In 2008, Troop 128 had two Scouts complete all the requirements for the highest rank in Scouting - Eagle Scout. Congratulations to Alex Carder and Brian Phillips.

Summer camp this year was at Camp Eastman in Keokuk, Iowa from June 29-July 5 with 6 boys and 3 adults attending.

Scout Sunday was February 3rd and the Scouts assisted with the church service followed by a potluck dinner and court of honor.

The troop attended Fall Camporee at Winterset in September with 8 scouts attending.

Other Scouts activities included going to Iowa City for a Merit Badge Day in March and working on fellow Scouts Eagle projects.

The Scouts earned numerous merit badges in areas of interest, and several boys advanced in rank.

The Troop also had other Troop campouts to attend including a fall campout in the snow.

A part of the Scout experience includes service work. Our 2008 projects included:
Adopt-a-Highway clean up days, lawn mowing at the church and building a new donation box for Helping Hand.

To keep the Troop going financially, we have fundraisers. This year we mowed the church lawn and sold Christmas greenery.

Three local missions grew and eventually merged to become the current Helping Hand. The first, the Clothes Closet, began in the early 1970's in an upstairs room of Trinity's old manse. Members of the congregation and others donated good, useable clothing which was given to people in need.The Attic, a separate space for donated furniture and household appliances, opened soon after in a house rented by the church. The entire community was asked to make donations. In 1981, the Indianola Ministerial Association established a food pantry which operated from the Indianola Friends Church.


It soon became apparent that it would be much more efficient to house all three facilities under one roof. A steering committee's recommendations resulted in the establishment of a board of directors. Peggy Kruse and Margaret Vernon represented Trinity. A temporary facility was donated People's Trust and Savings Bank and over the next year, many volunteers from numerous churches worked to get the building (located at 124 East Salem) ready to use.
From 1982 through 1985, hundreds of hours of volunteer time went into the day-to-day operation of Helping Hand and also into fundraising, planning and building a permanent facility. Helping Hand officially opened for business at its present location (Clinton) on March 14,1985.

On an average, 20 to 25 volunteers work weekly at Helping Hand. There are between 50 and 60 total volunteers in most years. Peggy Kruse, Trinity member, is the executive director of Helping Hand and works with 20 board members representing the entire community.

For nearly 40 years, Trinity members have delivered Meals-on-Wheels in Indianola to those in need of a hot, prepared meal. The meals are prepared at the Warren County Administration Building at the congregate meal site.Working in teams of two persons each, two teams deliver meals every Wednesday. This involves nearly 20 volunteers each month from September through May. An additional 6-8 persons serve as substitutes. In June, July and August, a new "crew" of approximately 15-20 people continue the deliveries for Trinity.

For many years, the women of Trinity PW have made comforters to donate to Helping Hand. During the months of January and February, volunteers meet on Tuesday afternoons to assemble the comforters. While many, many women have contributed to this project over the years, current volunteers lift up Thelma Pehrson's long-time commitment to dismantling electric blankets so they may be used in making the comforters. Thelma continues to do this service from her home.
Donations of sheets (flat and fitted), washable draperies, large-size table cloths and blankets are all crafted into comforters. Most donations come from Trinity members. Each year, approximately 20 comforters are completed and distributed by Helping Hand in September and October. PW also makes an annual monetary donation to Helping Hand and conducts a mitten and hat collection for the agency at Christmas.

We feel called to action by Christ to mobilize our faith
community to help the poor and oppressed become empowered to achieve and sustain their independence through education, encouragement and compassionate care.

Anyone is invited to visit and/or volunteer his/her talents in the WeLIFT facility during the week.

We provide clients with job search assistance, Workplace Essentials training and resume writing assistance. WeLIFT also serves as a resource/reference center.

This program is a visible expression of Christ's love reaching out to those in need in our community.

Staci Scheurenbrand
Director
www.welift.net