LVCC Food Bank

The Food Bank at Lake Valley seeks to serve those who are struggling to provide food for themselves in the local area. Every Friday, from 10am-1pm, volunteers run a makeshift drive thru service where people can drive up to the church to be given food items. Depending on how donations are going, and the needs of the person being served, they can be given something new every week. During the week, Marilyn Hurst keeps the outdoor pantry (located in the church parking lot) stocked with items as they come in, so that anyone can come and grab food at their convenience. 

The LVCC appreciates both food donations and financial donations. Non perishables are preferred, but there are special instances where Marilyn is able to give out fresher items as well. Another way to serve this ministry is to partner with them in volunteering on Fridays, and lots of prayer. As people come in to be serviced, they will share heavy life circumstances that are in desperate need of prayer and the gospel. 

Every year the food bank tries to give away special packages for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is when donations are especially needed. 

If anyone is interested in volunteering or asking questions about donations, they can contact the church office or come visit the food pantry on Fridays.

The CALL

The CALL is a non-profit in Hot Springs that recruits, trains, and supports foster families in Garland county. They recruit and train families to foster children in the foster care system, provide donations (diapers, beds, clothes, etc.) to equip foster families, and provide other needs like babysitting and fun planned events to add to the emotional health of these families. 

The CALL has a constant need for donations that gets updated weekly on their facebook profile: The Call In Garland and Hot Springs Counties. These needs change rapidly, because when a family is ready to foster, oftentimes they are given very short notice of when they will have a child placed in their home. The CALL is always in need of diapers of all sizes, clothes of all sizes, beds, cribs, and mattresses/sheets. 

Another huge need of this non profit is the need for respite care. Families can offer to babysit or be a form of relief for foster families, as fostering children in need can be very weighty. 

Every year there are events hosted by The CALL where volunteers are needed. The most notable event is Breakfast With Santa, a fundraiser hosted every first weekend in December, to bless foster children and families with a fun, Christmas themed morning. 

The best way to contact The CALL would be to talk to Phil and Judy Ellis (501-620-3413 or 501-276-9799), Lake Valley’s CALL representatives. The CALL office building and donation center is open Monday-Thursday from 9am-3pm. 

Kairos Prison Ministry 

Kairos is a ministry that specifically serves inmates in federal prison. They seek to bring the gospel to prisons nationwide by hosting weekend retreats and weekly meetings for those who are seeking spiritual growth. 

Every year, in the spring and fall, the Hot Springs branch of Kairos will host a weekend retreat at the Ouachita River Correctional Center, Arkansas’ state prison located in Malvern. During this weekend, inmates can sign up to be a part of the weekend activities, hear the gospel, and be given an opportunity to give their life to Christ. The number of inmates allowed to participate depends largely on the number of volunteers who are able to run these weekends. Volunteers need to be at least 18 years old and go through extensive training before entering into the prison. Another way people can support the ministry is participating in their annual cookie drives, where Kairos collects pre-packaged cookies to give to every inmate! Other needs and fundraisers pop up throughout the year as well. 

On top of these weekends are weekly prayer and share meetings. Inmates that complete a Kairos weekend are able to sign up for these meetings so they can nurture and grow in their newly found faith. 

The best way to contact the Hot Springs branch of Kairos is to contact Lake Valley’s Kairos representative John Nichols at 501-282-9634 or njnichols1971@att.net. To learn more, go to kairosfcinc.org. 

Garage Church 

Garage Church is a non-profit located near downtown Hot Springs (122 Sanford Street) . They seek to help individuals who are trying to get their life on the right track through the gospel. They do this by offering worship nights and weekly classes on topics like anger management, codependency, finances, etc. through a biblical lens. 

Every week they host a meal, worship, and talk on Sunday nights (6:30pm) and Tuesday nights (6:00pm). They also have a donation closet that they open to the public for those who are in need of clothes, toiletries, etc.. 

They have a regular need for clothing and toiletry donations of all sizes and for both genders. They also greatly appreciate volunteers who can come to cook dinner or lead worship for the attendees of Garage Church nights. This is a great opportunity for community groups to serve together! 

The best way to contact Garage Church is by contacting either Thomas Glover (founder) at 501-282-4432 or Lake Valley’s GC representative Dustin Glover at 501-622-9227. They are also on facebook and garagechurch.org. 

Garland County Jail Ministry

GCJM is a ministry that brings the gospel to the Garland County Detention Center. They offer daily bible studies to the detainees and other discipleship opportunities. 

GCJM can only accept financial donations, as volunteers are not allowed to bring any gifts into the center without them being heavily screened. Volunteers are appreciated, and those who are interested can contact GCJM’s chaplain Kevin Green (501-802-5105) or Lake Valley’s representative Mike McFarland (Drmikemcfarland@gmail.com).

Lakeside School District 

While not a ministry or non profit in of itself, most of the children and students in our church attend Lakeside School District, and therefore it is an important area of ministry for the church. Essentially, the hope for this area of missions and outreach is to care for students and staff at Lakeside by showing them the love of Jesus! This can look like partnering with Rallypoint student ministry to host tailgates, write encouraging notes to the staff, and Lord willing host future events where we can further encourage and pray for them. 

The needs for this ministry are not as tangible, and it is mainly about the heart behind and ideas for how we can love and serve students and staff. This is an area of ministry that is especially close to the hearts of families who have attended or currently have children in Lakeside. We encourage anyone who has a heart for this topic to reach out with ideas about to support the school district and show the gospel in tangible ways. 

The best way to learn more about ways to support this area of ministry is to contact Julie Quast, the middle school’s principal and Lake Valley’s Lakeside representative. She is reachable by email at quastjulie@gmail.com.