Community Action Ministry

• LARS (Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services, Inc.) is an ecumenical ministry assisting homeless and low-income families and individuals experiencing crisis with emergency and long-term services to become self-sufficient. HTLC provides financial support as well as participation in various fundraising events and “in kind” donations to support this community organization.
• Help the Homeless Mini-Walks is an annual fund raising event sponsored by LARS and supported by HTLC to receive grant funds from the Fannie Mae Foundation. HTLC usually holds the mini-walk during the Sunday School hour on a Sunday morning in early fall.
• Liberian Student Scholarship Fund provides students in Liberia in grades kindergarten through high school with monies to pay for one year of school. For the past three years we have been able to support 25 children with their education in Liberia. This scholarship fund is supported by donations from the congregation and the local Liberian and Laurel communities during our annual Multicultural Worship Service and Pot-Luck Ethnic Dinner held in January of each year. We are forming a Task Force to explore the possibility of building a school in Liberia.
• Food for the Hungry is an ongoing project. Community Action Ministry in coordination with Boy Scout Troop #1010 collect canned and non-perishable food donations. There is a large plastic container in the Welcome Center that donations can be put in and the Boy Scouts will collect food and monetary donations at the worship services on Sundays during the Scouting for Food Program each year.
• Elizabeth House is a program sponsored by Fish of Laurel, Inc. at a house on Gorman Road that provides a hot evening meal and a bag lunch for the homeless and needy in the Laurel area. HTLC is responsible for serving the food and cleaning up after the meal on the fourth Tuesday of each month. Volunteers are always needed to help with this very worthwhile program.
• Easter Baskets and Adopt-A-Family are projects to support LARS. Items are gathered at Christmas and Easter to give to local individuals and families in need.
• Neighbors In Need is a fund which provides financial support to members of the congregation in crisis. Requests may be made to the pastor(s).
• ELCA World Hunger Appeal, St. Dysmas Prison Ministry, and Diakon all receive budgeted donations from the church offerings to support their ministries.