I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving. We did! Due to continued Covid restrictions, we were a small group again this year. But we did have all of the live-in staff, residents and a couple of vaccinated family members with us! Together we made a beautiful feast, gave thanks and enjoyed ourselves! We also enjoyed the leftovers! Leftovers are especially fun to me, because they can be enjoyed without all of the work, hustle and bustle of getting a feast on the table! Just fun traditional and festive foods!
We have welcomed new staff to our Family of Friends–one is helping us get the Christmas lights to work so we can finish putting up our tree! The sparkle of lights and ornaments really helps during the long dark nights this time of year! While enjoying watching the tree go up, the husband of one of our residents said, “Deborah has always loved this time of year. She celebrated Hanukkah and Christmas–she loved the sparkle!” I hope you enjoy the sparkle and the message of hope and giving too!
Plans for our expansion continue to move forward and we are excited! In November we went over final tweaks with floor plans and we are looking forward to seeing the final updates. We also reviewed the proforma and it is almost complete! At both meetings, everyone was excited! Our goal is a community building, sustainable and replicable project ! After follow up from those meetings we will begin to meet with banks and the people from the county that will review our plans. After governing bodies give feedback, we will set our final fundraising goal! I am excited for that!
In the preface of Henri Nouwen’s book A Spirituality of Fundraising, Sue Mosteller CSJ writes;
Fundraising is proclaiming what we believe in such a way that we offer other people an opportunity to participate with us in our vision and mission. (pg. viii)
Her quote rings true with me! We are so grateful to be able to say that Hope & A Future has been built by the community! Pro bono professionals and businesses have worked with us to help us get started. Philanthropists and banks have helped us move forward when finances were the needed next step! People from the Social Good Accelerator and Doyenne have mentored and encouraged us! And donations large and small have helped us move forward! Non-profit organizations deal with issues that need philanthropic help to make a better world. Nouwen writes that fundraising “ . . . is a way of announcing our vision and inviting other people into our mission. . . .Vision brings together needs and resources to meet those needs (Acts 9:1-19). Vision also shows us new directions and opportunities for our mission (see Act 16:9-10). . . . We are inviting you to invest yourself through the resources that God has given you–your energy, your prayers, and your money–in this work to which God has called us.” (pages 16-17 from A Spirituality of Fundraising). That is what fundraising feels like to me–finding people that are excited to help us move forward with a mission we all believe will help people live their best lives!
While we are carefully working out details, we welcome your year end donations to Hope & A Future III, inc. 3440 S. High Point Road, Madison WI 53719 or you can use the donate button on our website @ hopeandafutureinc.org
I am so excited to create an inclusive and vibrant neighborhood where older adults and families with young children can help each other thrive!
Please join us in enjoying this season, with the added joy that there are plans for Hope & A Future!
Merry Christmas from our home to yours!
Karin