Lutheran Services in Iowa came to our community a number of years ago starting in a small office in the church basement.  They now operate from three locations in the city, one of which is the Zion-owned house on Cedar Street.  The house was damaged by fire started by vandals two year ago.  Fortunately, the damage was not severe but the house was emptied and was thoroughly renovated.  The house is used by the HOPES program of LSI, a prevention program aimed at pre-school children and their families. 

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Zion’s ties to Lutheran Homes go back its founding, as Zion’s founding pastor, Henry Reinemund, was also the founder of the Lutheran Homes.  Organized first as an orphanage, Lutheran Homes has experienced many changes over the years, including a change in focus to exclusively ministering to the aging population in our community.   A “continuum of care” is now being developed so that the Homes may offer everything from independent living to traditional “nursing home” care to those in our area.  Zion offers minimal financial support to Lutheran Homes.  Much more significant, however, is the good will we have toward this Lutheran ministry in our community and the number of volunteers from Zion who serve in a variety of ways including service on the board of directors.  Zion’s Social Ministry Committee sponsors a staff appreciation event each year at Lutheran Homes.

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The “Gateway Transitional Housing Project” began when Zion approved the purchase of the five-unit apartment building at 201 E. 5^th Street at the annual meeting in January, 2003.  A plan was organized with the help of MCSA to use the facility to provide transitional housing for people who were ready to move out the homeless shelter but who needed continued services and support in their journey to become self-sufficient.  A grant of $45,000 was received from the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine to assist in the purchase of the property.  A member loan and a loan from the Sisters of the Presentation BVM in Dubuque helped finance the rest of the purchase.  We also received an “In the City for Good” grant from the ELCA in the amount of $15,000, as well as a $1,500 Domestic Hunger Grant from the ELCA to help with necessary renovations.  Our first two tenants who are a part of the program moved into their apartments in May, 2003.  Another couple moved in on January 1, 2004.  They are all excited about this new opportunity.  As the other apartments become vacant, others will be moved in as a part of the program.  Members of the congregation have worked to get the apartments ready for occupancy and to improve the exterior appearance of the building.   

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The Phil Collins Family Shelter is located at the Muscatine Center for Social Action on Iowa Avenue.  It is one of three shelter programs run by the center.  This particular program addresses the needs of families for emergency shelter for the short-term or, if need be, for a longer period of time until other appropriate shelter is found.  Families work with a staff case-worker who assists them in getting back on their feet.  The shelter consists of eight private sleeping rooms for families as well as a common area for living and meals, a kitchen, a laundry area, and restrooms and showers.  Zion sponsors one of the eight rooms by providing a monthly $100 sponsorship donation.  Members may sign up on the bulletin board to cover the expense of a monthly or weekly sponsorship.   

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The Muscatine Food Pantry is located in the rear of the Muscatine County Community Services Building on Iowa Avenue.  Run by volunteers and funded by contributions from churches and community organizations, the pantry provides supplemental food and cleaning supplies to qualified families.  In addition to food offerings received at Thanksgiving and other times of the year and designated monetary gifts, half of the quarters received each third Sunday at Zion in our “Quarters for Hunger” offering are given to support the Food Pantry. 

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Named after the Biblical practice of giving alms, the Almoners’ Fund is administered by Muscatine County Community Services to assist people with needs which cannot be met with relief funds provided by the county or other government agencies.  This might include steel-toed shoes for someone who has found a job which requires these or other safety items, lunch money for newly-employed workers until they receive their first pay check, assistance with rent or utility deposits, bus tickets for transients, and other unexpected needs.  Zion provides monthly assistance to the Almoner’s Fund by giving .75% of our unified offerings to this effort.

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The Emmaus Café is a project of one of our neighbors and ecumenical partners, namely First Presbyterian Church.  Seeking to have greater involvement meeting the needs of the community and realizing that meal sites were available each day of the week except Sunday for hungry people in Muscatine, they decided to begin serving meals at 12:00 noon on Sundays.  When other congregations in the community were invited to assist in serving of these meals, Zion responded affirmatively, agreeing to help out on the first Sunday of every other month.  A team of five or more people helps in greeting, serving, and cleaning up after the guests.  We see this as an important way to build ecumenical relationships with our downtown neighbors .

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One of the first projects the newly formed social ministry committee undertook some fifteen years ago was to sponsor two annual blood drives at Zion using the mobile units from the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center.  Drives are held at Zion in June and December and we usually gather between 35 and 45 pints of blood each time.   

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An ecumenical group under the name “Loaves and Fishes” provides meals to people in need on Saturday noon.  These meals are prepared and served in the lower level of MCSA.  The program is completely supported by donations from individuals and organizations, and groups, primarily from the churches in the community sign up to cook, prepare and serve the meals, provide a dessert, and clean up afterwards.  Members of Zion perform this service three to four times a year.  Students from the confirmation class often assist as one of their required service projects.

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A TOPS (Take off Pounds Sensibly) group meets at Zion every Tuesday evening at 5:30 PM in the multipurpose room.  Participants “weigh-in” before each meeting and records are maintained to monitor weight loss.  At the meeting, there is an exchange of ideas and mutual support is given for the process of losing weight.  This group is always open to new participants. 

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AARP, the American Association of Retired Persons, is one of several community groups which use Zion’s facilities for meetings.  AARP meets the third Monday of each month in the multipurpose room on the lower level at 1:00 PM.  Meetings often involve a program or speaker, fellowship, games, and a light lunch.  For more information about the chapter of AARP which meets at Zion, contact Ruth Starkweather. 

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Two Foster Care Review Boards (one for Cedar and one for Muscatine County) meet monthly at Zion.  A board of volunteers reviews each case every six months as a to insure that foster children are receiving the services they need, that the system is working toward a permanent solution for the children, and that children do not in any way fall through the cracks.  The board operates under the Child Advocacy Board (a state agency) and makes recommendations to the courts.  On any given day in Iowa, over 5,000 children are in foster care.  Their ages and situations vary, but they all have the common need for stability and the right to permanency.

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Habitat for Humanity has a local chapter in Muscatine and Zion participates by providing volunteers to serve on the church relations committee and to assist with construction of houses.

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Zion’s annual Neighborhood Block Party is held on a Wednesday evening in June.  With approval from the city, the street along the front and the side of Zion is blocked off for about two hours providing a place for people to mingle, for children to play games and enjoy pony rides, for community agencies like LSI and MCSA to tell their stories, and for members of Zion to meet and visit with our neighbors.  Over 1000 invitations are sent in a bulk mailing to area households, posters are distributed in the downtown area, and announcements are made in the newspaper.  All information is shared in both English and Spanish.  A free meal of hotdogs or brats, chips, homemade bars or cookies, and drink is provided.  Musical entertainment is also provided.  In addition, a giant “garage sale” of clothing, house wares, and books is held where “everything sells for a quarter”.  The proceeds from this sale are all given to the local homeless shelter (usually over $300).  People register for door prizes, and children are invited to sign up for Vacation Bible School.  A number of Zion’s members wear bright green t-shirts so that they are easily identified to answer questions.  We have always been blessed by good weather – when it is rainy, the rain either stops before we begin or waits until we are done.

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