should I bring a canned food collection item?
Canned food items will be collected (and used for one of the sites!) beginning now through the day of the event! Drop off at CM or Reliant any Sunday leading up to October 7th. Participants are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item with them to the send-off
Is there a Prayer Room?
There will be a designated room available at Christ Memorial to pray over the event all day long! Please stop by and give intentional focus/prayer on this day as we serve our neighbors/partners!
2023 Service Opportunities
MISSION SITE OPPORTUNITIES
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Bethlehem Lutheran is one of Christ Memorial’s sister churches, located in North St. Louis county. For this site, volunteers will (most likely!) do some light cleaning, yard work, and maintenance on the Bethlehem campus. In addition, there is a need to conduct a minor remodel of the senior pastor’s office that could be included in this site (further details on what specifically is needed to be provided as more information becomes available).
Length of Project: 9:00am – 12:00pm
Where: Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Ages: All ages welcome
Number of volunteers: Up to 15 volunteers
Send-off Site: Reliant
Materials to Bring: Shovels, rakes, etc.
Blanket Brigade
Join us for this easy, family-friendly project. We will make blankets for nursing home residents, along with greeting cards expressing God’s love. All ages welcome, but children must be accompanied by an adult (children can make cards if too young to handle scissors). Refreshments included.
Length of Project: 9:00am – 12:00pm
Where: Christ Memorial Lutheran Church – Fireside Cafe
Ages: All ages welcome, but children must be accompanied by an adult
Number of volunteers: Up to 50 volunteers
Send-off Site: Christ Memorial
Materials to Bring: Scissors
Christian Friends of New Americans (CFNA) – Lunch Social BBQ
Christian Friends of New Americans links people with opportunities to connect with immigrants and refugees living in the St. Louis region. CFNA partners with local Lutheran congregations, schools, individuals, and various grant-giving foundations to offer a range of programs and services for new Americans. For this mission project, volunteers will do a lunch cook-out! During this grill/cook-out event, volunteers will serve and interact with refugees at CFNA who attend its ESL/Driver’s Ed. and Health Screening event that day. Connecting with refugees resettling in St. Louis, serving them and building friendships with them will be the mission for volunteers at this lunch social!
Length of Project: 9:30am – 12:30pm (lunch serving begins at 11:00am)
Where: Christian Friends of New Americans (4019 S. Grand Blvd)
Ages: All ages welcome, but children must be accompanied by an adult
Number of volunteers: Up to 20 volunteers
Send-off Site: Reliant
Materials/Food Items to Bring: To be determined by site leader
Food Drive and Personal Hygiene – FULL
THIS SITE IS 100% FULL
This project will be focused on one large food drive that will be collected and delivered to (1) Jefferson Barracks Food Pantry, (2) Saint Matthews Lutheran Church, and (3) Saint Trinity Lutheran Church. Volunteers will help sort the food & hygiene donations and load into cars for delivery. We’re also looking for a few of these volunteers to deliver the food to these pantries.
Please see the list of needed canned goods & personal hygiene items. Please no glass food containers.
Length of Project: 9:00am – 12:00pm
Where: Christ Memorial Lutheran Church – Room 208
Ages: Must be over 5 years old
Number of volunteers: Up to 20 volunteers
Send-off Site: Christ Memorial
Materials to Bring: None
Green Park Lutheran School
Green Park is a Christ Memorial/Reliant’s partner school. For this site, volunteers will be doing painting, yard work, and general maintenance around the campus.
Length of Project: 9:00am – 12:00pm
Where: Green Park Lutheran School
Ages: All ages welcome, but children must be accompanied by an adult
Number of volunteers: Up to 50 volunteers
Send-off Site: Christ Memorial
Materials to Bring: To be determined
MODIFIED – Humanitri – Property Cleanup & Landscaping
MODIFIED (9/28) – The original plan for this site was to clean and stage one of the Humanitri properties (location South City, St. Louis) to get it ready for a new family. We have been notified that the house will not be vacated by the LSSE event on October 7.
This site’s focus has been changed to conduct yard clean up and landscaping at two other Humanitri properties in the same area.
Length of Project: 9:00am – 12:00pm
Where: South City (exact location to be provided by site leader)
Ages: All ages welcome, but children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by a parent
Number of volunteers: Up to 15 volunteers
Send-off Site: Reliant
Materials to Bring: To be determined
Humanitri – Letters of Encouragement / Birthday Cards
Humanitri seeks to move families and individuals from crisis and uncertainty to stability and self-sufficiency. This organization strengthens families facing personal crisis by channeling principles of faith and social responsibility to improve their quality of life. For this project, volunteers will be writing letters to current Humanitri clients, along with signing & sending birthday cards to individuals who Humanitri serves.
Length of Project: 9:00am – 12:00pm
Where: Christ Memorial Lutheran Church – Room 206
Ages: Must be over 12 years old
Number of volunteers: Up to 10 volunteers
Send-off Site: Christ Memorial
Materials to Bring: None
Jefferson Avenue Mission – FULL
THIS SITE IS 100% FULL
Jefferson Avenue Mission is the church plant in the old Emmaus Lutheran Church building. The active school at this property is the focal point of this ministry. For this project, volunteers will be doing general clean up inside the church and light yard work around the property. Volunteers will also be setting up tables and chairs in preparation for an Open House that is to be held later that day.
