Geneva Lutheran donates more than $18K to nonprofit Radical Love

Geneva Lutheran Church, 301 S. Third St., announced it is making a donation of $18,275 to Radical Love, a Geneva nonprofit founded in 2021 that supports refugee families, senior citizens and children in the Tri-Cities area, officials announces in a news release.

The donation was formally recognized during both worship services at 9 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday, May 18, through a special video presentation that highlights the nonprofit’s work and impact, according to the release.

“We are so humbled to receive this extremely radical generosity,” Founder and Executive Director of Radical Love Ellie Lebron said in the release. “To be in community with the people at Geneva Lutheran Church – we’re so grateful.”

Between services, church members packed 300 snack bags that have been decorated with uplifting messages for children in need. Radical Love will distribute these to local schools and housing complexes.

“Radical Love has provided a conduit for the intention and the enthusiasm of so many,” Geneva Lutheran Generosity Committee Chair Winnie Frankel said in the release. “People in our church and community are eager to serve and Radical Love has created a space where that can happen and thus impacts so many people.”

In 2021, the church contributed $75,000 to local organizations including Lazarus House, St Andrew Lutheran Church Food Distribution, Mutual Ground, Lutheran Outdoor Ministries, Tri-City Family Services and Geneva Lutheran Church Parent’s Day Out.

To further this mission, the church designated 2% of its annual budget for future contributions and continues to send volunteers to work alongside these organizations, according to the release.

The Generosity Committee determines local nonprofit agencies that meet established prerequisite ideals of the Geneva Lutheran Church congregation and are consistent with the church mission of “living a generous life in Christ.”

Geneva Lutheran has since donated an additional $63,225 to Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley / Pottawatomie Partnership, Literacy Volunteers Fox Valley, Lutheran Social Services, Riverain Senior Living and most recently, Radical Love, according to the release.

More information about the church is available online at genevalutheran.org.

More information about Radical Love is available online at theradicallove.org.