A Legacy of Giving…
We are excited to share stories of our ministry partners that have helped us serve this community for the last 50 years.
Welcome to A Legacy of Giving: Stories of Wisdom & Impact...
Karel & Joyce Vander Lugt
“We believe the meaning of life at its deepest level is serving God, which in turn means serving the needs of others. The teachings and life of Jesus Christ have provided instruction for the living of our lives as imperfect followers, and we trust in God’s amazing grace.” - Letter from Joyce to family - July 2015
I had the privilege of sitting down with Karel one Thursday morning to learn from his and Joyce’s wisdom and history of generosity.
Tragically, Joyce passed in March of 2026 from a stroke. In her honor, Karel gave TCO a gift above and beyond their faithful, annual gift.
Here are some of Karel (& Joyce’s) thoughts, wisdom, and perspective on philanthropy (the giving of time, treasure, and/or talent)…
“Joyce was very ‘under the radar.’ She would probably be embarrassed that I am even here. I was going through her files the other day and I found this [a Presidential Award for Volunteerism…complete with Presidential Seal]. I don’t even think she told me about it. Just put that in her file.
From the beginning, when we got married, we thought we could do more as a partnership than we could each do. We haven’t done that much. I’m sure there’s others others that have done a lot more than us. We are just happy to serve. We don’t need recognition or anything…”
Karel & Joyce were on the Missions Team at First Presbyterian in the ‘70s when The Sioux Falls Ministerial Association shared the concept of The Community Outreach. So, Karel and Joyce were connected with TCO almost at our inception as an organization.
Since then, Karel & Joyce have been connected with this ministry as a Genesis Mentor, helping with the different iterations of the Sharing Christmas Store, as well as financially supporting TCO’s Mission & Vision.
When asked about what gift (of time, treasure, or talent) has been most meaningful to him, Karel said…
“The Genesis experience was an interesting one because those were families struggling. One fellow was [justice impacted]. Oh my goodness! I couldn’t believe how hard it was to find housing for him in Sioux Falls! I was shocked…basically impossible. He was a nice guy. Finally, someone from church who owned an apartment building said they would take him.”
Why support The Community Outreach?
“I have a lot of respect for social workers. They know they’re not going to get rich…they just want to help people. I admire that! And Joyce really appreciated your emphasis on self-sufficiency…helping families achieve long-term sustainability.”
Past Legacy Stories…
Karel & Joyce Vander Lugt
We count on this visionary to define strategic priorities, allocate resources responsibly, and ensure every decision reinforces long-term value creation.