Length of Project: 9:00am – 12:00pm
Where: Jefferson Avenue Mission
Ages: All ages welcome, but children must be accompanied by an adult
Number of volunteers: Up to 20 volunteers
Send-off Site: Reliant
Materials to Bring: To be determined
Lutheran Development Group – Site 1 (North City)
Working together with partner organizations, Lutheran Development Group (LDG) provides comprehensive community development and revitalization in St. Louis neighborhoods.
There has been an historic Lutheran presence in the Saint Louis Place neighborhood on the near north side since the founding of that community. A small group of Lutherans is prayerfully considering how best to walk alongside this neighborhood into the future.
The scope of this project will be to clean-up overgrowth and pick up litter around Benton and N 21st Street near Zion Lutheran Church. There will be a central yard waste dumpster as well as several small dumpsters for litter disposal.
Length of Project: 9:00am – 12:00pm
Where: 2500 N. 21st St., STL, MO 63106
Ages: All ages welcome – children should be accompanied by an adult
Number of volunteers: Up to 40 volunteers
Send-off Site: Christ Memorial
Materials to Bring: Work gloves, pruning shears, lopping shears, trimmers, trash bags, and a water bottle
Lutheran Development Group – Site 2 (South City)
Working together with partner organizations, Lutheran Development Group (LDG) provides comprehensive community development and revitalization in St. Louis neighborhoods.
This site will be held in the Dutchtown neighborhood in South St. Louis and volunteers will assist with general clean up of the St. Luke’s Lutheran Church property and grounds.
Length of Project: 9:00am – 12:00pm
Where: 3415 Taft Ave., STL, MO 63111
Ages: All ages welcome – children should be accompanied by an adult
Number of volunteers: Up to 40 volunteers
Send-off Site: Christ Memorial
Materials to Bring: Work gloves, trash bags, water bottle
Personal Hygiene Kits – Trinity Soulard – FULL
THIS SITE IS 100% FULL
Trinity Soulard is a church with an active ministry for the homeless. Volunteers will gather at Christ Memorial to assemble hygiene/cold weather kits for the homeless. The completed bags will be delivered to Trinity Soulard at a later date to replenish their supplies.
Please see the list of needed items for this collection. Note, small or travel size items are best.
Length of Project: 9:00am – 11:30am
Where: Christ Memorial Lutheran Church – Room 210
Ages: Must be over 10 years old
Number of volunteers: Up to 10 volunteers
Send-off Site: Christ Memorial
Materials to Bring: None
Southview Assisted Living – Singing for Seniors
Southview is a senior living community in the Affton area that offers assisted living and dementia/memory care and innovative activity programs. Volunteers will be visiting Southview to sing popular songs with the residents! Volunteers will gather and warm-up at church before car pooling over to Southview by 10:00am.
Length of Project: 9:00am – 12:00pm
Where: Christ Memorial Lutheran Church/Southview Assisted Living
Ages: All ages welcome, but children must be accompanied by an adult
Number of volunteers: Up to 40 volunteers
Send-off Site: Christ Memorial
Materials to Bring: None
Concordia Cemetery Cleanup
Volunteers will gather at Concordia Cemetery to repair damaged fencing and trim trees and bushes and pick up downed tree limbs. Pizza will be provided for lunch.
Length of Project: 9:00am – 11:30am
Where: Concordia Cemetery
Ages: All ages welcome but children should be accompanied by an adult
Number of volunteers: Up to 25 volunteers
Send-off Site: Christ Memorial
Materials to Bring: Gloves and rakes
ONGOING COLLECTIONS
Items can be dropped off at Christ Memorial or Reliant. Please label which site the donation/drop-off is for.
Items can be dropped off from September 2nd – October 7th
Food Drive and Personal Hygiene
Below is a list of items that are requested for this site. Note, food items should be non-perishable and unexpired.
Requested Canned Goods
- Veggies
- Fruit
- Beans
- Soups
- Ravioli
- Chili
- Peanut Butter and Jelly – in plastic jars
- Hot/Cold cereal
- Ramon Noodles
- Pasta, Pasta Sauce – in plastic jars
- Boxed complete meals
- Canned Meat
- Canned Tuna
- Canned Chicken
- Instant mash potatoes
- Mac and Cheese
- Granola/Breakfast/Snack Bars
- Pancake Mix and Syrup
- Crackers
- Fruit Snacks
- Juice
- Water
- Powdered Milk
Requested Personal Hygiene Items
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body Soap
- Hand Soap
- Deodorant
- Toothpaste
- Toothbrushes
- Toilet Paper
- Paper Towels
- Baby Body Wash
- Baby Wipes
- Baby Diapers
Personal Hygiene Kits – Trinity Soulard
Below is a list of items that are requested for this site. Please purchase travel size (or the smallest regular size you can find).
- Lip balm
- Hand/body lotion (travel size)
- Kleenex (pocket packs)
- Washcloths
- Nail clippers
- Antibacterial wipes (travel packs)
- Shaving cream (travel size)
- Shampoo & conditioner (travel size)
- Toothpaste (travel size)
- Raisins (1 oz boxes)
- Peanut butter cracker packs
- Protein bars