Join us for a Virtual Fund Raising Event!

Hello to all during this time of so much social isolation… if you feel like you’re being strangled for social interactions, we’re certainly in the same boat and extend our hearts out to you with this message:

We obviously will not be having our 5th Annual Fund Raising Party on Saturday, September 12. The Covid-19 levels in both Minnesota and Wisconsin do not allow this sort of event to be done safely, and many of us do not need to increase our risk infection.

Our Apple Orchard continues to grow in it’s new location down by the barns, where water is available. We will have a harvest in October of 500 apples or so. They are coming along well. I’ll post a  harvest date notice in late September,  so that any specially intrepid of us can, with appropriate distancing, join us for a short harvest and glass or two of wine.

We have devised a substitute “Virtual Fund Raising Event”:  Anyone can go onto our website and click the link to one of our 3 charities, and make a donation of any amount to them, adding a note that your donation is related to Lost Creek Hippies Vineyard. That charity will then send us an email that you have made a donation (NOT the amount, that’s your business) to them.

We contact you and arrange to get you 2 bottles of our delicious 2019 Altered States Apple wine ! It’s a win/win: you help a charity that is making our world better and we get you the wine we had hoped to pass out this September at our Fund Raising Party. As an encouragement for you to help a charity,   and thank you for all your past help to us , we have made a Fall 2020 donation to each charity. See the posted receipts ( Financial Section ) for our Fall donations to our 3 charities.

These are difficult times for us, but we know that those with less economic and social means are even more stressed by Covid-19, in so many ways. We have reviewed what each four charities is doing right now in these difficult situations, and it is really gratifying:

People Serving People in Minneapolis continues with it’s so important work. They have revised their Vision and Mission:

Vision: Healed Families. Transformed Communities.

Mission: We exist to see families thrive.

These statements are the anchors which underlie all their programs, including:

Advocacy and Employment Services: Individual specific support for stable and successful job reentry as indicated.

Early Childhood Development:   Preparing preschool children for success in future education.

Supportive Housing: For families transitioning from the homeless shelter to independent living.

Technology Resource Center, for access to computers for job and housing searches.

Financial Fitness and Parent Engagement programs specific to individual needs.

We encourage you to review their 2019 Annual Report , on their website. It is truly inspiring to know that we are able to support such a caring and well run organization in their focused Vision and Mission. All of the Twin Cities and Minnesota benefit due to their dedicated work.

Habitat For Humanity of Minnesota, with main office in St Paul, continues to help working lower income persons and families obtain affordable quality housing, thus stabilizing not only their lives but their communities.They support 28 local affiliate organizations throughout Minnesota , working with volunteer help to build safe, quality and affordable housing. The Covid-19 situation has dramatically altered their usual home building plans, but they will continue in the future. Meanwhile , their website outlines some of their current projects, including:

The annual Minnesota 500 mile fund raising bike ride has gone “ virtual “, with individuals able to raise money in this new way.

They have initiated a Minnesota Disaster Response and Recovery Fund, aiming to help lower income home owners make their mortgage payments.

Central Asia Institute, Bozeman, Montana, continues it’s work in help to educate youth with an emphasis on girls, in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. The Covid-19 pandemic has closed schools since March, 2019. CAI has stepped into this crisis, helping to allow youth to continue their education despite the many challenges:

Organizing and distributing emergency food rations in specific areas where Covid-19 related unemployment has affected families.

Distributing PPE kits to front line workers, allowing them to safely help families.

Salary support for teachers at 60 schools where their salaries stopped due to school closures.

Improved hygiene and sanitation at several schools , so that students will be more safe when classes resume in the future.

Transitioning children to remote education through radio teaching programs for grades 1-3, with intensive planning to expand this to all grades.

Sending Student Learning Packets for specific subjects ( literacy and math ), to students, so that they can continue their education at home.

All of these programs have been started as a result of CAI’s dedication to helping to transform this region of our world by educating youth and therefore laying the groundwork for a more peaceful and prosperous future.

These are certainly challenging times. We feel, however, that we will come out of this with a renewed dedication to our vision of One Human Family on our planet, and that when we help another to improve their situation, we all thrive, as we are all ultimately connected.

We hope to hear from each of you and be able to get you our wine as a thank you. We will let all know regarding a October apple harvest date in late September .

Take care, stay safe, and: