Back in September, our youth dreamt up a beautiful outreach idea: Light at the Laundromat. We are thrilled to announce that the program is officially ready to launch, and we need you to help us make it a reality! This is a wonderful opportunity to serve alongside our youth and spread some literal and figurative light in our community.

The Game Plan

• Where: Mama’s Laundromat
• When: The 4th Sunday of every month | 12 PM – 2 PM
• Who: 2 Adult volunteers and 4 Youth volunteers per shift.

How We’re Serving

Through generous grants and donations from our God’s Work, Our Hands Sunday, the Metro D.C. Synod of the ELCA, and the Community Carol Sing, our youth will be:

• Providing Meals Handing out “grab and go” food bags.
• Paying it Forward Swiping laundry cards to cover costs for patrons.
• Sharing Joy Gifting free books to children and providing laundry detergent.

Get Involved

For each “Light at the Laundromat” Sunday, we have two distinct ways for you to get involved

1. Fuel the Mission (Lunch Hosts): Provide a simple, quick lunch at the church for our volunteers before they head out. This ensures our team is energized and ready to serve!
2. Be the Light (Laundromat Team): Join us at Mama’s Laundromat from Noon to 2:00 PM to assist patrons, hand out supplies, and cover laundry costs.

Sign Up → click this link to go to our sign up genius!

Whether you’re a great cook or a great conversationalist, there is a spot for you! Our youth are amazing, and we can’t wait to see this program in action. Please take a look at the schedule and see where you can help

FUNDRAISER opportunities to support our ministry!

Take a night off of cooking on Thursday, January, 29! Dine at Paisano’s in Leesburg, beginning 5 pm and your dinner will help raise the funds needed to complete the downstairs painting.

SPONSORSHIPS

• Are you a Thrivent member?
• Did you know you apply for small grants?

There are special, upcoming preschool events in need of sponsorships, such as their “Valentine Town” and the “Mother’s Day Tea”. If you can help, please contact Debbie Harned, preschooldirector@holytrinityleesburg.org.org

Help Serve in Worship!  There are many roles where you can assist:

• Be a Lector (reader)
• Teller (Count offering, complete computer spreadsheet)
• Coffee Host (Set up coffee and goodies, clean up after)
• Usher (collect offering, help with communion seating)
• For our youth – be an acolyte or crucifer (Light candles, carry our cross at entrance and exit)

Sign up at https://tr.ee/tGtGg2

If you need help signing up, e-mail the church office at office@holytrinityleesburg.org.

To see who has already signed up, please go to: https://tr.ee/zsigxr

 * If the date is X’d out or not optionable on the calendar, it has been filled. If you are unsure, do not hesitate to email office@holytrinityleesburg.org for help!

New to being a worship volunteer? Training and Experienced Mentors provided.

Ways to Support Holy Trinity You May Not Have Considered

As we look toward the year ahead, here are a few ways you can support Holy Trinity while easing (or at least not adding to) your tax burden.

Here are a few things that you can consider (please consult your own tax or financial adviser before making any decisions).

→ Donating Appreciated Securities

Did you know that you can donate stocks, mutual funds, or other securities to a qualified charity, such as Holy Trinity, without having to sell them? Holy Trinity has set up an investment account at our bank, Truist, to which you can transfer the securities directly.

This prevents your having to sell the securities and pay capital gains taxes on the amount the securities have appreciated over the years. Holy Trinity will hold the investment(s) and, hopefully, let them appreciate further until we need the money to pay expenses. If you are interested in this, please contact me for the account information and specific instructions.

→ Donate from Your IRA Required Minimum Distribution If you’re 70½ or older, you can direct

all or part of your annual IRA Required Minimum Distribution (up to $105,000) to Holy Trinity.

This Qualified Charitable Distribution counts toward your RMD but isn’t taxable income. You do not need to itemize your deductions to take advantage of this. You simply report the total amount of IRA distributions on the IRA distributions line on your tax return and report the taxable amount of the gift to charity as $0. See IRS Publication 590-B, “Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs)” for additional information. Ask your IRA custodian to send the check directly to:

Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 605 W. Market St., Leesburg VA 20176.

→ Name Holy Trinity as a Beneficiary or Leave a Bequest in Your Will or Trust

By naming Holy Trinity in your will, trust, or as a beneficiary, you can make a lasting impact without affecting your current finances. Charitable bequests can also reduce estate taxes.

Holy Trinity is profoundly grateful for the generous contributions, large and small, of all our congregation members. Please let me know if you would like to discuss taking advantage of any of these suggestions or other ways of supporting Holy Trinity.

Karla McGovern + karlakmcgovern@gmail.com