Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the news? I certainly do. Especially when I read about new and growing crises affecting more and more children and families around the world. There are some days when I just don’t know how to help.
But as a Partner In Mercy, when my gift to Mercy Corps goes through every month I know I’m making a small difference in the wider world. It’s an incredible feeling.
Will you join me in doing more to help families in need by making your first monthly gift of $10 today? If you give by August 31, your monthly gift will be matched for a full year, up to $50,000, thanks to a caring group of supporters.
I’d like to tell you my story of becoming a Partner In Mercy back in 2006.
I was walking on Hawthorne Boulevard in Portland, Oregon, when I stopped to talk to a Mercy Corps representative who told me about becoming a monthly giver. I knew of Mercy Corps, knew they did good work, but didn’t feel like I could commit money at that moment.
I got into my car in a parking lot, backed up hurriedly, and nearly bumped into the parked car behind me. Grateful for my good fortune, I pulled back into my parking space, looked up, and said, "Ok, I can take a hint." I went back to the Mercy Corps team member and signed up to be a Partner In Mercy right then and there.
As a minister, a lot of my job is encouraging people to be more kind, more compassionate, and more justice-focused right here in our own community. But in this era where we know so much about the struggles folks are experiencing in other parts of the world, making a difference for those in my own circle isn’t enough. By being a Partner In Mercy, I’m part of a force that reaches across beliefs and borders around the world, and that’s a wonderful thing.
Please join me in this extraordinary community today. Mercy Corps will send you a very special sticker as a thank you for your generosity and compassion. (I’m putting mine on my water bottle.) And remember, when you make your first monthly gift by August 31, it will be matched every month, all year long!
That means that when you give today, Mercy Corps can provide:
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2X the sturdy winter coats, scarves, gloves and boots to children in refugee camps |
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2X the emergency food kits filled with bread, spices, oil, meat and vegetables for hungry families |
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2X the textbooks and supplies for girls seeking the opportunity to learn and grow |
Plus, I hope that being a Partner In Mercy will bring you all the joy it brings me.
As a Partner In Mercy, your support allows Mercy Corps to respond quickly to human-created conflicts and natural disasters, and to provide the long-term support that helps communities thrive. Your support can mean food for hungry children, shelter for refugee families, or the chance for a girl to get an education. Together, our collective support will do so much.
I love that 87% of Mercy Corps’ people on the ground are locals — folks who know and have the respect and trust of their communities.
Because of that, I know that my money really helps when a natural disaster hits — because it’s not just an outside organization swooping in and doing what they think best, but it’s people within the community who know what the local needs are, and can step in quickly to help with whatever needs are greatest both in the short and longer term.
This really is a wonderful opportunity to make even a small gift go a long way, thanks to this rare match and the community of Partners In Mercy who all pitch in what they can to make a big difference.
Please join us with your first monthly gift by midnight tomorrow night, and every dollar you give this year will be matched for the ENTIRE YEAR.
I want a world where everyone is safe, and fed, and gets the chance to go to school. And my support, and yours, and all the other Partners In Mercy — that’s how we get there.
Mercy Corps’ wide-reaching approach helps the world become a place that is more kind, more just and more compassionate.
I’m proud to partner with Mercy Corps to help us get there, and I hope you will be, too.
Sincerely,
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Marcia Stanard
Partner In Mercy
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