Special Offering
LOPC is committed to serving others locally, nationally, and around the world with financial support as well as with sweat equity. We realize that partners often have unexpected needs arise that require extra support and when this occurs we offer the opportunity to the congregation to help fund these opportunities through a “Special Offering.” Special offerings help fund specific needs and unforeseen disasters.
Special Offering
LOPC is committed to serving others locally, nationally, and around the world with financial support as well as with sweat equity. We realize that partners often have unexpected needs arise that require extra support and when this occurs we offer the opportunity to the congregation to help fund these opportunities through a “Special Offering.” Special offerings help fund specific needs and unforeseen disasters.
Christmas special Offering: Feeding Children: Near and Far
In this Season of Giving, cries for help come from all around the world. For those of us with access to health care and plenty to eat, our hearts ache for the less fortunate, especially the most vulnerable among us: children.
This year’s Christmas Special Offering at LOPC supports two mission partners committed to feeding children, both globally and locally: the JF Kapnek Trust in Zimbabwe and the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano here in the Bay Area.
JF Kapnek Trust: Feeding Hope in Zimbabwe
The JF Kapnek Trust, headquartered in Harare, Zimbabwe, is one of this month’s recipients of the Christmas Special Offering. LOPC has had a relationship with Kapnek for over 20 years, initially helping address the AIDS/HIV epidemic, and now, supporting Kapnek’s outreach to health issues related to AIDS/HIV exposure such as cervical cancer and TB.
Over time Kapnek’s health related efforts expanded to include young children. They reasoned healthy children would do better in school and be stronger to fight off other health issues. Kapnek’s Early Childhood Development (ECD) program has become a model envied by those communities unable to have Kapnek in their regions of the country.
A key component of ECD is the hot meal served to preschool children which LOPC has helped finance over the past few years. This program provides a fortified porridge the parents prepare for their children. Kapnek feeds 12,000 children a day for the cost of $0.03 a child!
In addition to the daily porridge, periodically in the year, Kapnek brings government nurses to the preschools to have health check ups and immunizations if the parents allow. Since parents must bring the children in for the checkups, they will also bring their other children so the nurses can do health check ups on everyone. This allows Kapnek to reach an additional 3,000 children to identify health concerns. The nurses will see the 6,000 parents who also receive health and nutritional education at the schools.
Important unintended benefits to this program are: attendance at Kapnek porridge recipient preschools is 97%, higher than schools that don’t offer a meal. And, retention and progression to higher grades is at 100%.
This effective program can only continue if non-governmental organizations – such as LOPC – continue to fund this critical program.
Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano: Feeding Our Neighbors
Closer to home, 1 in 5 children in Contra Costa and Solano counties live in food-insecure households. The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, another of our Christmas Offering recipients, is a critical source of relief, distributing food to more than 275,000 people every month. The food bank also partners with local schools, community centers, and faith organizations to reach families with fresh produce, staples, and nutrition education.
Give the Gift of Nourishment
Your generosity this Christmas can change lives, both near and far. Our goal this Christmas season is to raise $20,000. Consider what your gift can do:
- $25 helps supply weekend food packs for a child for 2 months
- $50 feeds 16 children for a year
- $250 provides fresh produce to multiple families for a season
- $500 feeds 2 entire classrooms for the year
Your gift helps children receive the nutrition they need to grow and thrive. Know that whatever you give, will help young children. Thank you in advance for your generosity!
Ways to Give
All donations received will benefit Kapnek and Food Bank.
-To donate online, click the “Donate Now” Button below which takes you to our online giving page. There, please select the “Give one time” tab and then “Christmas Special Offering” in the dropdown menu.
-Write a check to LOPC with “Christmas Special Offering” in the memo and place in the collection box in the Narthex or the black mailbox in front of the Ministry Center.
-To donate cash during Worship, please use a pew envelope and label it “Trinity Center”