Grace's
Alternative Gift Fair brought good news this year. At a time when giving
is down and many charities are suffering, our generosity actually brought
in more funds than ever before! Over $12,000! Our gifts supported a
variety of needs in the world, from our own backyard to our brothers and sisters around the globe.
From
UMCOR coffee and chocolate supporting small farmers in Latin America to
urban farmers in Kansas City growing food in neighborhoods where grocery stores have disappeared,
through Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture. From goats to support
families in Haiti to local agencies such as Spofford, SAFEHOME and Society
of St. Andrew.
Locally, we gave to support our Community Dinner, our Love Fund, which
provides rent and utility assistance for our neighbors in need. We
provided bilingual Bibles and Sunday School supplies for our
Hispanic Ministries and
summer sack lunches for children in Olathe.
World-wide,
we provided support to Give Ye Them To Eat, the development project of
our missionaries in South Central Mexico. Ten Thousand Villages
brought beautiful handicrafts from around the world. We also enjoyed
our guests, Shirley and Joe Edgerton, who just returned from serving for
2 years in Haiti. They brought hand carved angels from the island
and told wonderful stories of their work. We gave gifts to provide 28 goats
and additional funds for education scholarships in Haiti. And for our new
friends in Liberia, we provided gifts to plant 675 rubber trees to
provide sustainable income to Camphor Mission school, and over $2,000 in
education scholarships.
On
behalf of the many people that will be raised up by your gifts, many
thanks for choosing to give in the spirit of the real meaning of Christmas!
