Hope Church members are generous people, including over $10,000 in donations to the Deacons’ Fund in 2015. However, the needs in our congregation and community do not decline, and over $9000 of that was dispersed throughout the year.
Here are some of the ways the fund was used in 2015: gift cards for gas and groceries, temporary lodging costs, food distribution, counseling, prescriptions, rent assistance, car insurance and repairs, materials for a ramp, legal assistance, mission trip supplies, and unexpected costs of upgrading projects at the church in New York where our High Hopes group worked this past summer.
These types of immediate needs are not always provided for in our annual budget, but the Deacons’ Fund allows our pastors and staff to offer relief on a short term basis when our members or others in the community don’t have other resources. It is monitored by our financial administrator and senior deacon to make sure it is used responsibly according to Hope Church ministry goals.
The Board of Deacons asks that you take note of the yellow envelopes that appear in your giving box every couple of months. The first one for 2016 is dated February 7th, but you can also give at any time of the year by writing Deacons’ Fund in the memo line on your check.
Thank you for your support of this fund, and please continue to give generously. It can make the difference between hope and despair when someone faces a crisis.