When we here at Modest Needs come to work each day, we start the coffee, turn on the computers and open our email. And each morning we open our mail to see testimonials from those people whose applications were funded while we were away. The month of December has been especially rewarding and touching for those of us in the Modest Needs office, because donors have been overwhelmingly generous during this holiday season. Applications are being funded within just days or hours, and the joy expressed by those who saw their requests granted in their time of need is enough to bring a few tears to our eyes.
Today I want to share with you some highlights of these December testimonials that were made possible by people like you who gave whatever they could to those less fortunate. Seeing just how far your dollars go in changing the lives of strangers is one of the highlights of our day, and so I share their words with you, too.
- "I know it may not be much to a billionaire or mean much to people who have it, but God sees the little things that is done. God is so good for me to be let into all of your hearts. This is the best christmas I have ever had that complete strangers have helped me. It gives me a different outlook on many things and I thank you also for the lesson I have learned today.
- "I opened my email this morning praying, and when I saw my prayers had been answered, my heart filled and so did my eyes; I am crying, but they are tears of deepest gratitude and relief. It is a terrible thing to be so afraid, to be so consumed with intense worry that we'll run out of heating oil. There is so little left in the tank, I go down there and check it several times a day, always anxious to see how much the gauge has dropped more; we've been wearing layers of sweaters to try and keep the thermostat around 55, too scared to turn it up more than that. I just called my oil company with pride, to say the bill would be paid and schedule a delivery for tomorrow. This means we can stay warm, my daughter will be warm, my pipes won't freeze and burst, our home will be safe from harm from freezing temperatures here. You have participated in giving the most precious of gifts: caring for another, and my life, my daughter's life, are profoundly affected by your contribution for us. I wish you great peace and love for Christmas..."
- "Thank everyone who helped my family. This is a real holiday miracle! We just talked too the landlord and they told us they would have to file eviction Monday the 20th if we didnt have an answer. But we held to faith and hope and you all have been the angels that we were waiting on. I completed my training and Im able to maintain the household once again. I am so moved by the love that this shows my family about the real people in the world and what God wants us to believe of our fellow man. We want to thank you all again from the bottom of our hearts because this is the best Christmas present that my family could ever receive. Me and my wife are in tears because the relief that we feel right now. We planned on honoring your generosity by helping others in need. Thank you all again from the depth of our hearts."
- "Thanks to the generosity of contributors and administrators of the Modest Needs Foundation, I am able to continue providing home care for my 93-year-old mother. I am her only child, so the challenge of caring for her is mine alone. We avail ourselves of hospice care, the expense of which is covered by Medicare. However, I must pay for the skilled in-home care of a Certified Nurse Assistant, who cares for my mother at night so that I can get enough rest to care for her during the day. This added expense adds a financial burden that I will not long be able to afford. We come from a long Italian tradition of caring for our family members in the home, and were it not for added help from the Modest Needs Foundation, I cannot see how I would be able to continue to provide for my mother in a way that she deserves and desires. Thank you so much for making this possible for us."
- "To all of the Modest Needs Donors, I want to say THANK YOU so very much for the sacrifices you all had to make to ensure that my family would not be evicted from our home. This has restored my faith I had for human kindness."
And this is just a small samping of testimonials received today. The good you are doing with your donations is evident each day in our inboxes. You can read new incoming thank yous on our site to see exactly how much your gifts to Modest Needs empowers those who are desperate.
Thank you thank you for making our jobs at Modest Needs most rewarding. And, most importantly, thank you for making a difference in the lives of those who really, really need it--and for saving them from a life of poverty.
[Photo by Iain Farrell]
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