Update 5
10/11/10 00:23
It’s incredible to believe that it’s been a month since our last update here on the blog! Rest assured, however, that any lack of online activity has definitely not been mirrored in the day to day actions here at Operation2020. Following in that train of thought, the entire team would like to express our deepest thanks to those who have already given towards Project: Haiti. We’ve been overwhelmed by the response we’ve received from nearly everyone we talk to, and it’s only confirmed our strong belief in the worth of Operation 2020’s mission.
Now, in an effort to keep all of you up to date, here are just a few of the things we’ve been up to.
1) NonProfit 101 ~ Harder than any college course (that we’ve come across, at any rate, though I have heard conflicting theories about some of the chemistries), beginning a nonprofit here in the United States has certainly been no walk in the park. From state to federal filings, paperwork that all starts to seem suspiciously similar come page 36, yearly projections...needless to say it’s been a fairly steep learning curve for all of us. Having worked with a fair number of nonprofits myself, I have always been able to be the last leg of the journey- the volunteer who gets to see the smile on children’s faces, or the one handing food to a man who might not have eaten in days. Being able to see the other side of the curtain, however, the emotionless side that only houses paperwork and Uncle Sam, has brought a whole new facet to my idea of service. Well-intentioned nonprofits must still operate in a corrupted for-profit world, and we ask for your continued prayers as we continue to carve out our foundation on which we can serve.
2) We want to extend a huge expression of gratitude to the FCA at Walker High School and their sponsor Abby Devall! They’ve really grabbed the vision to help Haiti, and have committed to donating 5 dollars from every club t-shirt they sell to help Operation2020. I had the opportunity to talk with them about Project:Haiti in late October, and couldn’t help walking away from the meeting impressed. If high school kids with a thousand other things on their plates could have such a heart for Haiti, then I’m completely sold on the fact that we can reach our goal.
3) This past Sunday we officially announced Operation2020 to our home congregation of Victory Harvest Church-- and the results were more than we could dream of. From monetary gifts to volunteers to even just words of encouragement, we were swamped at the break by people who both loved and believed in what we are doing. One man even committed to 100 pairs of glasses for our April trip. The love of God for people is not dead in the US, ladies and gentlemen- and as churches from around Louisiana begin to support Operation2020, we see that more and more every single day.
Again, we would like to thank all of those who have given so generously in the past few weeks. We are committed to handling your gifts in a trustworthy and principled manner, and we continue to be dedicated to one cause- bringing sight to the third world.
Ben
As always, don’t forget to join us on Facebook and help spread the word to your friends!
Tweet
Now, in an effort to keep all of you up to date, here are just a few of the things we’ve been up to.
1) NonProfit 101 ~ Harder than any college course (that we’ve come across, at any rate, though I have heard conflicting theories about some of the chemistries), beginning a nonprofit here in the United States has certainly been no walk in the park. From state to federal filings, paperwork that all starts to seem suspiciously similar come page 36, yearly projections...needless to say it’s been a fairly steep learning curve for all of us. Having worked with a fair number of nonprofits myself, I have always been able to be the last leg of the journey- the volunteer who gets to see the smile on children’s faces, or the one handing food to a man who might not have eaten in days. Being able to see the other side of the curtain, however, the emotionless side that only houses paperwork and Uncle Sam, has brought a whole new facet to my idea of service. Well-intentioned nonprofits must still operate in a corrupted for-profit world, and we ask for your continued prayers as we continue to carve out our foundation on which we can serve.
2) We want to extend a huge expression of gratitude to the FCA at Walker High School and their sponsor Abby Devall! They’ve really grabbed the vision to help Haiti, and have committed to donating 5 dollars from every club t-shirt they sell to help Operation2020. I had the opportunity to talk with them about Project:Haiti in late October, and couldn’t help walking away from the meeting impressed. If high school kids with a thousand other things on their plates could have such a heart for Haiti, then I’m completely sold on the fact that we can reach our goal.
3) This past Sunday we officially announced Operation2020 to our home congregation of Victory Harvest Church-- and the results were more than we could dream of. From monetary gifts to volunteers to even just words of encouragement, we were swamped at the break by people who both loved and believed in what we are doing. One man even committed to 100 pairs of glasses for our April trip. The love of God for people is not dead in the US, ladies and gentlemen- and as churches from around Louisiana begin to support Operation2020, we see that more and more every single day.
Again, we would like to thank all of those who have given so generously in the past few weeks. We are committed to handling your gifts in a trustworthy and principled manner, and we continue to be dedicated to one cause- bringing sight to the third world.
Ben
As always, don’t forget to join us on Facebook and help spread the word to your friends!
Tweet