A moment ago I sent an article to our parish secretary for our Sunday Bulletin. I made a soulful plea to our parishioners to attend the Dinner Dance on Sunday, April 27th to support SPRED. I encouraged people to fill a table of 10 and enjoy a night out, buy some raffle tickets, sponsor one of our Friends or simply send us a donation
I wonder how many SPRED catechists, families, priests or parishioners really understand why SPRED needs fundraisers. How vital this is to the overall program. The reality is that SPRED cannot exist without it. The financial support from the Archdiocese simply does not cover the costs of SPRED, the place and SPRED the program. How can a Resource Center which offers a place for worship, a model observation/training site with regional centers in the field function without funds? There are ongoing electric bills, phone bills, heating costs and building repairs. How can SPRED, the program, being the hub of an international ministry provide a syllabus, a home for five SPRED communities, training and enrichment opportunities, a monthly newsletter, a model of inclusive liturgy and ongoing mentoring without reliable funding? There are printing costs, mailing expenses and computers costs - to mention a few. How about salaries? Beyond the bricks and mortar, we have dedicated people - 3 staff members to manage the primary resource center, 2 field workers, a secretary/data clerk, a maintenance person and a translator. Only 3 full time salaries are covered in our existing budget from the Archdiocese. The remaining are promised through the fundraising efforts of Mamre, Inc..
So ... what must be done?
Recognize that funding is a real need right now in assuring the future growth and management of SPRED. Please support the Dinner Dance in any way you can. If you and your group cannot attend, buy or sell raffle tickets, make a donation and encourage your families and others to do so or to attend the dinner dance themselves.
Going forward let’s put our heads together and come up with some sustainable means of ensuring the future of SPRED. In my heart, I know that we can stir fresh ideas making it possible to bolster up or even move beyond dinner dances and appeal letters to bring more creative solutions to this vital need. I welcome your thoughts. More to come...
I wonder how many SPRED catechists, families, priests or parishioners really understand why SPRED needs fundraisers. How vital this is to the overall program. The reality is that SPRED cannot exist without it. The financial support from the Archdiocese simply does not cover the costs of SPRED, the place and SPRED the program. How can a Resource Center which offers a place for worship, a model observation/training site with regional centers in the field function without funds? There are ongoing electric bills, phone bills, heating costs and building repairs. How can SPRED, the program, being the hub of an international ministry provide a syllabus, a home for five SPRED communities, training and enrichment opportunities, a monthly newsletter, a model of inclusive liturgy and ongoing mentoring without reliable funding? There are printing costs, mailing expenses and computers costs - to mention a few. How about salaries? Beyond the bricks and mortar, we have dedicated people - 3 staff members to manage the primary resource center, 2 field workers, a secretary/data clerk, a maintenance person and a translator. Only 3 full time salaries are covered in our existing budget from the Archdiocese. The remaining are promised through the fundraising efforts of Mamre, Inc..
So ... what must be done?
Recognize that funding is a real need right now in assuring the future growth and management of SPRED. Please support the Dinner Dance in any way you can. If you and your group cannot attend, buy or sell raffle tickets, make a donation and encourage your families and others to do so or to attend the dinner dance themselves.
Going forward let’s put our heads together and come up with some sustainable means of ensuring the future of SPRED. In my heart, I know that we can stir fresh ideas making it possible to bolster up or even move beyond dinner dances and appeal letters to bring more creative solutions to this vital need. I welcome your thoughts. More to come...
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