Synod council member Sue Jensen shares how an annual rummage sale at Tanque Verde Lutheran in Tucson transformed during the pandemic into a yearlong ministry that provides goods to local social service agencies.

For many years, Tanque Verde Lutheran Church in Tucson held an annual two-day rummage sale in support of their preschool and youth ministry. When in March 2020 the sale was canceled due to COVID restrictions, a group of sale volunteers realized that while the rummage sale might not ever happen again, they wanted to continue serving together.  After much prayer and study, they unveiled a new plan to recycle useable household goods to benefit the clients of local social service agencies. They called their new ministry Household Blessings. 

This is how it works: Members and friends of the congregation and preschool regularly donate new and slightly used items to Household Blessings. The items are sorted by Household Blessings volunteers and are then passed on to 18 local agencies that serve veterans, members of the military, refugees, low-income and homeless people in Tucson. Some of the agencies currently being assisted are Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest, Sister Jose’s Women’s Center, La Frontera, Casa Maria Soup Kitchen, the local VA hospital, Care Portal, Women Warriors, and the Pima County Health Department.  To help people who are moving into new housing, volunteers put together “starter kits” which provide everything needed in the kitchen; bed and bath linens are also often requested. Additional items that agencies seek are clothing, furniture, medical supplies, and just about everything needed for children: toys, books, games, clothing, shoes, backpacks, booster seats, you name it. And now that warmer weather is here, items such as hats, sunscreen, and lip gloss are also in demand.  

Household Blessings volunteers are assisted by members of Tanque Verde’s food ministry in bringing awareness of the Household Blessings mission to both the congregation and the wider Tucson community. Regular contact is maintained with local agencies so that newly identified needs can be quickly addressed, and additional agencies are welcomed. Questions about Household Blessings can be directed to office@tvlc.org or (520) 749-1606.