Thank you, Lilburn Post Office Mail Carriers
Last Saturday was the annual Post Office Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. Despite the rain, we collected over 1200 pounds of food. Donations have continued to come it all week. Our approximate pounds after a week are just over 4000. Thank you, Lilburn community, and especially thank you Lilburn Mail Carriers.
I’ve also had people drop by and give me a check after I posted about the cost of our new HVAC system. The extra cash takes the sting out of writing that big check. (I’m sure the lower energy bills will help as well!)
Local contractors have dropped by to offer their services at deep discounts or for cost of materials. They simply like what we do and want to help with renovations and upkeep. The contractors who have done the renovations have all heavily discounted their invoices which has helped a lot.
I am always impressed by how generous the people of this community are. About 90% of our contributions are from donors giving under $100. After 31 years, we are still 100% privately funded. As funding for support services gets cut at the federal, state and local level, there is more competition for grant money. Our community contributions have trended up slightly as the people kick in a little more to help their neighbors.
We have contributors who drop by once a month to give me a check or cash and they insist on being anonymous. They take Matthew 6:3 very seriously:
But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.
We also have contributors whom we assisted years ago with a utility bill, or food. When the circumstances of their life improved, they wanted to pay it forward. Some of those people are still paying it forward after five, ten and even twenty years.
I often get recommendations from marketing consultants who tell me I will boost contributions if I publish the names of donors. That advice doesn’t feel right for this community. I am good with publicly thanking our vendors because it is a business arrangement. If a civic group wants a picture for their social media, we are always happy to accommodate. But this community is about the giving, not the recognition.
I love this community. I love its diversity. My late husband and I moved here with our daughter in 1993. I love the weather, the blue skies and how green it gets in the spring and summer. But I especially love my neighbors and the people who share this home with me. They are good folks, and I am grateful to be here serving.
– Jackie
