“For I was hungry and you gave me food…” – Matthew 25:35
At St. Luke, we are committed to feeding our neighbors—on campus, in Ithaca, and beyond. With a long history of food ministry, we are working together through the LEAD Team, the Social Ministry Committee, and our Confirmation Class to coordinate and strengthen our food outreach efforts.
Here are the three major ways we serve:
The Red Wagon
For decades, St. Luke has partnered with the Ithaca Kitchen Cupboard, a local food pantry housed in the Salvation Army building. Our Red Wagon, located in the narthex, collects non-perishable, shelf-stable food donations. Each month, we highlight a specific request based on the pantry’s needs—this month’s request is condiments.
The Blue Cabinet
A new initiative in Collegetown, the Blue Cabinet is part of a county-wide project placing accessible food cabinets in public spaces. These cabinets work on a take-what-you-need, leave-what-you-can model, providing food to those who need it most. St. Luke is home to Collegetown’s first Blue Cabinet, with support from local businesses and organizations. A list of suggested donation items is posted on the cabinet, and can also be found in the narthex.
Code Blue Shelter
The Code Blue Shelter is a seasonal state program providing emergency shelter, warmth, and food for those experiencing homelessness during cold weather. St. Luke is helping by collecting urgently needed items such as 100% juice boxes and breakfast/cereal bars. Donations can be placed in either the Red Wagon or the Blue Cabinet, and we will ensure they reach the shelter.
There are many ways to get involved, from donating food to helping with collection, sorting, and distribution. Contact communications@stlukeithaca.org if you would like to participate!
To make a financial contribution, it's easy to give online using the button below and then select “Feeding Our Neighbors”. Or you can make checks payable to St. Luke Lutheran Church and write “Feeding Our Neighbors” in the memo line. Thank you for being part of this ministry of care and compassion!
“Peace by Piece” quilters is a service ministry of St. Luke Lutheran Church. Peace by Piece quilters make mission quilts to be sent by Lutheran World Relief to people in some of the poorest parts of the world as well as to refugees and victims of natural disasters and conflict driven emergencies domestically and around the world.
Various quilters come with enthusiasms for fabric arts, sewing, recycling material, and a desire to provide warm comfort to the needy. They meet on the first and third Thursdays of each month to put together sewn quilt tops with warm filling and fabric backs. These layers are pinned, stitched and finally tied to finish the quilts. Some quilters will use sewing machines to stitch the edges, while others hand tie the quilt layers together. Each quilt is the work of several pairs of hands.
Some quilters choose to work at home making the quilt tops or tying quilts. A few quilters who now live out of state sew for the group. Others support “Peace by Piece” by donating good quality woven fabrics and thread for the quilts, or by contributing to the cost of shipping them overseas. The group includes quilters from a variety of other faith communities, some with a lot of experience and others wishing to learn more about how to create quilts and sew.
St. Luke Lutheran Church is a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The Congregation of St. Luke voted to become a RICcongregation on May 2, 2010, and our journey continues. To continue welcoming those that have been relegated to the margins of our society and faith tradition, and as part of our commitment to anti-racism, in 2024 St. Luke has commissioned a group to explore the creation of a comprehensive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program, DEI at St. Luke.
The following welcome statement was adopted on May 2, 2021:
As a Reconciling in Christ Congregation, the people of St. Luke Lutheran Church are called by God to be a community of Christians, a part of the body of Christ. Because we believe we are one in God’s eyes, we welcome the mix of ages, races, gender identities, physical and mental capabilities, and sexual orientations with which God’s children are blessed. Everyone is invited to share in God’s grace. We rejoice in the knowledge that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus–not our wealth, nor our poverty, nor our nationality, nor our political convictions, nor whom we love, nor anything else in all creation. We are called to follow God’s mission of reconciliation and justice with all humanity, and we celebrate our journey of discipleship with a special appreciation for the privileged responsibility of our campus related ministry.
St. Luke employment policy was updated in January 2025 unanimously by the Church Council:
St. Luke is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and affirmative action employer. We embrace diversity and are committed to a work environment that includes individuals representing a variety of backgrounds, perspective, and skills. All aspects of employment are decided on the basis of qualifications, experience and performance alone.
We welcome applications from individuals of all ages and gender expressions, sexual orientations, ethnicity, national origins, faith traditions (including no faith tradition), and those with disabilities.
Contact
Office Hours
