Christmas 2021 is in the past and we are all getting ready to ring in 2022. And, I’ll bet you have noticed a flood of letters and emails from local nonprofit organizations asking you to make a donation.
I know many of you consider this an inconvenience or a waste of paper and believe me, it's no fun to spend the last week of every year pleading with people for money.
It is the heart-wrenching part of leading an organization that relies on donations to deliver its mission. But it is critically necessary because, without donations from people like you, thousands of people would be left out in the cold, literally and figuratively.
So, much as it pains me, every year I ask people to give what they can to make sure seniors can stay safe in their own homes. I inconvenience you so that veterans and children can have a solid roof over their heads and functioning bathrooms.
I send pleas to strangers in the hopes a few will find it in their hearts to help. I remind you that your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. I reiterate that as an Arizona taxpayer, you can donate up to $800 per couple and receive a direct reduction in the state taxes you owe. I share that we can accept donations from your IRAs, possibly giving you a better tax advantage. I explain that we will happily accept donations of stock, real estate, and life insurance policies. I ask that you just give a little more.
And, frankly, this can be exhausting and is often disheartening when my pleas go unanswered.
However, I continue to do it every year because it is IMPORTANT. It is important that we help those who cannot help themselves. The thought of someone’s grandfather losing his independence because of an unsafe bathroom appalls me. And I am horrified knowing families lose their homes because the insurance company will no longer provide coverage due to a leaking roof the family cannot afford to fix. Why not help them by spending $5,000 to repair the roof rather than the 10s of thousands of dollars it costs to keep them in a homeless shelter? Or spend a few hundred dollars to make a bathroom safe, rather than the hundreds of thousands it costs for hospital stays or nursing homes? These are the reasons I continue to ask you to help because we cannot do it without your generous gifts...
And so I will ask once more as 2021 comes to an end – won’t you please help give seniors, veterans, and children a safe and healthy home in the coming year?
With gratitude and best wishes for a safe, healthy, and happy new year.
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