Reflecting on 2026 and the Road Ahead

It is hard to believe that 2026 is nearly over! It feels like I blinked in July, and suddenly, it’s almost November. In many ways, the last four years at The LOT Project have felt the same way!

Even though time seems to be flying by, I am continually amazed by God’s faithfulness to our ministry and the beautiful ways we see His glory revealed in the lives of the people we serve.

Over the past two years, our Village Homes program has grown from one home with one bed to four homes with ten beds. This growth has stretched our staff, expanded our capacity to serve, and made us more dependent on the Lord than ever before. As we continue construction on our fifth home, which will bring our total capacity to 14 beds, we are also working to strengthen our programming and prepare our team for this significant increase in impact.

Our Village Home on H Street, ‘Joseph’s House’ when it was just framed out!

At the same time that Village Homes has expanded, we have witnessed a troubling increase in the number of neighbors experiencing homelessness in our community. This growing need only reinforces the importance and urgency of the work we are doing.

Beyond housing, we continue to provide basic needs assistance and case management through Louie’s, while also experiencing healthy growth in Artisan Gardens, our community engagement program serving children and families.

When we made the decision to respond to the changing needs of our community, we understood that doing so would require us to engage more deeply with people facing incredibly difficult circumstances. By building more homes and expanding services across our programs, we were increasing our capacity to do good, but we were also increasing the number of challenging situations our team would encounter each day.

As we turned to Scripture for encouragement, we were reminded that Jesus consistently moved toward broken and hurting people, not away from them. His example continues to shape the way we approach our work and the people we have been called to serve.

I remember a season a few years ago when I felt particularly overwhelmed by the task before us. I was discouraged and uncertain about how I would lead our organization through some difficult transitions.

During a moment of reflection, I felt God speak very clearly to my heart. He reminded me that He loves the people I love far more than I ever could. He cares about the people we serve more deeply than we ever will. And He has good plans for the people in need in our community.

That moment has come to mind countless times since, and I continue to draw encouragement from it today.

God has clearly called The LOT Project to love and serve our community in significant ways. But the greatest takeaway from that experience was the reminder that God is our sustainer. His goodness, love, and power far exceed our own, and when we depend on Him, we can faithfully pursue the vision He has placed before us.

As we approach the end of this year, our sights are set on becoming the best version of ourselves that we can be for the sake of our mission and the neighbors we serve. We want to steward the opportunities God has given us well, strengthen our programs, and continue responding faithfully to the needs of our community.

We have a lot of work ahead of us, and we cannot do it alone!

None of this work would be possible without our volunteers, donors, and partner agencies. If you have supported The LOT Project in any way, please know how deeply grateful we are. We do not take your generosity, kindness, or partnership for granted.

Between now and the end of the year, we need to raise $72,000 to meet our annual fundraising goal.

These funds make our daily operations possible. They support our programs, sustain our staff, provide essential resources, and allow us to continue building meaningful relationships with our neighbors who are experiencing some of life's most difficult circumstances.

Every gift, regardless of size, helps us continue this important work.

Would you consider making a year-end donation to The LOT Project?

Your generosity makes it possible for us to continue loving and serving our most vulnerable neighbors, providing not only practical assistance but also opportunities for lasting transformation.

You can make a donation today by visiting TheLOTProject.com/giving.

Additionally, would you consider sharing this post on social media? One of the most meaningful ways you can support our ministry is by helping others learn about the work happening at The LOT Project. Sharing our story with your friends, family, and colleagues can introduce new people to our mission and invite them to become part of it.

Thank you for believing in this work, for walking alongside us, and for helping us demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ to our neighbors.

We are grateful for all that God has done in 2026, and we look forward with great anticipation to what He has in store for the future. Praise the Lord!