Keeping it in perspective
The mood was somber as son Matt and I discussed the annual HFP auction/fundraiser held this week.
"If we were raising money for puppies and kitties we'd have packed the place," grumbled Matthew. Indeed. Fact of the matter is that we drew about 50 people at best. Fortunately for us they were generous friends, and we still raised about $5,000.00. We had hoped to raise at least double that.
We deal with these serious prisoner issues on a daily basis, and somehow we think that everyone else is on the same page. We forget that we reside in an all-white, affluent society, and prisoners are not at the top of the popularity list. We're doing our best to educate and inform, but this simply pointed out that we have a long way to go.
But back to the title of this little entry.
When Matt and I opened the mail, our grumbling turned to gratitude. In two separate envelopes there were two checks from the State of Michigan. The first was a check from a female inmate who probably earns less than 80 cents a day at her prison job. The check was in the amount of 25 dollars...a huge gift from a prisoner whom we have not helped all that much personally. She just wanted to demonstrate her appreciation for all that we do for women in the Michigan prison system. The second check was for $200, and it came as a donation from the National Lifers Association chapter of the Thumb Correctional Facility in Lapeer. Board chairman Dan Rooks and I made a guest appearance at their meeting more than a year ago, and they never forgot our kindness or our message. They had to cut through miles of red tape to make a donation from their club to our agency...but they made it happen. God bless 'em!
Thank you, Lord, for helping us to keep this in perspective.
"If we were raising money for puppies and kitties we'd have packed the place," grumbled Matthew. Indeed. Fact of the matter is that we drew about 50 people at best. Fortunately for us they were generous friends, and we still raised about $5,000.00. We had hoped to raise at least double that.
We deal with these serious prisoner issues on a daily basis, and somehow we think that everyone else is on the same page. We forget that we reside in an all-white, affluent society, and prisoners are not at the top of the popularity list. We're doing our best to educate and inform, but this simply pointed out that we have a long way to go.
But back to the title of this little entry.
When Matt and I opened the mail, our grumbling turned to gratitude. In two separate envelopes there were two checks from the State of Michigan. The first was a check from a female inmate who probably earns less than 80 cents a day at her prison job. The check was in the amount of 25 dollars...a huge gift from a prisoner whom we have not helped all that much personally. She just wanted to demonstrate her appreciation for all that we do for women in the Michigan prison system. The second check was for $200, and it came as a donation from the National Lifers Association chapter of the Thumb Correctional Facility in Lapeer. Board chairman Dan Rooks and I made a guest appearance at their meeting more than a year ago, and they never forgot our kindness or our message. They had to cut through miles of red tape to make a donation from their club to our agency...but they made it happen. God bless 'em!
Thank you, Lord, for helping us to keep this in perspective.
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