Hats off to La Iglesia Luz del Valle, which has launched the Mid-Valley Literacy Center, headed by Vivian Ang.  The church was awarded a grant from the Oregon Community Foundation and has a cooperative arrangement with several other churches and Chemeketa Community College to provide tutoring for GED, English, citizenship and nursing classes.  Not too far away, Church on the Hill/Keizer is building partnerships in the Kennedy School neighborhood.   The two congregations are strategizing ways they can serve Central Keizer (especially the Latino community) together.  Salem Mennonite Church continues to host the SE Keizer Community Center, which is home base for the resurgent Keizer United Community Progress Team (CPT).  

Kudos to the multi-church Keizer Community Food Bank, which just moved from founding site John Knox Presbyterian to larger space at Faith Lutheran.  This cross-denominational, close-geography ministry is a great example to other parts of the community, and is especially important in these food-scarce times.  Over by the Little League fields, Church on the Hill/Keizer is exploring partnerships with Kennedy Elementary School and the Boys & Girls Club branch onsite.  

In addition, the Keizer United CPT (community progress team) is revitalizing and expanding under leadership of Pastor Jack Knox and Joseph Penner at Salem Mennonite Church, host of the SE Keizer Community Center. Membership has doubled and great projects are planned.