Northeast Valley Consortium Wraps Up 2024 Heat Respite Project

ELCA’s 2024 “God’s Work-Our Hands” Sunday on September 8 saw completion of the Northeast Valley Consortium’s (NEVC) first consortial lunch pack series for Arizona Faith Network sites in central and south Phoenix. The GWOH lunch pack marked the 13th consortial pack for 2024 for AFN heat respite sites in central and south Phoenix.

New Journey participants packed the closing 200 lunches for the 2024 project, one which has provided over 2600 lunches, at least 7 pallets of bottled water, and accompanying electrolyte powder for Grace Lutheran, First United Church of Christ, and Wesley United Methodist heat respite centers.

A generous grant from NEVC partner Ascension Lutheran (Scottsdale) supported all five colleague churches – Christ the Lord (Carefree), New Covenant and Living Water (also Scottsdale), and New Journey (Fountain Hills) – along with individual donors, Thrivent, and in-kind support from Foothills Food Bank and Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center.

Pastor Beth Gallen of New Journey summarized: “The power of consortial work is that together we can accomplish much more than any one of our congregation can accomplish alone. As heat rises and extends in the Phoenix area, we know that we need to be a part of saving lives of the most vulnerable among us  . . . to put our hands to God’s work of love and care for neighbors.”

(Photos by Mike Wilson)