**Prayer Shawls Ministry – We will be meeting the fourth Friday of each month at 10am in the Fellowship Hall.

Social Ministry – Service Project that EVERYONE can participate in.

Did you ever imagine those pesky overly abundant plastic grocery bags that pile up in our homes could make a positive difference in the life of a person on the streets? They most certainly can. Brave and intrepid volunteers here at Apostles are making sleeping mats from plastic bags. It takes 500–700 bags to make one mat. These mats are lightweight, easy to clean, and provide insulation and a barrier between the individual and the ground or floor.

Thanks to you we now have five completed mats. Remember it takes between 400–700 bags to make a mat, so you all have done a super job at moving this project forward. I encourage you to pray for the homeless as you fold the bags flat. Those working on crocheting mats are praying for the homeless, also. We will collaborate with a group that serves the homeless to get them delivered. In the meantime, let’s cover them in prayer.

We ask that you donate your unwanted plastic grocery bags to the receptacle in the Narthex labeled Plastic Bags. Please flatten them out to make them easier to transport, and to cut. If you are interested in how they are made, and/or want to get started making them, go to You Tube – How to Make Sleeping Mats for the Homeless. There are so many videos to peruse. If you have questions, text Mary Otte at 623–377–6029 or email at Mbotte52779@gmail.com.

Intererfaith Homeless Emergency Lodging Program – I–Help

Apostles now has a meal team that will serve meals for this program. Beginning this month, they will make and deliver a meal to host churches. We will also be providing toiletry kits to this program. Travel size toiletries and washcloth are needed to fill these kits, as are quart storage bags.

It’s not too late to be a part of this great opportunity to help others.

                                                                                   Food Pantry
Our food pantry is funded, in part, thanks to a grant from the West Valley Lutheran Thrift Shop. Our sincere thanks goes out to them. If you, or someone you know, need a food box, please fill out the Food Box Request form on the Human Care Ministry table in the Narthex. Place your request in the box on the table. Food boxes are available for pick-up on Tuesdays from 9 to 11.

We still need your donations in order to provide a quality food box. Items needed: milk – evaporated, powdered, or shelf-stable milk which can be stored without need of refrigeration, and
canned meat – chicken, tuna, spam. We would like to provide basic spices like salt and pepper, garlic and onion powder, Italian spices, and whatever you like to use. I have found that bouillon cubes make a great flavor addition to otherwise bland food. Additionally, soups such as cream of mushroom, cream of celery, cream of chicken can make a meal out of canned meat and potatoes. These “fancy” items can make a plain meal special.

PRAYER SHAWLS MINISTRY

The Fourth Friday of every month we meet to pray together, share patterns and tips for making shawls. We also pray over the completed shawls. We love requests. Let us know you need a shawl and we will provide the prayers for the individual and a shawl. You are invited to join us on the Fourth Friday of every month at 10 am in the Fellowship Hall. If you do not knit or crochet, join us to make “plarn”. It’s super easy and will enable those crocheting the sleeping mats to work without having to stop to make plarn.