How every gift counts

Dear friends and readers,

I'm sitting here at 4 o'clock after a day that consisted entirely of entering gifts into the database. Something that I loathe and love all at once. Loathe, because it's about the most boring thing ever. Love, because it means that you all as a community have been generous to the Bethlehem Center and furthering our work here.

About 10 minutes ago, I was handed 3 checks that I feel are an amazing demonstration of how each gift given to the Bethlehem Center counts for so much.

One check was for $130,000, one for $1,000 and one for $20.

Each gift was designated for a different area, each gift making an equal impact on the areas they were designated to.

The $130,000 will be put towards a down payment on our new ministry center on N. Sharon Amity. We are hoping to open this as a fully functioning ministry center for 50 kids next fall. In addition to our afterschool programs, we are hoping to offer Bible classes and Christian summer camps for the kids.

The $1000 will go towards our general fund. This fund is important because it supports the administrative expenses and overhead that allow us to do what we do. Without the lights turned on or maintenance to the buildings done, we wouldn't be able to operate efficiently.

The $20 will go towards funding the turkeys that we distribute to the families in the area. We will be able to purchase each of those for around $5, so the $20 gift will help 4 families in need.

One of the reasons I (Amy) came to work here is the simple fact that every gift--and I mean every gift--makes a difference and has a purpose here. Your gifts are felt.

Our new online donation tool through justgive.org has a feature that I encourage you all to utilize. You can now give gifts monthly. Did you know that just a $50 gift every month would put you in our top 10 individual (non-corporate) donors? Please help us continue our mission of providing educational opportunities to our children in the community.