Outreach Ministries we support and partner with:
Salvation Army
We provide and serve lunch at the Salvation Army on the fourth Thursday of every month.
ISAIAH 61
Isaiah 61 is a homeless day center in downtown Laconia. We provide and serve lunch there on the second Tuesday of every month.
GOT LUNCH! LACONIA:
Operating out of the Laconia Congregational – UCC Church, Got Lunch! feeds healthful lunches to Laconia children during the eleven weeks of summer vacation. This is an impressive organization: all the food is purchased, packed and then delivered to the child’s home every Monday. Sometimes the bags contained books or drawing materials and games in addition to the bread, tuna, chicken, peanut butter, jelly and fresh fruit and vegetables. Dairy vouchers from Vista Foods provide eggs and milk; fresh vegetables come from local farms. We provide financial support, collect & donate tuna, peanut butter, and jelly, volunteer as “baggers” and volunteer to drive one route delivering veggies.
BELKNAP HOUSE:
Belknap House is The Laconia Homeless Families Shelter With 19 beds, it functions as a shelter from October to March. In the summer it operates as a hostel with affordable sleeping accommodations and kitchen privileges.
CAMP CALUMET:
We raise money to send eight Laconia school children to camp for a week in each July. We also support Camp Calumet in other ways, including providing volunteers to help with mailings, taking a road trip there to have lunch at the Beach Barbeque, and participating in retreats they offer.
HANDS ACROSS THE TABLE:
HATT, as it is known, provides a weekly meal at the St Andre Bessette Parish Hall. Good Shepherd plans, cooks and serves a dinner four times a year under the faithful leadership of Elaine Cote and Allan Cornelius. Volunteers always welcome!
COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM:
This is our local Food Pantry. We stay in touch with the director of the Community Action Program, who tells us what food is most needed at any given time. We collect food in the cart in the Gathering Space outside our sanctuary (any and all food is welcome!), which is transported downtown and feeds hungry families.
THANKSGIVING/CHRISTMAS BASKETS:
We put together festive food baskets, including hand-decorated cards, at Thanksgiving and Christmas. These are distributed to hungry people- both those known to us, or to our pastor, or through the Community Action Program.
LACONIA MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL:
We partner with the Community Action Program to participate in the Laconia Multicultural Festival.
ANGEL TREE:
We partner with St James in our annual Angel Tree project, providing specific Christmas gifts for about a hundred Laconia children each year.
Other Ministries we support
Through our budget, or designated giving, or special offerings, or our volunteer efforts, or partnership, we support a number of Lutheran and local Organizations:
Ascentria Care Alliance (Lutheran Social Services)
