3 minute read
Servants Hope Catholic Charities introduces Servants of Hope
By Lindsi Bachman, director of development and Kenna Bell, annual fund manager
But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
Jude 1:20-21
You may recognize the scripture above as being written by St. Jude, one of the original 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ, but did you know St. Jude also is the patron saint of hope and impossible causes? Countless miracles have been attributed to St. Jude, and his reputation for the impossible was so great he is often referred to as the Saint for the Hopeless and Despaired.
This struck us because we imagine many of the clients served by Catholic Charities feel this way; like they are in the midst of an impossible situation, desperate for some kind of hope.
Catholic Charities has planned to establish a formal recurring giving program, making philanthropic giving easy and convenient through automated payments. Monthly and quarterly contributions are essential in forecasting and budgeting for our ministries throughout the year, assuring our clients always have access to the resources they need.
You may recall when we established the Faithful Servant Fund in 2019, allowing Catholic Charities flexibility to address the most urgent needs within our ministries. Many people give of their hard-earned treasure to the Faithful Servant Fund, embodying what it means to be a faithful servant of God. We certainly believe they are faithful servants. This is part of what inspired the name for this program – Servants of Hope.
Because of the generosity of our donors, the clients of Catholic Charities are provided with hope in the midst of their “impossible cause.”
Once we started digging into the numbers, we realized, last year alone, nearly $455,000 was raised from donors who gave four or more times. We are especially thankful for this group of people who give so consistently to Catholic Charities.
Our goal this year is to add 50 donors to Servants of Hope, potentially adding $5,000 of guaranteed funds to our monthly budget. The livelihood of our ministries depends on gifts throughout the year.
Please consider making a lasting impact by becoming a Servant of Hope. Whether you choose to designate your recurring gift to the Faithful Servant Fund or a specific ministry, it will go far in helping us continue to serve the most vulnerable in our community.
We’ll leave you with a brief explanation of the Servants of Hope logo. A simple depiction of St. Jude, the logo features many elements often associated with him. The flame represents the Holy Spirit that St. Jude received at the first Pentecost, while the green cloak symbolizes hope and renewal. The solid gold circle represents the medallion that St. Jude is traditionally depicted holding, related to the story of King Agbar of Edessa. Finally, the blue heart and cross are a nod to Catholic Charities’ Faithful Servant Fund.
Sincerely,
Lindsi Bachman, Director of Development and Kenna Bell, Annual Fund Manager
To learn more about becoming a Servant of Hope through a recurring gift, call Lindsi Bachman (ext. 1222) or Kenna Bell (ext. 1262) at 316-264-8344 or email giving@CatholicCharitiesWichita.org.
