I’m about to do the thing that fundraising experts say I shouldn’t – thank our supporters and ask for more gifts at the same time.
To start, I and everyone at PHC are tremendously thankful for all the support we receive. Everything good that happens at PHC happens because of caring supporters. No matter how much or how little you give, you create a safe space for those who desperately need it.
Unfortunately, our community members face a new challenge. The City of Minneapolis is using an aggressive response to homeless encampments, breaking down any new camp within 48 hours. The encampments created problems, but at least they gave the homeless somewhere to keep their belongings. Outreach workers knew where to take food and supplies. Now more people are losing essential items like cell phones, sleeping bags, and toothbrushes when the camps are cleared. They aren’t receiving the services and supplies they need to survive an already chaotic situation. And so, more people are coming to places like PHC. We hosted 15 more community members a day in April than in March. Over the next year, that will add up to an extra 4,000 folks coming through PHC’s doors.
As I said at the start, we are thankful for everything we receive from our supporters. Whether you give time, skills, money, or anything else, you are making a difference in the lives of hundreds of people that you will never meet. We thank you for that, but at the same time, I have to ask for a little bit more. No gift is too small to help us meet this crisis. Together, we can make sure that our community members have what they need to make it through the day.