2008 ANNUAL STAMPOUT HUNGER FOOD DRIVE

May 10, 2008

Most of the food distributed from our food pantry is supplied by this National Food Drive.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

Sort, date and shelve the over 2000 canned goods
Dropped off by our local post office workers.

May 10, 2008
11:00 a.m. UNTIL 5:00 p.m.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Please contact the church office for more information.
586-772-3370

Place your nonperishabie items next to your mailbox.

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May 11, 2008
Thank You Mom Marrow Donor Drive
Time:     12:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Where:    St. Thomas Lutheran Church
      23801 Kelly Rd.
     East Pointe, MI  48021
Download information here.

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SASS

        St. Thomas Lutheran will be hosting its 6 Annual MCREST week this summer from June 29th - July 6th . We
        will be taking in approximately 30 homeless people, which will include men, women and children. Our goal is
        to provide them with a safe and clean haven where they can get a good night's sleep, three square meals,
        transportation, and basic hygiene. We also want their week to be as pleasant as possible.

        MCREST stands for "Macomb County Rotating Emergency Shelter Team." It is a non-profit organization that
        has over 80 churches that house the homeless year long. Counselors from MCREST will be working very
        closely with us during our week. A counselor will be present each evening as guests check in. Homeless
        people who participate in the MCREST program must abide by a lot of rules governing their conduct. This is
        necessary for the safety of the other MCREST guests as well as the volunteers of the host churches. Each
        MCREST guest is given a breathalyzer test each day by the MCREST counselor, and also subject to random
        drug testing. If they fail these tests, or fail to abide by any other program rules, they are immediately removed
        from the program. MCREST guests and their belongings are thoroughly searched each day when checking in to
        ensure they are not carrying drugs or weapons.

        Since most of us are blessed enough to have our own homes and transportation, we may take for granted all of
        the elements that are required for daily living. The MCREST week will be a challenge for STL because the
        Lord's house is not set up for daily living. Consequently, we will need a lot of help from church members to
        make the week successful. We have had a great response from church members in past years.



        If you plan to be out of town during the MCREST week, you can still help out. We still need a great deal of               
        monetary support. We need hundreds of dollars toward bus tickets, since the guests are required to leave the            
        church every day at 8:00 a.m. and also need to return at 6:00 p.m. A few guests will also have their own             
        vehicles, and we will need money to provide them gas vouchers.

        We still need hundreds of dollars toward food and laundry expenses, as most laundry will be done at
        a local Laundromat. If you wish to contribute monetarily, checks should be made payable to St. Thomas and
        indicate MCREST in the memo, and can be dropped off at the church office.

        I believe that our MCREST week will be a wonderful and rewarding opportunity for us to do the Lord's work.
        If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Kelly Walker at 313-550-2950. Thank you for your
        prayers and support.