17 Nov 2022 An Invitation to Give: Raleigh Rescue Mission

I have spent a fair amount of time on this blog writing about giving, and I can guarantee more of the same for as long as I have log-in credentials to the website. 

But today I’m not going to do any lecturing or cajoling. I simply want to issue an invitation. And the reason for that is, not only do we at Beacon believe strongly in the power of giving, we also believe that a community of people giving and receiving together is more powerful yet. In fact, when we dream about the future of Beacon, part of what we talk about is a desire to create a sense of place where clients come together and worry less about money, in part because we have helped them be more free in parting with it for good purposes.

So without further ado, our ask is that you would consider joining the Beacon team in partnering with the Raleigh Rescue Mission this holiday season. Wake County has thousands of children and adults who are homeless and seeking help and many more thousands who are only a bad break away from being in the same boat. Even with a small act of imagination you might begin to see, especially at this time of year, how immensely painful and tragic that reality is. Raleigh Rescue Mission has stepped into that reality over the last 60 years as more than 750,000 children, women, and men have stepped through their doors. Walking with people experiencing homelessness is a long-term endeavor, and through their New Life Plan, Raleigh Rescue Mission takes the long, measured walk with folks toward a brighter future.

Here are two ways you can join us:

1. Donate Items. Raleigh Rescue Mission has created two Amazon wish lists with items that are most urgently needed by Adults and Children. If you click on one of those bolded links, you can purchase as many items as you like and either have them delivered to our office (1633 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh, NC 27608), or you can drop them off here yourself (it’s always good to have an excuse to see you!).
2. Donate Cash. Here is a link for you to give quickly and easily, and of course you can also use tools like Donor Advised Funds and Qualified Charitable Distributions out of your IRA. 

Just to give it some structure we are officially running this challenge from December 1st through December 15th. We will plan to drop off any items that have been delivered to our office on the 16th. If you have any questions on logistics or how you might be able to partner with us, please don’t hesitate to send me an email at [email protected] and we’ll figure out the best way forward.

As we head into Thanksgiving, our hope is that gratitude would be a regular posture we all inhabit, and that such a posture would lead us to generous acts of giving. Not so we can center ourselves in the story of someone else’s suffering, but that we might allow the gift itself to make us more empathetic and compassionate to those who are suffering. Partnering with clients in this way is incredibly important to us and we are humbled by the opportunity. Thank you! We’re looking forward to giving together with you in the coming weeks.

The above information does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation and is for informational purposes only.