Kevin's Corner 10-19-08
Written by Fr. Kevin McDonough
THE 10K CHALLENGE: At this weekend’s Masses, you are hearing how we can sustain our outreach commitments. A key part of that is what I am calling the “10K Challenge.” It is not a footrace, but a weekly goal to help us meet regular expenses. The formula is simple: to raise our Sunday collection to $10,000 a week. We can do so, but two steps are required. More of our regular attendees will become regular givers. And, all of us who are regular givers will raise our contribution. Success will allow us to spread out larger (usually outside) donations over the needs of several weeks or months. We often find ourselves behind now, paying last month’s bills with this month’s income, and that is not sustainable.
OTHER EFFORTS: With the 10K Challenge as our base, we are also going to other friends to ask their help. We have significant fundraising efforts underway, seeking foundation, corporate and individual gifts as small as $2,500 and as large as a million dollars. You read about our successes almost every week in the column at the bottom of this page. For every success, however, there may be two or three turn-downs, and so we are putting a lot of effort into writing proposals, making visits, and working with partners to attract donors to coalitions. I will keep you timely informed about our progress and our setbacks. I believe we can do this – even more so, I believe that our God wishes us to do so. Thank you for your support.
A NEW PARTNERSHIP: We have begun to talk with Twin Cities Metro Young Life to reach young people in our neighborhood, beginning in our own parish. It is a new conversation, not even broached with the Parish Council yet. I wanted to tell you about it, however, because “the cat was let out of the bag” at a fundraiser this past Wednesday night. An enthusiastic speaker presented the possibility of a partnership as if it were already a “done deal.” It is not a done deal – in fact, I have some real questions about it. Nonetheless, there is impressive community support for Young Life, a proven model for reaching young people in our own neighborhood. Saint Paul Central H.S. Principal Dr. Mary Mackbee spoke about the good things Young Life and its partners do for her students. Traditionally aimed at high schoolers, the organization wants to reach out to even younger participants – a response to the tremendous pressures on our middle school children. Claver’s success with our students in that age group, and our proximity to Central High, make us an attractive potential partner. Stay tuned!
THANK YOU, TEACHERS: This weekend is a welcome respite for young people – a four-day break provided so that teachers can participate in their union’s annual convention. The weekend (“MEA”) gives us a chance to acknowledge once again the generous work of all our parish members who serve young people in education. It is some of the most important work there is. Thank you for your efforts!
TWO BIRTHDAYS: We had two milestone birthdays earlier this month. Therese Britts completed her 80th year and was surprised by her family with an October 4 party. Angela Lamb-Onayiga was surprised by family and friends with a 50th birthday celebration on October 11. Birthday blessings to both!
FUNERAL PLANNING: In our recent sudden loss, my family was relieved to find that mom and dad had already made some of their funeral plans. I just received word that our Catholic Cemeteries are holding free planning seminars this month. Call 651-255-0534 for more information.
FALL COLORS: I was in Red Wing this week for an annual board retreat. What a blessing! The meetings were as positive as meetings can be. But it was the setting itself that made all the difference. Fall colors in the Twin Cities area are at their peak right now. The fifty-mile ride between Saint Paul and Red Wing is a pageant of color. And Red Wing, an old riverport set among the bluffs of the Mississippi, was at its best. I hope I am not anti-green in suggesting a day trip, but the reds, and oranges and yellows are at their most vivid! If the idea of a car ride offends your ecological ethic, consider taking the Amtrak train from Saint Paul’s Midway Station. You leave here in the morning and return the same evening – the ride follows the riverbanks ($10 each way). This is a busy time of year for most of us, but please take a little time to enjoy the beauty around us: a walk, a bike ride, or an excursion. Blessed autumn!
HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION: Our School received a visit this past Tuesday from a representative of the Calder Foundation. This New York-based philanthropic institution has until recently restricted its giving to causes in its home state. Having become very concerned about the condition of urban education, however, they are now funding projects in the entire eastern USA, which provide models of success. Claver is one of four Twin Cities Catholic urban schools that submitted a proposal to Calder. A final decision is pending, but the meeting was encouraging. If we eventually receive a grant, it would provide over sixty thousand dollars a year to help us continue the sorts of teacher and curriculum development that make ours a school of excellence. Urban education has many special challenges: classroom management, family involvement, and children’s health issues are just some of them. A family in our parish already provides an annual gift to help us develop teacher excellence, and a Calder gift would help us to further strengthen those efforts. Please pray for success.
Letter went out this week to more than seventy of our Claver Angels and other friends who provide us with annual support. We told them about the challenges we are facing and asked their generous support. We are fortunate to have many community friends who believe in what we are trying to do at Saint Peter Claver School and in our other outreach work. May God bless their goodness to us!