Upper Valley M.E.N.D.:Meeting Every Need with Dignity has been an important ministry within Leavenworth for well over 20 years. It has five primary expressions:
Community Cupboard: A centrally located resource center where local residents can come to receive food, purchase clothing, and many other essential household items
S.H.A.R.E Community Land Trust.: Providing quality affordable homeownership to low and medium income families. Securing Homes on Affordable Real Estate is a community land trust which was established in ‘98. Its purpose is to provide affordable housing for those living and working in Leavenworth. Twenty homes have been built.
Upper Valley Free Medical Clinic: Every Monday, 6:30-8:00, volunteers (a doctor, nurse, receptionist, and translator) gather at the Cascade Medical Center to provide basic medical consultation and prescription coupons for those not having resources to secure medical aid dental care.
Cornerstone Community: An adult home providing loving and safe housing for those with developmental disabilities, insuring that this community values and embraces people with diverse talents and gifts.
Jubilee Global Gifts:This is a delightful “Fair Trade” store in downtown Leavenworth staffed entirely by volunteers. All of the artists and creators of the beautiful craft items displayed from developing countries get a fair return for their work. All the profits from the shop support Upper Valley MEND programs including the Community Cupboard and SHARE Community Land Trust, as well as other nonprofit organizations. In 2011, John and Mary Schramm, founders of this wonderful downtown Free Trade store, gifted Jubilee to M.E.N.D.!
Grunewald Guild
Located in Plain, this artisans guild provides year around opportunities to learn and participate in the interplay of art as faith as art. Classes are offered in a number of artistic mediums facilitated by master artists. All are encouraged to participate, regardless of experience for a joyful time of creating and deepening of the faith. Visit their website by clicking HERE.
The Leavenworth Empty Bowls Festival is an annual fundraiser to support the Community Cupboard, as well as art education in local schools.
Participants buy one of the unglazed, undecorated bowls made by local artists and then paint them with a design of their choice. The bowls are fired and returned to the person who painted them at a community dinner in March.
The artist bowl auction features larger bowls which are painted by local artists and auctioned off prior to the community dinner.
The Community Cupboard is a service provided through the Upper Valley M.E.N.D. Faith Lutheran joined with other churches in the area in 1983 to begin a food shelf that has grown into what is known as the Community Cupboard today. FLC members continue to provide strong volunteer and financial support for this ministry.
Located in 20 states, the LPPO officers (Rev. Paul Benz, in Olympia) work in partnership with local congregations, synods, and social ministry organizations to establish, maintain, and coordinate advocacy and education at the local and statewide level.
