Of all things, a turkey and a day have become our national reminder of how grateful we are -- every day -- for home, family, friends, community and country.

We give thanks for all the tables where we are welcome and all the places where we belong. All the opportunities we too often take for granted and the dependable community of love that surrounds us.

Giving thanks is so primal, so necessary, that even when life gets hard we seem able to draw upon that sure sense that there are and always will be reasons to feel hopeful. And thankful. Not only for the folks who are and always will be for us and with us, no matter what -- but for a country that, however vulnerable, endures.

At this Thanksgiving our hearts leapt with thanks for all of you, the folks that families and kids of our community have learned they can count on to be for them and with them. Who consistently share the blessings of our lives together. Who welcome all to the feast on this day and every day, and in all the ways that matter.

Bless you, friends! Heartfelt thanks.

LaDonna Hoy

Executive Director

P.S. Read my latest blog about Babs Koch, a devoted IOCP supporter and difference-maker.

DID YOU KNOW?

-- The Plymouth Lions Waffle Breakfast on Nov. 1 brought in a grand total of $8,000 to the Sleep Out! Thanks, Plymouth Lions, as well as everyone who volunteered and attended this wonderful family event.

-- IOCP has a life-size child's playhouse available for bidding through Dec. 31. The current bid is $1,000k. Learn more and place your bid today!

-- NEW! IOCP just rolled out three one-minute videos describing some of the barriers our families face: housing, employment and education. Watch and share them today!

-- You can bring joy to IOCP families this season by donating holiday cookies or food! Deadline for holiday food/cookie drop-off is this week. View details.

-- IOCP receives .05% of your Amazon purchase total, with no extra cost to you, when you order through AmazonSmile! Shop AmazonSmile for your holiday gifts here.

-- If you are over 70 ½ years old and have an IRA, a charitable distribution from your IRA of up to $100,000 can be excluded from your taxable income while also counting toward your minimum required IRA distribution. Consult your tax adviser to determine if a direct transfer from your IRA to IOCP can provide extra tax benefits for you.

UPCOMING EVENTS

11/30-12/2	Holiday Cookie Drop-off Days	12/24	IOCP offices closed
12/4	Last Day to Donate Holiday Food	12/25	IOCP offices closed
12/8	IOCP Lunch + Tour	12/31	IOCP offices open 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. (Make Your Year-End Gift!)
12/18	Shop With a Purpose Day	1/1	IOCP offices closed

SLEEP OUT EVENTS RAISE $920,000
TOWARD $2.2 M GOAL

Give to the Max Day Rally

Thursday, Nov. 12, was Give to the Max Day -- a statewide day of online giving. We are beyond thrilled to announce that IOCP landed 5th out of 5,000 nonprofits for receiving the most online donations in the 24-hour period.

Not only that, but IOCP friends and supporters gathered at Lunds & Byerlys Kitchen in Wayzata for a fabulous evening of family fun, delicious food, fantastic music and unbeatable company.

View the photos. Special thanks to the band Tapestry; Anissa Gurstel and her staff at Lunds & Byerlys Kitchen; Debby Vanderheyden and her magic-makers; activity station hosts Laura Snodgrass, Jessica Markkula and Dan Koch; and special guest star Bob Fisher.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to everyone who donated and/or attended the rally at Lunds & Byerlys! This was a huge milestone, and we continue to march toward the overall goal of $2.2 million by Dec. 31. Help us move 2,000 struggling families from survive to thrive! Learn more.

The World's Greatest Sleep Out

Loram/Grainger Sleep Out participants

Dave, Mackenzie and Ndefru

Throughout the month of November, 563 individuals (32 different groups) slept out to raise funds and awareness to address the needs of families in our community. View the photos. Thank you to those enthusiastic youth, businesses, school groups, sports teams, families, friends and faith communities! We are so grateful you sacrificed a night of comfort on behalf of the families we serve. Your selfless efforts have and will inspire continued donations for the 2015 Sleep Out!

Special thanks to The World's Greatest Sleep Out vision leaders Paul and Michelle Koch; Sleep Out founder Bob Fisher; volunteer coordinator extraordinaire Rick Graft; and IOCP staff and board members who visited groups to share stories of the families we serve. Your efforts are helping families close to home!

SAVE THE DATE! SHOP WITH A PURPOSE ON DEC. 18

Do your last-minute shopping and errands, stop for a bite to eat and pamper yourself -- all the while knowing you're helping struggling kids and families in our community. On Friday, Dec. 18, many generous local businesses will promote the Sleep Out by offering specials and donating a percentage of their day's revenue to IOCP! View the great selection below or visit our website.

