2010 Annual Campaign
Stacie Swanson got everything she wanted the other day. After a morning outing to Starbucks and a noonday treat of McDonald’s with a dear friend, Stacie couldn’t help but raise her hands to the heavens and let out a great big “Yahoo!” It was the day Stacie got everything she wanted. And in that moment, the only possible expression was one of simple joy. Sometimes, it seems, the simpler the gift, the easier it is to be grateful.
It’s all too easy for things to get complicated these days. We’ve all been affected by the downturn in the economy. For some, it’s been a very real and very tangible experience. For others, the effects have been less tangible, but certainly no less real with real concerns about the future.
Here at L’Arche Tahoma Hope, we’ve experienced some of both. Tangibly, government funding for both our homes and programs was cut this year and we face the possibility of further cuts in 2010. Less tangibly, there is concern about the future. How can we manage our resources responsibility and maintain well those elements that foster mission, belonging and well-being for community members? How do we maintain outreach and the fostering of relationships in the larger community? It’s so easy to forget that what will get us through this time is the same thing that always has. And, as Stacie Swanson and all of our core members can attest to, it’s nothing too terribly complicated. From the foundation of the community until today, L’Arche has survived through the good grace of God and the gifts, donations, and prayers of our supporters.
It’s the simple gifts that for which we are most grateful. As you consider making a financial contribution to L’Arche this year, we remind you that no gift is too large or too small, that every gift is significant. Our core members are the greatest teachers of this. We also invite you to remember the impact that L’Arche has had on your life. Maybe you learned about L’Arche from visiting the Farm and Gardens and singing karaoke with Tawna during the lunch break. Or maybe you’ve read something by Henri Nouwen or Jean Vanier and are still drawn to the beauty and brokenness that our core members live so deeply. Maybe you can still remember, fondly (or otherwise), what it’s like to try and get 40 people and three wheelchairs into the chapel behind Hopespring. Maybe you still can’t quite shake the feeling that L’Arche, in all of its chaos and spontaneity, offers something solid for us all to hang on to.
L’Arche, led and guided by our core members, has been called to bear fruit to the world, not only in times of plenty, but in all times. We need your help to live out this mission. Please consider making a financial contribution to L’Arche. We invite you to complete and return the enclosed pledge envelopes by December 1st (thank you if you have already made your pledge for the coming year). We are so grateful for your support.
In hope and gratitude,
Click here to download a pledge form. Pledges can be mailed to our Administrative Office.