There is a barrel full of crocheted pickles made by people who just wanted foster kids to have something to hold onto.
That is the Lebanon Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a single sentence.
158 pillowcases. A truckload of food from Salt Lake City. Christmas morning for 42 foster families. Sandwiches packed for the hungry. Hands in the dirt, at the dunk tank, behind the sewing machine, at every event we have ever asked them to show up for.
They don’t wait to be asked twice.
On May 12th they are bringing chicken cordon bleu to the Hope In Action Awards Banquet. Which feels exactly right. Because they have been bringing everything they have to this community for as long as we can remember.
In the Ozarks, this is what community looks like
At our final Kids Night Out of the summer, the Latter-day Saints, along with Ryan and Jodi Ritchel, made sure 86 kids and their families had food to enjoy after an evening in the pool.
It was the kind of partnership that let 29 families end their summer together without a single person having to think about what was for dinner. Just a pool, good food, and time to be a family among other families who understand.
In the Ozarks, this is what community looks like.
Partners
This community is built by the people and businesses who show up, not because they have to, but because they belong to something. These are the neighbors who make everything possible.
Meet our neighbors →
