Building brighter futures

Jersey City, New Jersey

Each year, Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran Church collects backpacks and school supplies—including notebooks, pencils, lunch boxes, art supplies and books—to help area children get a strong start to the school year. Jameka Carter led a Thrivent Action Team to support the 2026-2027 school year by collecting and hosting a “packaging party” where they filled more than 100 backpacks. They also collected diapers, wipes and hand sanitizer for families with young children and then distributed the supplies at their annual Backpack and School Supply Giveaway.

Mayville, Wisconsin
Students in 5th through 8th grade at St. John’s Lutheran School turned cucumbers into preserved pickles, apples into applesauce, grapes into jelly and tomatoes into salsa during an elective course led by Beverly Christian. In the process, the students built practical kitchen skills, including measuring ingredients, doubling recipes and learning how food comes together from start to finish. They also prepared a few recipes for funeral lunches held at the church and served treats to their parents on Parent’s Day. Beverly’s Thrivent Action Team helped fund supplies, creating a hands-on farm-to-table experience for the students.

Juno Beach, Florida
Jessica Miles loves the natural greenery that surrounds her family’s church, Holy Spirit Lutheran Church. She led a Thrivent Action Team to plant a butterfly garden for endangered species near the church’s preschool, giving children and teachers a front-row seat for the transformation from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. As they watch the metamorphosis, the children see first-hand how God can make all things new. And they can enjoy watching the butterflies fluttering on their playground.