I don’t know about you but this has been one of the worst years of my life. My husband passed due to COVID, I’m lonely, at times and I had to sell our dream home. God has been faithful through all these valleys. I’m now on a fixed income and learning to be careful with my money.
Some of the things I have learned along the way about giving may be helpful to you. Many of you know that Breath of Life exists to help pregnant women that are in need of basic items for their babies. We are glad to be here to meet their needs, but there is more to our story.
Breath of Life realizes the need for a home for some of these women, and we want to establish one for Long Island. There are very few places for a pregnant woman who needs housing to live in Suffolk County. This is our mission, and we hope you will join us even if you are low on funds. The following are some ways that may help you.
Get a piggy bank. I have two, and they are so pretty. I want to say they are dainty, but pig and dainty should never be used in the same sentence. Whenever any of my kids came in the door, I made them empty their loose change into one of our cute pigs. I’ve done this for years and found it can bring in hundreds of dollars. Glory to God!
I don’t shake down my children anymore. I have found others ways to fundraise. We drink lots of seltzer. If you’re from the south, you call it something else, but it’s the water with a fizz. I take those cans to the store and get the money. Not a novel idea, but it helps.
Maybe you remember the Bible story about the widow who had two mites. We can’t even imagine how little that was because we don’t have coins today that are equal to them. The point of the story is that she gave from her heart, everything she had to the Lord. She realized that God was her all in all. The amount doesn’t impress God! It’s the desire to give to the work of God that He sees. Her giving was an act of worship.
I guess you can say I’ve become a little more sophisticated in my fundraising. I use an app called” offer up.” It used to be called “Let go.” I take a picture of the item, it goes on their site. People ask about your item, and try to get you to give it to them at a lesser price than you post. It’s up to you what you decide you want for it. Then you agree on a time for them to come to you. You get the money, they get the item.
I’m sure you can think of other ways to help that might fit your household. My goal is to stimulate your thinking processes and challenge you to do what you can even when money is tight. God is so very close to us in every season, and he wants us to be creative. You may be surprised as to how he will lead you!
Ann Migliore