Community Service

As part of Lutheran Campus Ministry, LSA members are dedicated to serving God and living lives of faith by serving the community on many levels, from local children and congregations to the Lutheran University in San Salvador and cocoa farmers in Ghana. Look below for past and ongoing projects and opportunities for you to get involved.

Ways to help...

The CARing Project, Fridays, at Hope Church! Twenty-five elementary-school kids are anxious to meet you and enjoy a one-to-one relationship. Every Friday you and students from all over the campus can have a great experience and the time of your life with this wonderful bunch of energetic kids from Langley Park-McCormick Elementary School.

En Camino project volunteers meet at the chapel every Wednesday before traveling by van into Langley Park. There the volunteers help disadvantaged Latino chilren by engaging them in community building games as well as arts and crafts. Volunteers also tutor the children and help them with their homework.

Our relationship with the Lutheran University in San Salvador has been growing over the last few years. Through one part of the relationship, called the Blue Bottle Project, we provide scholarships to students at the university and sometimes medical care for students. We also sponsored a Christian rock concert to raise money for rebuilding schools and homes following an earthquake in El Salvador. Our future goal is to expand our relationship with the Salvadorian community in nearby Langley Park and develop a meaningful exchange program between the universities.

The International Hospitality project would also welcome your help. LCM is collecting household items (new or reusable) to prepare a basic packet for newly-arriving international students. Your odds and ends of plates, glasses, cups, flatware, utensils, pots, and pans can make a big difference in getting someone off to a good start in a new country. It's a way to honor the Biblical admonition for hospitality.

Other past service projects include a partnership with the fair trade organization SERRV, based in New Windsor, MD. SERRV buys locally produced agricultural products and crafts at a fair price (i.e., above market price), and sells those goods and products to concerned consumers in the United States. The LSA sends volunteers to the SERRV warehouse to repackage goods, serves Equal Exchange coffee in the Chapel lounge, and sells Divine Chocolate to raise money for the Arab Lutheran school in Manhattan, as well as support cocoa farmers in Ghana.

The LSA annually participates in the Walk for the Homeless on the National Mall to raise money for the homeless ministry of Lutheran Social Services. We do yardwork, plantings, and indoor maintenance and repairs at Hope Lutheran Church. We serve in soup kitchens in D.C. and read to children as part of Read Across America Day. No matter what your talents, available time, and particular interests, Lutheran Campus Ministry has a service project that you could contribute to and enjoy.

Upcoming opportunities for service will be posted on our calendar.