How we interact with our community and the world is a vital component of what makes Trinity such a special place. A minimum of 25% revenues from all sponsored events goes to outreach.
In 2021 Trinity supported important ministries with $9,796. These ministries included the Meredith Food Pantry both with dollars and with hundreds of pounds of food collected each Sunday in our Food Wagon. World ministries included: Children of Hope Hati, Masiphumele in South Africa, and ERD Nets for Life. The Trinity congregation generously supports the Rectors Discretionary fund with over $4,000 that supported local Meredith needs as determined by the Rector.
Trinity helped create and continues to support two major charitable organizations in Meredith — Hearts and Hands Thrift Shop and Got Lunch! Inter-Lakes. Read more about these organizations below.
Heart and Hands Thrift Shop
After a local Thrift Shop closed in 2016, Reverend Soller and a vestry member met and agreed we can’t let this ministry disappear. We contacted two local churches (St. Charles Catholic Church and The First Congregational Church) and created this joint venture we named Heart and Hands Thrift Shop.
Our mission is to be “The Heart and Hands of Jesus, by benefiting the community through the sale of affordable items, and investing the profits into local charities.”
As of the end of October 2021 the Shop has granted $357,580 mostly to non-profit organizations supporting the needs of the lakes Region. In 10 months of 2021 grants equal $76,980.00. Beyond the financial success, the Shop has brought together 3 churches who now share many activities, and from which come many of the over 50 volunteers who keep the shop.
Got Lunch! Inter-Lakes
Ten years ago we asked, “What happens in the summer to kids who get free or subsidized breakfast and lunch at school during the school year?” Thus Trinity sponsored the creation of Got Lunch Inter-Lakes. Each Monday morning about 35 volunteers meet at the Elementary School to organize and pack bags of lunches for 7 days. Then about 8 o’clock 14 drivers arrive and we pack their cars. We have 7 delivery routes! In 2021 we delivered 11,700 lunches to 83 families and 175 kids. Each bag includes a $10.00 voucher that can be used at our local grocery store for dairy products; $9,800 was redeemed this summer.
During pre-pandemic times we would hold Roast Beef Suppers (twice yearly, serving 100 meals each), auctions, yard sales, and pond hockey concessions, donating proceeds to worthy local organizations and charities.
