Family Matters December 2014

De c e mbe r 20 1 4

OCTOBER 2013

Family matters From our family to yours‌ Happy Holidays!

With the Thanksgiving holiday behind us and the end of the year quickly approaching, we wanted to take a minute to wish you a very happy holiday season and warm wishes for a wonderful new year!

May you be surrounded by loved ones and find time for sharing treasured moments together!

Holiday meal at Bethesda Spruce Street residence.

Photo credit: Dave Moser Photography/Pennsylvania Trust Company.

There’s still time to make your end-of-year gift!

The end of 2014 is quickly approaching but there’s still time to help change more lives this year with your generous year-end gift. Make your donation by midnight, December 31 and you’ll receive a tax deduction for 2014. (Check with your tax advisor for details.)

If your company has a matching gift program, any gift you give will go twice as far and have double the life-transforming impact!

Download the Annual Appeal letter and make your end-of-year gift today. Click here to donate online!

Please help Bethesda Project finish 2014 strong and make a good start for the new year. Make your tax-deductible gift today.

Thank you to all who contributed holiday gifts for our guests and residents this year and making their day a little brighter! Special thanks to the volunteers who helped organize them as well!

Simple ways to support Bethesda Project We can’t do the work we do without the support of caring individuals like you. Here are some simple ways to give to Bethesda Project. Please consider making a donation today.

Donate Online Our online giving option allows you to donate to Bethesda Project quickly and securely. All information is fully protected and remains private. We use your information only to process your donation, and we never share, sell, trade or rent your personal information.

A monthly gift is away to make a consistent difference in the lives of our guests and residents. You have the ability to increase, decrease, or cancel your pledge at any time. And you will receive an annual statement to help you with tax preparation.

Donate by Phone Our Development Department is available to help you make your donation over the phone. You can use your VISA, MasterCard, or Discover Card to make a one-time or recurring gift. Call 215-985-1600, ext. 203 today.

Donate by Mail We are grateful for donations by check, cash or credit card information mailed to: Bethesda Project, Attention: Development Department, 1630 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146.

Support Bethesda Project Every Time You Shop Amazon will donate 0.5% of the purchase price every time you shop via www.smile.amazon.com. J ust type "Bethesda Project" in the charity box. It's that simple!

Include Bethesda Project in Your Special Event When celebrating life’s special moments, ask your guests to make contributions to Bethesda Project in your honor as a reflection of your commitment to Philadelphia’s homeless and formerly homeless men and women.

Our Development Department is always ready to help by providing literature, donation envelopes or other assistance. Please call us at 215-985-1600, ext. 203 to learn more about how Bethesda Project can help.

Request a Matching Gift from your Employer Many employers offer matching gift programs that allow you to double your gift to Bethesda Project. Generally, it requires nothing more than submitting a form along with your contribution. Our Development Department will do the rest. If this interests you, contact your HR department to learn more about the program and how you can make it work for Bethesda Project.

Donate through United Way or the Combined Federal Campaign If you wish to support your workplace’s United Way campaign, please designate Bethesda Project to receive your payroll deduction. Bethesda Project's Donor Choice number is 3936 (or 0356 for United Way of Delaware). Federal employees can donate through the Combined Federal Campaign, number 96467.

Make a Bequest or Planned Gift Planned giving is an important source of long-term funding for Bethesda Project. There are many options for planned gifts including bequests and charitable remainder trusts. Bequests allow you to name Bethesda Project to receive a gift of cash, property or a portion of your estate or trust. Charitable Remainder Trusts allow you to place assets into a trust that will pay income to you during your lifetime and to Bethesda Project upon your death. We encourage you to contact your tax advisors or counsel to get detailed and specific information about this contribution mechanism.

Phillies serve up lunch at Our Brothers’ Place Thank you to the Philadelphia Phillies management team and broadcasters for another wonderful holiday lunch at Bethesda Project’s men’s shelter, Our Brothers’ Place.

On Friday, December 19, the Phillies front office prepared and served a traditional holiday meal complete with turkey and all the fixings to the guests at Our Brothers’ Place, an emergency shelter for 150 homeless men providing three meals a day and supportive services, including referrals to housing and treatment programs.

Phillies General Partner, President and Chief Executive Officer David Montgomery addressed the crowd

Guests enjoyed a myriad of desserts including pie, cupcakes, brownies and more Phillies Manager Ryne Sandberg and Senior VP and General Manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. got the plates ready

Phillies Director of Public Affairs Scott Palmer handed out 2014 collectible baseball caps to all the men at the shelter

The Phanatic made his rounds delivering hugs

Out and about!

Our guests have been busy this fall with some outings and community building activities!

Bowling at Wynnewood Lanes in Ardmore

A trip to the Natural Academy of Sciences

Being family with those who have none.

Pumpkin picking at Linvilla Orchards

Organize a Drive for Bethesda Project Bethesda Project works with many groups throughout the year who rally to gather food, clothing and other necessary supplies for our homeless and formerly homeless guests and residents. One of the most popular ways to support Bethesda Project is a garment drive where companies collect brand-new boxers or briefs, in sizes ranging from 34 to 48, T-shirts, sizes M—XXL, and socks (our most needed items). Running the drive can be as simple as sending out a company email, designating a drop-off location, and assigning an individual to deliver the goods to Bethesda Project.

If you would like to speak to someone at Bethesda Project about operating a garment or toiletry drive, please contact Tyler Hurley, Program Coordinator-Community Life at 215-236-7850. If you have other ideas for fundraisers benefiting Bethesda Project, please email our Development Department at development@bethesdaproject.org.

Toiletry drive by Waldron Mercy Academy

A boost of selfesteem Local photographer Zakiyah Caldwell and a team of barbers and stylists stopped by one of our men’s shelters last month and gave the men haircuts, clothing, grooming kits and a before and after photo.

“This day was one of the best days I've had all year,” Caldwell said. “I did not pose these men in the images, I told them what spot to stand in and their facial expressions were a true representation of how they felt before and after! I hope by seeing this image you are as blessed as we all were during the experience!”

Food drive by Connect Church/National Realty

Community clothing drive

FROM THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY LIFE Remembering those who we lost "When movie stars die, their passing is ‘mourned by millions,’” Bethesda Project CEO and Founder Domenic Rossi said. As for the homeless, he said, "God remembers them, and in God's name, so do we."

On December 18, hundreds of Philadelphians gathered to remember those homeless and formerly homeless individuals who died in 2014. Please join Bethesda Project in remembering our family members who passed away this past year:       

Jesse Elliot Lomax II Jaroy Hargust Christian Michael Sheehy Marcelino Figueroa, Jr. Joseph Brown Wayne Charles Nelson David Montgomery

A memorial gift is a beautiful testament to the life of a beloved family member or friend who has passed on.

For these individuals, Bethesda Project may have been the only caring family they may have had. If you’d like to make a gift in their memory, mail in a check (address is listed below) or give online and indicate “In memory of” in the subject line.

Thank you for being part of a caring family for Philadelphia’s homeless.

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1630 South Street Philadelphia, PA 19146 Tel: (215) 985-1600 Fax: (215) 732-8214 www.bethesdaproject.org