Inspired to Welcome the Stranger
A letter from Bishop Matthew Gunter became the spark for a meaningful Lenten outreach effort at Trinity Church this spring.
As members of Trinity's Outreach Committee gathered in late January to discern a Lenten project, they found themselves reflecting on Bishop Gunter's January message to congregations across the Diocese of Wisconsin. Moved by his call to stand alongside vulnerable neighbors and to respond faithfully in uncertain times, committee members unanimously chose to support Voces de la Frontera, a Milwaukee-based organization serving immigrant families through advocacy, legal assistance, education, and community support.
Wanting to learn how they could best help, Trinity reached out to Voces Outreach Coordinator Norma Duckworth. In addition to financial support, she shared a pressing need for grocery store gift cards that could be distributed to families who were fearful of leaving their homes. She also provided a list of food and household items most needed by the organization's clients.
“Their greatest need was grocery gift cards for families who were afraid to leave their homes.”
The congregation responded with remarkable generosity. Over the course of Lent, parishioners raised $1,560 in financial gifts and donated an additional $560 in grocery gift cards. Members also contributed a large collection of food and essential supplies, filling vehicles with donations destined for local families.
When the gifts were delivered, Outreach Committee Co-Chair Corliss Rice and fellow parishioners joined Norma Duckworth to celebrate the partnership and the support Trinity members had provided. Photos from the day captured both the presentation of a donation check and the loading of the many food and supply donations that would soon reach those in need.
In a letter to Bishop Gunter, parish leaders expressed gratitude for the encouragement that helped guide their discernment. "Your inspiration gave us the confidence and courage," they wrote, noting that the committee's decision grew directly from reflecting on the Bishop's message.
“Faithful witness often begins with prayerful discernment and grows into acts of compassion.”
For Trinity Church, the project was more than a successful fundraiser. It was an opportunity to live out the Gospel's call to welcome the stranger, care for neighbors in need, and build relationships across communities. Their Lenten effort serves as a reminder that faithful witness often begins with prayerful discernment and grows into acts of compassion that make Christ's love visible in the world.
