Lake Christian Ministries

10/01/2026

Thank you to the Smith Mountain Eagle for sharing the story of this year’s SML Walk to End Poverty! 💙

What a wonderful way to look back on a day that brought our community together in support of local families in need. We’re so grateful for the generosity that made the 2026 Walk such a success.

“Neighbors Helping Neighbors” was on full display at Smith Mountain Lake State Park!

One foot in front of the other.

09/27/2026

A beautiful day at the SML W**e Festival. Lake Christian Ministries is grateful to be one of the charities benefiting this year. Come out and join us!

09/25/2026

🍽️ One final thank you as we wrap up an incredible 2026 SML Walk to End Poverty!

For a full month leading up to the Walk, area restaurants joined Lake Christian Ministries and Smith Mountain Lake Insiders for Dine Out to Lift Up, donating a portion of sales on designated days to support LCM’s hunger relief efforts.

To every participating restaurant: thank you for opening your doors, giving back and helping turn meals shared around the table into support for neighbors in need. 💙

And a special thank you to SML Insiders for partnering with Lake Christian Ministries to organize and promote Dine Out to Lift Up for the second year. We are grateful for your continued commitment to our community.

We also want to thank everyone who dined out! Every lunch with friends, family dinner, date night and takeout order helped make this fundraiser a success while supporting the local restaurants that give so much back to Smith Mountain Lake.

Dine Out to Lift Up was just one part of an extraordinary community effort surrounding this year’s Walk. Over the past several weeks, we’ve had the privilege of thanking our sponsors, teams, volunteers, walkers, runners, donors and community partners.

As we close out the 2026 SML Walk to End Poverty, one message has been clear from beginning to end: “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” can make an incredible difference.

Thank you, Smith Mountain Lake. 💙

09/23/2026

💙 Today, we’re celebrating the supporting sponsors who helped make the 2026 SML Walk to End Poverty possible!

Thank you to:

Jo & Co Jewelers
Southside Electric Cooperative
Centra
Gilbert Law PC
Body Shoppe Fitness + AllCore 360
Eastman Construction LLC
Smith Mountain Lake Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie #4344
Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital
Smith Mountain Lake Insiders
Anthem HealthKeepers Plus

These businesses and organizations joined our event sponsors to create the $55,000 Walk Challenge Funds which was a powerful incentive for our
community to give. Donations from the community were matched dollar for dollar until the full $55,000 match was unlocked. And our community answered the challenge!

Fundraising teams, donors, volunteers, walkers and runners joined together in an incredible community-wide effort and generated more than $170,000 for Lake Christian Ministries’ vital services and programs. Those funds will go to work helping our neighbors through food assistance, crisis financial aid, New Tomorrows Program services and other support.

To each of our supporting sponsors, thank you for investing in our community and helping make this year’s Walk such a success. We are deeply grateful to have you standing alongside Lake Christian Ministries as we work toward a stronger community for our neighbors in need. 💙

New Tomorrows - Lake Christian Ministries

09/23/2026

💙 Here’s another look back at Saturday's SML Walk to End Poverty, this time from out on the course at Smith Mountain Lake State Park 💙

Hundreds of walkers and runners filled the park as friends, families, churches, businesses and community groups came together to support Lake Christian Ministries and our neighbors in need.

📸 Take a look through the gallery, and if you spot someone you know, tag them in the comments so they can find their Walk Day photos!

We loved seeing so many familiar faces, and we’re so grateful to everyone who walked, ran, volunteered or donated. Thank you for showing up, Smith Mountain Lake. This is “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” in action. 💙

09/22/2026

💙 Today, we’re sending a very special thank you to the event sponsors who helped make the 2026 SML Walk to End Poverty such an extraordinary success!

Capps Home Building Center and two generous sponsors who chose to remain anonymous helped underwrite this year’s $55,000 Walk Sponsor Challenge Match.

Their generosity created a powerful incentive for our community to give, with donations matched dollar for dollar until the full $55,000 match was unlocked. And our community answered the challenge!

The 2026 Walk ultimately generated more than $170,000 for Lake Christian Ministries’ vital services and programs, helping provide food assistance, crisis financial aid, New Tomorrows Program services and other support for local families in need.

To Capps Home Building Center and our two anonymous event sponsors: thank you for believing in the work of Lake Christian Ministries and for inspiring our community to make an even greater impact. 💙

You helped demonstrate just how much is possible when neighbors come together to help neighbors.

New Tomorrows - Lake Christian Ministries

09/21/2026

Thank you to our generous SML community!

The 2026 SML Walk to End Poverty, held Sept. 19 at Smith Mountain Lake State Park, was a huge success! And with contributions still coming in, the impact continues to grow. As of this afternoon:

🎉 $169,662 generated for Lake Christian Ministries' vital services and programs
💙 356 generous donors
🚶‍♀️ 315 walkers, runners and volunteers participated

These funds are needed now more than ever. Over the past four years, Lake Christian Ministries has seen a 55% increase in the number of families who need food assistance, crisis financial aid and New Tomorrows Program services.

Funds generated through the Walk will go to work immediately to assist the growing number of local families who have been impacted by prolonged high costs for rent, utilities and food.

And congratulations to two teams that earned special honors this year!

🏆 Trinity Walkers from Trinity Ecumenical Parish generated the largest team contribution, raising an incredible $23,586.

🏆 Bethlehem Souls from Bethlehem United Methodist Church, Moneta VA brought the largest team, with 38 walkers and runners!

From our sponsors and team leaders to our walkers, runners, volunteers, donors and community partners, we are deeply grateful to everyone who helped make the 2026 SML Walk to End Poverty such a success. This warm and wonderful event truly shows what “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” can accomplish. 💙

Thank you, Smith Mountain Lake!

New Tomorrows - Lake Christian Ministries

09/20/2026

💙 We’re still smiling after yesterday’s SML Walk to End Poverty, and before we share more photos from out on the course, here’s a look back at how Walk Day began!

Walkers and runners checked in and picked up their T-shirts, enjoyed a wonderful breakfast spread and spent some time catching up with friends before the start. And, of course, there were plenty of four-legged participants soaking up the attention, including one lovely adoptable Australian shepherd with the most incredible light blue eyes. 🐾💙

The Rev Susan Hughes, Associate Pastor of Bethlehem United Methodist Church, Moneta VA, opened the event with prayer, and LCM Executive Director Jane Winters gave some pre-Walk announcements before everyone headed out on the course.

We are so grateful to every walker, runner, volunteer, sponsor, donor and community partner who helped make yesterday such a special day.

And the generosity is still growing! As of today, the 2026 SML Walk to End Poverty has raised an incredible $167,892 for Lake Christian Ministries. 🎉

There’s still time to add to that total. Online donations remain open until midnight tonight at SMLWalkToEndPoverty.com.

📸 Enjoy this first gallery, and stay tuned for more photos of our walkers and runners out on the course!

09/20/2026

The Copper Kettle Co., thanks for hosting TODAY! Open until 8 p.m. for Dine Out to Lift Up (2026) - Smith Mountain Lake. 🏈 Come enjoy a great meal, watch some football and help raise funds for LCM’a hunger relief efforts!