Mark Walz, Jr.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed this Giving Tuesday like I am and don’t know where to start with your charitable giving, let me suggest a few! Below are some organizations that we have worked or volunteered with or provided some service for in the past year and they are organizations that we can totally get behind! Happy giving, friends!
Common Good
Common Good is an after-school community development program for kids K-12th in North Lexington (my neighborhood!). Our Mission Common Good exists to advance wholistic community development in North Lexington through leadership development, education, recreation, and spiritual formation. Common Good’s vision is for our community to live into its God-given potential evidenced by thriving children, strong families, and flourishing neighborhoods. We desire that community members be reconciled to God and to each other. Learn more.
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Aldersgate Camp and Retreat Center
For over 55 years Aldersgate Camp & Retreat Center has been a place set apart that intentionally provides for the faith development of people of all ages in Christian community within the natural beauty of God’s creation. I have been heavily involved at Aldersgate Camp for around 23 years! As a camper, as a volunteer, as a staff person, and a dean, and as the marketing guy! They continue to welcome home a variety of individuals and organizations who seek to get away from the normal routine of life, experience God, build community with each other, and enjoy the beauty of creation. Located about an hour southeast of Lexington, Kentucky, nestled in the foothills of Appalachia, Aldersgate Camp & Retreat Center offers field trips, day retreats, and overnight options for individuals and groups year round and summer camp programming during June and July. Learn More.
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Neighbors Immigration Clinic
Neighbors Immigration Clinic is a ministry of hospitality in my neighborhood that welcomes immigrants by providing affordable, high-quality immigration legal services to low-income immigrants, engaging in advocacy for immigrant rights, and offering education to communities of faith and the public.
They are prepared to work with the resources already available in our community to make Lexington a more hospitable and welcoming community for our immigrant neighbors.
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Seedleaf
Seedleaf is a community gardening organization that provides horticultural training and supports the practice of gardening and small-scale farming in urban space.
Since 2007, Seedleaf has been growing, sharing and composting food in my community. Through Seedleaf’s programming, they have come alongside our neighbors from all age groups, perspectives and backgrounds to teach them how to do this good garden and community-building work.
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Hands & Feet Project
The Hands & Feet Project is non-profit organization which exists to “raise a generation of orphans who will grow into men and women who will have a relationship with Christ and be leaders in their communities.” It began as a Children’s Village located near Jacmel, Haiti.
Under the guidance of Haiti’s Child Social Services, they provide holistic, residential care for children in crisis by building and operating Children’s Villages with multiple family-style homes lead by Haitian House Mothers. By utilizing their resources, relationships, and our American and Haitian staff, they strive to create a circle of care around each child with the intent of giving every boy and girl the chance to reach their God-given potential.
They also utilize their platform to help create sustainable and dignified jobs to push against the poverty-driven child abandonment and child slavery cycles. They believe the best orphan care strategy starts with a fight to keep families together.
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Gulu Methodist Partnership Inc.
The Mission of the Gulu Methodist Partnership Incorporated (GMPI) is to assist the Gulu, Uganda, United Methodist Church District pastors and churches in their efforts to make Christian disciples and minister to the needs of their churches and communities under the guidance of the East African Conference and Gulu District leaders.
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Charlie Foxtrot
Charlie Foxtrot is a community for veterans who are adjusting to life outside of the military. They use horses and the outdoors to bring veterans together and give them a break from navigating the civilian world. They believe creating a community of like-minded people dealing with similar struggles is the best way to combat the high veteran suicide rate.
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Breath of Hope KY
Breath of Hope Kentucky exists to initiate conversation and spread greater awareness about lung cancer in Kentucky to help erase the stigma and lower the deadly statistics of this disease. The #1 cancer killer of men and women! This organization is run by lung cancer survivor and passionate advocate, Lindi Campbell. She is working to raise awareness, erase the stigma, and incorporate the community into action-driven conversations that challenge all citizens of Kentucky to help in the fight to lower the cases and deaths from lung cancer in the Commonwealth.
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Embrace Church
This is my church! It is also in my neighborhood and is a place that holds many things that I volunteer in and I am passionate about. This church is very people-oriented, Jesus oriented, and neighborhood-oriented. They are focused on justice and love. I am part of the worship team here on Sunday mornings and Monday nights. I am also a storyteller in the Wonder Room where I tell biblical stories from Godly Play to young children once a month. I am also a part of the Monday night service and meal called The Gathering where they serve a meal to the community and then have a worship service. Embrace also houses Common Good and Neighbors Immigration Clinic. We are a diverse family of gritty Christ-followers who place Jesus and His kingdom at the center of all we are about. We risk real life together sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with our words and actions in our community in North Lexington.
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St. Luke UMC
St. Luke UMC is the church that I have worked and served and learned and grown in the past 5.5 years. They are passionate about diverse worship styles, cultural learning and understanding and welcoming, healing and wholeness and helping the less fortunate. They have an incredible God’s Pantry thats serves as a food bank 10 times a week, an Alms program that helps those with financial difficulties, and five distinct worship services including traditional, contemporary, a Multicultural worship service and a Swahili Worshiping community.
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