Giving back

Those of us in the Development Department at The City Mission have the unique opportunity and purpose to connect with people in our community who want to "give back" whether as a volunteer or as a contributor of goods, services or finances.

On Monday we learned that a grant request I had submitted to a foundation in January was going to be funded for the full amount of the request. This particular foundation was started by a family who had done very well in business. I can't give too many details here for sake of confidentiality but suffice it to say that they have provided very generous support to the Mission over the years. It has all been based on relationships that have been cultivated for a long time.

On Tuesday the founder of another family foundation and one of their staff members visited our campus for a tour and a meeting to discuss their potential interest in funding a special project. This particular family also has done very well in business and has provided very generous support to a variety of nonprofits. They invited us to submit a proposal for the full cost of the project.

While touring the campus with this foundation, one of residents in the men's program shared how his life had been transformed. He had come in "off the street", an addict, without hope. Today he's enrolled in classes at a local community college and hopes to get into the computer field. He's been helping out in our adult learning lab, saying its his way of "giving back." He had no idea that he was talking with a man of great wealth who also wants to give back.

On Thursday we had a lunch event highlighting our Laura's Home program for women. We were true to our promise to end the program promptly at 1, but many became engaged in conversation which went on for another hour, mostly around the idea of "giving back."

Today I had lunch with one of our two new board members, a woman whose professional expertise has particular relevance to my work. I came away from that time feeling so appreciative of her and our other board members who give so much of themselves to our work.

This evening one of my coworkers called to say that members of the community came out in full force today to help us fill one of our buses with food supplies. This was a special drive to restock our emergency food pantry which has been running low for weeks.

It's a good kind of tired that we all feel at the end of this busy week, and its a deep sense of gratitude that propels us into the weeks ahead.

"...And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs...will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God." 2 Corinthians 9: 11-12 NLT