Reaching out in Christ’s name. Pioneer is committed to reaching out to our community and to the world through ongoing missions and service. Throughout the year, there are a variety of opportunities to serve either as an individual or as a family.  Here are just a few of the ways Pioneer Lake Lutherans share Christ’s love in our community.

Caritas of Eagle River

The Vacationland Ministerial Association supported ministry will offer financial assistance with utility bills, gasoline, food and clothing vouchers, and help navigate the available services to those in need in Vilas County. CARITAS is in need of more volunteers for this work. CARITAS is located at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Eagle River, and is open on Wednesday every week, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. If you would like to volunteer, Pastor John will give you more information. In addition, CARTIAS is seeking donations of furniture (lamps, tables, chairs) for their ministry location at St. Francis Church, furniture enabling clients to feel more comfortable as they wait to visit with a volunteer. If you have furniture to donate, please see Pastor John.

Headwaters Food Pantry

Help feed our local community consider non-perishable food donations of cereals, pasta, box dinners, baked beans, ketchup, soups, canned fruit and vegetables, paper products (toilet paper, paper towel, Kleenex tissues), laundry and dish soap. Please place donations in the bin in the narthex.

Frederick Place

Announced a fund-raising program called “Closets to Cash Campaign”.  They have partnered with a textile recycling organization and is collecting old, torn, stained and unwanted clothing items.  Fredric Place receives payment per pound of textiles collected and recycled.  You are invited to bring the following items to church-in plastic bags or bring them your self to Fredrick Place.

• clothing of all types
• shoes of any kind
• belts and purses
• table cloths and napkins
• robes
• dish cloths and towels
• sheets and blankets
• stuffed animals

Frederick Place is a 16-bed emergency, temporary shelter for families, women and men who are experiencing homelessness. It is operated by The Northwoods Alliance for Temporary Housing Inc. (NATH), which is a not-for-profit corporation. We are located at 204 W. Frederick Street, Rhinelander Wisconsin.

Frederick Place is committed to ending and preventing homelessness. Along with NATH, we exist to provide safe housing and basic needs to families and individuals who are homeless, within an atmosphere of encouragement, respect, dignity, and hope, while nurturing and promoting self-sufficiency and independence.

Weekend Backpack Program

Food is being collected for children who may not have enough food on the weekends.
Pioneer Lake Lutheran Church is partnering with Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Eagle River in collecting food items for the Weekend Backpack Program.  Please help by donating any of the following items:

• Juice boxes, Gatorade and other drinks not requiring refrigeration
• Non-perishable milk
• Canned meals – i.e. spaghetti o’s
• Oatmeal
• Individual fruit cups
• Individual cereal boxes
• Granola bars
• Peanut butter crackers
• Small jars of peanut butter
• Microwave Mac-n-cheese
• Microwave soups
• Graham crackers
• Ramen Noodles

Items may be placed in container located in narthex, droped off at Prince of Peace or pickup may be arranged for larger quantities.

Kiva Loans

Kiva is a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world.  As a community PLLC has established its own Kiva funding account.  If you’d like to contribute to this fund please click on the donate now button.  For more information please contact Rita Kickert (715-547-6972).

How Kiva Works

1. Choose a borrower:  Read through hundreds of borrower stories of people looking for loans to grow businesses, go to school, switch to clean energy and more. Find someone who connects with you.
2. Make a loan: Click ‘Lend’ to make a loan to the borrower of your choice. All Kiva loans are disbursed by our Field Partners who vet and work closely with each borrower.
3. Get repaid:  Get updates as the borrowers you support succeed and repay their loans. You’ll see these dollars return to your Kiva account.
4. Repeat!  When borrowers repay, you can use that money to empower another person by supporting a new loan! You can also choose to donate the money to Kiva or withdraw it.