May this message inspire you to visit http://www.lift-in-love.org/ for full details, project locations, forms, sponsors, and much more! 

Sufficient finances are necessary to establish or sustain a thriving, enduring, and successful operation.  Two special Christian-based ministries in the New Bedford, MA area, the Salvation Army and Mobile Ministries fit into this category.  Their general mission is to serve others, transform broken lives, and generate real hope.  Their financial need has inspired a group of us to come along side to help.  There are many approaches to raising funds.  Our team, called Lift-in-Love, will once again partake in a fund-raising instrument called a Serve-A-Thon.

While others choose approaches like walk-a-thons and bike-a-thons, a Serve-A-Thon is a proven fun-raising, fund-raising, friend-raising investment on the part of those who participate.  Choose one of the five Lift-in-Love service projects or initiate a service that you can perform on the Serve-A-Thon date of September 8, 2018.  Here is a quick four step guide toward understanding how it works.

  1. Fill out a Sponsor Pledge Sheet that lists the location, service activity, hours you plan to serve, your name (Server) address, and phone number.  Available on line or at the Salvation Amy (619 Purchase Street in New Bedford).
  2. Find Sponsors who would be willing to pledge money for your service.  Have the sponsors fill out a line on the pledge sheet.  Thank and collect from people (at this time) who are willing to trust you to complete your service.  Money must be returned if your service is not performed.
  3. Perform your service during the time promised.
  4. Collect your remaining pledges from your sponsors.  You must turn in all collected money and sponsor sheets to the Salvation Army on or before September 15, 2018.

Beyond the Lift-in-Love projects, we are unlimited as to what service one could choose:  Singing to someone, entertaining somehow, organizing something, cleaning something, improving something, saving something, or moving something only begin the possibilities.

Places and where people gather to serve might include shorelines, parks, group homes, nursing homes, private homes, nature trails, bike paths, homeless shelters, hospitals, schools, libraries, or other special needs establishments.

Potential sponsors are family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, businesses, corporations, people you have sponsored in the past, friends of friends, or yourself.

A couple of sponsoring examples: 1) I volunteer to paint at the Wilks Library in New Bedford for 5 hours. I get 6 people to sponsor me for $2.00 per hour.  My grand total would be $60.00 (5 hours x $2.00 x 6 sponsors) 2) I get permission to read to senior citizens at a nursing home.  I get 15 people to sponsor me for 2 hours at $4.00 per hour, 3 people to sponsor me for 1 hour at $5.00 per hour and 1 person to sponsor me for 1 hour at $10.00 per hour.  My total after collecting would be $145.00 for 2 hours of serving.

The place and number of hours you serve are up to you.  The funds raised depend upon the number of sponsors you find.  Be sure to get permission from the service location if it’s required.  We encourage youngsters to participate, but advise parents or guardians to monitor all sponsoring contacts because safety and integrity are primary concerns beyond raising money for a good cause.

Family and friends, please note that it takes committed, competent, and honest work on the part of participants for any Serve-A-Thon to be truly fruitful. It was the philosopher, Socrates, who said “Know thy self”; it was the psychologist, Sigmund, Freud who said, “Be thyself”; but it was Jesus Christ, who said to His followers and believers, “GIVE THYSELF.” Now that sounds like something that will work!

How can you serve too? Please call 508 264-8211 or 508 998-1120 and we’ll sign you up!!