Someone once said, “Money tells a story.” Especially once we have the essentials for our own survival taken care of, the way we use our money is a major way we tell the story of our entire lives.
The Maker’s Place just completed a special COVID-19 fundraiser. For me, fundraising isn’t just about digits that follow a dollar sign. It’s about telling that same story. It’s a way of truth-telling--of sharing our values, in eminently practical and material terms.
I’m proud to report that together, we raised an incredible $11,270 during the month of May! More than 58 individuals or groups participated in the fundraiser, and the most common donation amount was $50. Amazing! It means that we have a groundswell of support. It means that at a time when the unemployment rate hit 15% or higher in New Jersey, people still chose to give, for the benefit of others. You realized that ensuring your neighbors have essential items was essential to you.
For me, this fundraiser is another example of the story we’re telling at the Maker’s Place. We’re telling the story of abundant community--that when we give what we have, and connect it with the interests of others, God will multiply it for God’s purposes. We started with a goal of $5000, and things multiplied from there.
In the next few months, we’ll keep reporting back to you how we’re using this money. Your donations will allow our diaper bank to order a truckload of diapers at below-market rates, so that every dollar goes further. Stay tuned for pictures! Your support, now and in the future, will allow us to stay strong and expand what we can provide--things like baby food and formula--as we continue to come alongside local families and include their assets, gifts, and aspirations in a common community.
Our mission is relevant now more than ever: to build diverse and inclusive relationships based in radical hospitality, authentic mutuality, and the practice of love in action, so that together, we find life in abundant community.
All the best,
Michael Reed Pastor and Managing Director for the Maker's Place
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