End of the Year Appeal
Merry Christmas
Dear Friends,
We wish you a beautiful Christmas season and joyful New Year!
We at L'Arche Erie have been truly blessed with your generosity over the years. As you know, our story began in 1972 when Father George and Sister Barbara invited two men and two women with disabilities to live with them in a modest home on West 5th Street. From these meager beginnings, we have struggled with sickness and death, social acceptance, assistant turnover and financial ups and downs. Through it all, we have remained faithful in providing true homes to people with and without intellectual disabilities. With your continual support we have grown into a multi-program, multi-home community- a community where love and friendship continue to be the driving force.
But this year is different. These times are different. The Pennsylvania Office of Developmental Programs recently notified us that our government funding changed as of November 15. We were informed that our budget, which had already been cut last year, will be reduced $200,000 more. Even though funding has always been a concern, we have provided the highest quality of care for our core members. We have operated with tight budgets, not squandering our resources. But the reality of these current budget cuts will put us in a very precarious position. Will we be able to provide the same level of care for our core members while maintaining our L'Arche traditions and values?
In response to these funding changes, we are asking for your support now more than ever. L'Arche Erie will mark its 40th Anniversary Year in 2012. Our goal is to be successful for another 40 years. This will be very challenging given the decrease in funding. In the past, we have always met the needs and vulnerabilities of our community members. We hope to maintain these high standards in the future.
In recognition of our 40-year history, please thoughtfully consider contributing to L'Arche Erie this year. If just half of our 900 patrons commit to $40 each month (a dollar and change per day) L'Arche Erie would receive $192,000 in one year! We believe that we have an extraordinary group of friends, family and supporters who will help fill our financial gap.
Your consistent monthly gift meets the supplemental income need. We are always most grateful to receive your donations of any amount as you help ensure that our L'Arche Erie mission remains alive during the lean years of the future. Together we can make a difference; together we can be a sign of hope in this fast-paced, consumer-driven society in which we live.
All gifts are tax-deductible. Please make your checks payable to L'Arche Erie. For electronically transferred funds (EFT) or to discuss other options, please contact the office at (814) 452-2065. Credit card payments may be made via PayPal on our website, www.larcheerie.org. As always, we thank you for your thoughts and prayers throughout the year. May this Advent season fill you will hope and peace as we wait for the coming of our Savior.
Peace be with you.
L'Arche Erie