Happy Giving Month (or months)! That's right, November, and December are months where we invite everyone who cares about people having enough to eat to join us in the fight against hunger. You may be interested to know that as of October 31, 2024 (our most current recorded statistics date), Open Hands Midway has served 16,623 FREE meals! That is both good and bad. It is good we are here to help those who are in need but it is bad that there are so many individuals and families who are finding it hard to make ends meet. Thankfully we are here in this community, we have been here, and we will continue to be here for hopefully another 15 years, just sayin'...
2024 marks our 15th Anniversary! So much has happened over those years but one thing remains the same, WE ARE HERE! The vision which began 15 years ago was a vision to make sure those who needed food would have FREE access to that food. This has not changed. What has changed is we have increased our services to this community by offering meals twice weekly and a food shelf twice monthly. Click this link https://www.givemn.org/donate/Open-Hands-Midway where you can make a $15.00 donation in honor of our 15th year. The Open Hands Midway Board of Directors came up with a creative idea to raise $15,000.00 this year and we are well behind this. Will you considering helping us celebrate our anniversary with a donation today?
The work we do is not cheap. I know, here I go again, asking for your hard earned dollars. If everyone who reads this were to donate to our cause and tell one person, and that person tells one person, think of the impact that could have. My challenge to you today, as you read this, is to make an impact. Help people you may never meet to be able to continue to receive. It takes roughly $250.00 to host one day of meal service. What if you were to find 10 friends and everyone pitched in $25.00 to the cause. That is approximately 225 meals that would go to those who could really use them. Be creative, make it a fun challenge. Maybe you do not have time to do something like this but still want to help. ANY amount you can share is always welcome, just sayin'...
Give to the Max Day early giving is under way. The BIG day is November 21. Now through November 21, the Paul & Sheila Steiner Charitable Lead Trust are matching your donations. We are incredibly grateful to them for this awesome display of generosity and hope you will consider supporting our work during this match week, just sayin'...
A special challenge match has been offered by our friends at Bell Lumber & Pole Company who have offered a $5000.00 challenge match that runs through December 31. As you plan your end of year giving, know that any amount of new, increased, or re-engaged giving you would choose to make, up to $5000.00, have double the impact, as Bell Lumber & Pole will match it dollar for dollar! If that does not inspire you to give I do not know what would, just sayin'...
For those of you who have been keeping track of my biking mileage adventures, I wanted to let you know that I have just reached 5,363 miles for the year. I began the mileage journey on January 31 and I hope I can get in a few more rides before I have to put my bike away for the season. For this bike-a-holic this is truly exciting. For snow lovers, well, sorry, I will not be praying for snow to arrive anytime soon. Did you know if you look up the two furthest points across the contiguous United States you would travel 2,892 miles. Those cities are Point Arena California to West Quoddy Head Maine. That means I would need another 421 miles for the year. Here's to more bikeable days, just sayin'...
Comments