Reaching Out in Love
In 1996, Our Savior’s adopted the mission statement “Growing together in Christ, reaching out in love.” The congregation has taken that sentiment to heart and it is the foundation of our annual outreach ministry activities.
In addition to OSLC’s annual outreach projects, the OSLC Vision Team formed the Outreach Project Kindness Committee in 2025 to research community needs and identify groups helping to meet those needs. The goal was to determine how OSLC could come alongside already organized organizations, churches and groups to assist in their efforts either through volunteerism or funding set aside in the annual budget for “Kindness” projects.
Salvation Army
For the past 14 years, on the second Friday of each month, a small (yet mighty) group of OSLC members prepares and serves a home-cooked dinner for an average of 35 to 50 people. This includes the residents of the Salvation Army facility in Jefferson City as well as residents who depend on the hospitality of free meals at the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army also received financial support from the Kindness Committee for its 2026 renovation project.
“Fill the Truck” Food Drive
This annual food drive for The Samaritan Center is conducted every autumn in accordance with “God’s work. Our hands,” the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America’s annual dedicated day of service. During the food drive, the “truck” is parked in our lower parking area in plain sight of the entrance to the church. Easy to see. Easy to fill. And our goal is clear: Fill the truck with non-perishable food!
Room at the Inn
OSLC members are encouraged to volunteer with this winter emergency homeless shelter for up to 21 adult guests per night. Types of service include preparing and serving a hot breakfast or dinner, serving as an evening or nighttime host, giving a cash donation collected at the Spring and/or Winter Cantata, and providing a Thrivent Grant for things like the purchase of a new vacuum sweeper for the shelter. The Room at the Inn also received financial support from the Kindness Committee for the 2026 project.
Central Missouri’s Foster Care and Adoption Association
Food Drives for Easter Sunday Dinners and Thanksgiving Day Dinners for the families participating in the program. These annual food drives provide an easy, affordable way for most everyone in our congregation to participate. OSLC members donate pre-selected, non-perishable food items and/or cash. Thrivent grants are used to buy Easter hams and Thanksgiving turkeys.
Pregnancy Help Center
This is an organization that we support each year. In 2025 we collected Disposable Diapers, baby wipes, and baby bottles. As usual, the congregation was most supportive and generous with their contributions.
The Kindness Project
In 2025, OSLC included in the Outreach budget a new line item for the implementation of a “Kindness” campaign and created an Outreach Kindness committee to determine the best use for these funds.
The following organizations received 2025 OSLC Kindness Grants:
Common Ground: Families Forward
This program supported a single mother and her two daughters, ages seven and three. They were able to secure affordable housing. Our grant helped to cover the deposit and first month’s rent, and continued supporting the family with rent and other needs throughout the year as she worked toward self-sustainability.
The Healing House and New Beginnings (THHNB)
THHNB provides Christ centered recovery support services and housing to 30 women, ages 18 – 54, recovering from substance use disorder. Their stated mission is “to rebuild shattered lives through a ‘Program of Action’ by teaching spiritual principles which are rooted and grounded in the Holy and Living Word of God establishing an unshakable foundation for life.”
Missouri Cares: Mobile Soup Kitchen
Missouri Cares received funds to support their mobile soup kitchen that provides weekly meals in Jefferson City. Our grant helped repair the van so they could continue serving the community.
Independent Living Center
The Center provides advocacy, peer support, skills training, and assistance with durable medical equipment to help persons with disabilities live independently. Upon receiving a Kindness Grant from OSLC, the Center was able to build and install a ramp to allow wheelchair access to a family’s home.
Ramsey Garden
Our grant (made after planting season in 2025) was to assist with the installation of a sprinkling system. Unfortunately, they communicated to us that the funds could not be used and the grant was returned.
Calvin’s Closet
Calvin’s Closet is a program created and implemented by students at Capital City High School to help their classmates who are in need of basic items just to survive and stay in high school. The Kindness Committee conducted a successful Clothing, Coats, Shoes, Food, Personal Care items and Cash contributions Drive. The cash collected was donated to the school for emergency needs.
HALO: Christmas Breakfast
HALO is a transitional homing facility for homeless girls who are at high risk, ages 16 – 21. Also, if any of these young women have small children or are pregnant, their children/babies live at this facility as well. The girls are cared for, mentored, and taught basic living skills that will help them as they mature. The Kindness Committee sponsored and hosted a Christmas season breakfast for more than 22 young ladies, small children/babies of some of the ladies, the staff at the center and our volunteers.
Red Slipper Warriors
The Kindness Committee wanted to provide this group funding so they can continue to carry out their loving acts of kindness to women and young children who are battling cancer. Four Thrivent grants were provided by members of our congregation and given to the Red Slipper Warriors organization to use where and how it is most needed.
- The Healing House (Link)
- Common Ground
- Rape & Abuse Crisis Center (Link)
- The Salvation Army
- The Room at the Inn
- Transformational Housing (Link)
Get Involved with Spreading Kindness
Members of Our Savior’s that would like to be more involved with initiating outreach programs or becoming volunteers for existing efforts sponsored by Our Savior’s can reach out to Marjorie Beenders. We welcome new ideas, ways to improve some of our existing projects, or suggestions of new, available options for reaching out into the community. Our goal is to establish Kindness cooperation among other churches or charitable organizations that we could work with and to accomplish the Kindness goals of Our Savior’s.