Wayzata Merchants Will Donate:

6Smith, Meat-Fish-Drink - $2 for every lunch/dinner entree
A la Mode - 10% of all sales
Ben & Jerry's - 10% of all sales
Brost Clinic - $5 for every adjustment, $29 for every new patient
Dichotomy - 10% of all sales
District Fresh Kitchen + Bar - $2 per entree, $5 per bottle of wine
Fashion Avenue 2 - $10 for every $100 purchase
Five Swans - $10 for every $100 purchase
Martin's - $10 for every $100 purchase
McCormick's Pub & Restaurant - $1 for every pint of beer
Peoples Organic - $1 for every breakfast purchased during 7-11 a.m.
Salon Entourage - $2 for every service
Schuler Shoes - 10% of all sales
Shelly Storch Fine Jewelry - 10% of all sales
Sun & Slope - $2 for every purchase
The UPS Store - $2 for every package presented for shipping
Watermark Stationery - 20% of all sales
Wayzata Bay Car Wash - $1 for every supreme car wash

Plymouth Merchants Will Donate:

CPR Cell Phone Repair - 10% of all sales
Edible Arrangements - 15% of all sales donated in December (w/ code IOCP 7766)
The Foursome Fine Men's Apparel - 5% of all sales
Herb's Servicenter - $1 for every car wash
ReSale 101 - 20% of all sales
Solar Nails - $5 for every pedicure

Hamel Merchants Will Donate:

Art 2 Heart - 10% of all sales
Peg's Countryside Cafe - 10% of all sales

Long Lake Merchants Will Donate:

Albers Jewelry - $5 off jewelry repairs when you make an in-store donation to IOCP
Country Cake Cupboard - $1 for every breakfast/lunch ordered
Lakeside Family Dentistry - A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Sleep Out
Otten Bros. Garden Center - 10% of all sales
Walt's Garage - 5% of all service sales

Thank you for shopping with a purpose, and thank you to all the generous local businesses for participating! All proceeds will be donated to the IOCP Sleep Out. Please email Cate with any questions.

HOLIDAY GIFT PROGRAM NEEDS GIFT CARDS

"I firmly believe in this program, and I keep coming back year after year because there's always a need." - Barb, Holiday Gift Program volunteer

Thanks to the generous support of our community, we have successfully found gift sponsors for 525 families registered for this year's Holiday Gift Program! This is a fantastic success. However, we anticipate about 120 families will still ask for holiday-time assistance between now and Dec. 31. Please consider donating gift cards or financial support to assist these families.

Gift cards in $10 increments to stores like Target, Best Buy, Kohls, JC Penney, Cub/Rainbow and Holiday Gas are greatly appreciated and can be dropped off at 1605 County Rd 101 N, Plymouth, 55447. Learn more. Or make a financial contribution for these families through IOCP's website.

Thank you for your generosity year after year!

FALL COMMUNITY PRAYER BREAKFAST REFRESHED + INSPIRED

The fall Community Prayer Breakfast on Nov. 13 was a fantastic morning of fellowship, faith and food! View the photos. Thank you to all who gathered to share in fellowship and the inspirational faith journey of a community leader.

Special thanks to Cindy Leines, keynote speaker, who shared her story and motivated attendees to turn their fear into faith. Thank you to the Community Prayer Breakfast committee members, volunteer musician and sponsors. Special thanks to Carol Wexler for her extraordinary hard work in organizing this event! We'll see you in a few months for the spring Community Prayer Breakfast.

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

Jessica and Jason Markkula, with kids Katherine and William, at the Give to the Max Day Rally

Volunteer extraordinaire Jessica Markkula started with IOCP in April of 2015. She volunteers monthly in the food shelf, and also brings her two young children along to pack food bags for IOCP's home delivery program for seniors. "My kids have learned more about the blessings in their own lives and understand the importance of helping others. They really seem to enjoy it!"

Not only does Jessica share her professional skills as a member of IOCP's Development Committee, but she also helped plan the family engagement part of our recent Give to the Max Day Rally (right).

"When you make that leap and decide to volunteer or give, the reward is so great you will think, 'Why did I wait so long to do this?'" Thanks, Jessica, for being a shining example of compassion and service -- not only to your kids, but to the community!

LINKS
Donate today! Volunteer Opportunities	News, Updates More about IOCP

Mission

The mission of IOCP is to engage the heart and will of the community to respond to emergency needs and create opportunities for all to thrive.

Contact Us

1605 County Road 101 N

Plymouth MN 55447

(763) 489-7500

www.iocp.org

Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners and the IOCP Endowment Fund, which solely benefits IOCP, are registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Gifts to either organization are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.