GivingTuesday is November 28, 2023!10 years of GivingTuesday! WOW! In 2013, SIFAT introduced a new opportunity for our donors to give, a “holiday” called GivingTuesday. We were excited about the concept—a global day of giving dedicated to honoring nonprofits and joining together to support them. This annual event has grown more than we could have ever imagined. You answered our needs every year. Because of your enthusiasm and overwhelming generosity, GivingTuesday is a highlight of our year. GivingTuesday is Nov. 29, 2022!Why is GivingTuesday Important?Since 2013, SIFAT has been part of the global GivingTuesday movement, which was created to get everyone to join together to give to charities — whether that is a donation of volunteer hours, needed items or financial resources. When we unite together, we can do great things. That first year, we raised $108.080, and we were astounded. We were not sure what to expect or how to explain this new holiday idea. Our momentum has grown each year, and this one day has become an integral part of our financial stability. Last year, we were overwhelmed with the outpouring of generosity from our SIFAT family when we raised a record breaking $251,000.
Yes, we raise vital funding for SIFAT on GivingTuesday, but this day is about more than just money! Many of you share the opportunity to double your donations with your circles of influence: extended family members, Bible study groups and coworkers. By doing this, you help spread the word about SIFAT, our ministry and our current projects. People who did not know about SIFAT now do! When you give to SIFAT, you encourage our staff and international project leaders. Knowing we have the SIFAT family cheering us on and being part of what we are doing inspires us to keep going when we face obstacles or become discouraged. Your prayers and contributions give life to our programs and projects. Without your support, SIFAT would not be successful. Finally, when you participate in GivingTuesday, you become part of something bigger than yourself. Our SIFAT family stretches throughout the United States and around the world. We come from different denominations, socioeconomic backgrounds and cultures. But when we come together on Nov. 29, your small part becomes something great! Please make plans now on how you will be part of GivingTuesday 2022! A group of generous donors has created a $65,000 matching fund that will double donations designated GivingTuesday. You can donate online or by mailing a check to SIFAT. Check out all the ways you can give below. Thank you for supporting SIFAT! Together, we can continue Sharing God’s Love in Practical Ways.
GivingTuesday2021: Together We GiveDownload a PDF version to print and share with friends! Where has 2021 gone? That seems to be a frequent question, especially when we realize the holiday season is upon us. In stores, Thanksgiving paper products and Christmas ornaments are competing for shelf space and the possibility of making it into your shopping cart! At SIFAT, we hope that you will add another celebration into your holiday season — GivingTuesday! GivingTuesday began in 2012 when two organizations came together with the idea to set aside a day that was all about celebrating the generosity of giving, a great American tradition. Along with many other organizations, SIFAT joined with this idea in 2013. Your response has been overwhelming and humbling. This year, we will celebrate GivingTuesday on Nov. 30! Now, instead of dreading the end of the year with worry about our finances, we are excited to experience your response to our needs and to feel the love and commitment our SIFAT Family has to the mission our staff carries out each day. After GivingTuesday, we are able to work on our budget and focus on setting goals to start the coming year off with hope and motivation, instead of putting all of our energy into simply surviving.  Help us reach our goal of raising $130,000 on GivingTuesday! Our $65,000 matching fund will double your donation. October 2021: Final Phase of Construction in Aida LeonEditor’s Note: Each month, we mail an article with our contribution statements to the previous month’s donors. Click here to download a PDF version. Written by Sarah Corson, SIFAT Co-founder The long-awaited dream of having a safe place for the children of Aida Leon is about to become a reality. When SIFAT could no longer travel to Ecuador in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID pandemic, Esperanza Eterna’s Pastor Wilson realized that the church community center our SIFAT teams had been building for two years would be put on hold and not completed when the children of Aida Leon needed it the most. SIFAT donors did not allow that to happen! In the best of times, Aida Leon is one of the poorest communities in Quito. As in most marginalized barrios, the children suffer the most when the parents have no work, the schools are closed and even two meals a day is often a luxury. During this time of shutdown, many have been displaced from their homes, and child abuse increases drastically. The promise of a day care center for children, where they could be safe and have a hot meal, seemed a long way in the future.  The final phase of construction in Aida Leon has included pouring the roof, adding stairs, laying the exterior walls on the second floor and building the interior walls. This photo shows the progress as of September 2021. Uganda: Agape Needs Our Help!Agape Total Childcare Center, the orphanage and school SIFAT mission teams built in Uganda, has been hit hard in recent weeks by COVID-19. Although Uganda had been spared during much of last year, it has now been declared a Level 4 country by the U.S. State Department and CDC because the disease is spreading rapidly. The Ugandan government has declared a lockdown, and most students in boarding schools have been unable to return home to their families. At Agape, three of our original children (now young adults) are currently in the hospital, and several more have tested positive with COVID. In the close dormitory conditions in which they live, it is very hard to isolate and quarantine those with symptoms. Although WHO safety protocol is being adhered to as much as possible, the virus continues to spread. Funds are desperately needed for food, medicines, hospital care and to replenish sanitizers and masks.  Prior to this outbreak, Agape implemented COVID-19 protocols to keep everyone healthy. Here early in the pandemic, the students in the secondary school have the temperature taken by the school nurse (an Agape graduate) before entering the classrooms. |
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