Dear Friends...
As we move full-speed ahead into the holiday season and wind down another rewarding year with Friends for Friends, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your continued generosity. The holiday season of Christmas always brings into focus the understanding that the real joy of the season comes from what we are able to give, rather than what we receive. It is in this spirit that fuels Friends for Friends to help our neighbors in need all year round, but in particular during the Christmas season.
Your FfF Executive Board is always mindful of the balance between ensuring the privacy of our donation recipients, while still providing our members with a brief summary of the tremendous personal struggles being experienced by good people living in our community. To that end, the board met last week and approved the dispersal of three $2,000.00 donations to a trio of families dealing with their own very unique crisis.
The first donation went to a family with five young children whose father was injured on the job and remains out of work, and the mother also has been laid off by her employer.
The second donation went to father who is valiantly trying to support his three daughters, one of whom is autistic. The mother, a substance abuser, has moved out, and the father was recently laid off from his job and he and his girls have moved in with his parents.
The third donation went to help three very young children whose mother passed away last year and their father is not in the picture. The children are being raised by their grandparents and an uncle, but the financial challenges are never ending.
The Friends for Friends donations to these three families represent your generosity and concern for the struggles of our neighbors in need. It is with your continued financial support that FfF is able to touch the lives of so many people in our area. And while our donations are never the solution to any recipient’s problems, we are told repeatedly that knowing they are not alone in the hour of need provides immense comfort to them.
Please help us continue the meaningful work of Friends for Friends by renewing your dues for 2013, and by recruiting one new member to join the FfF family. Dues are again $50.00 for the year and can be mailed to the address listed below, or simply visit our website: www.fffcharity.com and make an online payment. And if you’re looking for the perfect Christmas gift for that person who is tough to buy for, why not enroll them as a member of Friends for Friends? A more rewarding gift you won’t ever give, and we will add your friend or loved one to our email list and they will receive updates on our activities throughout the year.
It is hard to believe that we are starting our 17th year with Friends for Friends, and because of you and others in our FfF extended family we have raised over $600,000 to date.We have our sights set on reaching the $1 Million dollar mark by 2016, and with your continued support, as well as a successful new membership campaign, we will reach our goal. One final note, the date for our always-popular FfF Trivia Night is set for February 23rd and will be held again at Cardinal O’Hara High School. Tickets will be on sale soon, so get your team and table reservations ready!
Thank you for being a member and making a difference, and may you and all of your loved ones have a happy holiday season.
Bob Carroll
President of FfF
105 Cardinal Drive
Conshohocken, PA 19428
Racarroll@comcast.net
