Lenten Almsgiving Appeal 2023

Lent 2023
 
Dear Friends in Christ,
 
Thank you so much for your ongoing financial contributions, prayers for our missionaries and volunteer support for our community.  I am writing to you today because you are a faithful member of the St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy family and we need your help to continue with our works of mercy.
 
As we head into the Lenten season, the church recommends prayer, fasting, and almsgiving as three practices that can help form the heart of our Lenten journey and prepare us for the great celebration of Easter. It has been said that almsgiving covers a multitude of sins. I am reaching out to you today to ask you to consider making a gift of alms to St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy. We can invite God more deeply into our hearts, especially during lent, by choosing to pray for and help others by our charity.
 
Currently, we expect to spend approximately $1.5 million dollars in 2023 for food alone.  Our anticipated operating costs for 2023 will be about $600K.  No one receives a salary at St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy. However, we still need to pay for utilities, maintenance, and fuel just to name a few of those items that allow us to “keep the lights on” and get our work done.
 
We anticipate providing 500,000 meals in 2023.  The working poor are finding it necessary to make difficult decisions like choosing between feeding their families or paying their rent. That’s why they come to St. Luke’s for meals!    
 
We have no live fundraising events currently planned for the foreseeable future. One of the blessings over these past years has been the continued and very generous support we have received from friends like you. 
 
BECAUSE OF YOU, we have been able to meet the financial challenges of the mission to date.
 
Today, I am asking you to consider making a donation to St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy as a part of your Lenten almsgiving. You can make this a more prayerful and more meaningful Lent than you have ever experienced before. Help us to continue to serve everyone who comes to us.  I know these are difficult times but if you are able, please help us with your financial support. Help us to transform lives through Christ’s love.
 
As Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40, 45, NIV)
 
Gratefully in Jesus & Mary,
 Amy Betros
Director and Co-Founder St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy