Bag and A Buck can change a life!
God bless you! I wanted to take a moment to share with you a special program which we have developed to assist the children of Haiti. Many of you know that I am from Haiti; as well many of our congregation here at Grand Rapids West is from Haiti also. These past years have been very difficult for those living in Haiti. Even my father, who is the administrator of a school and orphanage in Haiti, shares with me how difficult it has become to feed the children.
As you might be aware, Haiti is the poorest country in the western Hemisphere, the poverty is compounded by an ever increasing rate of inflation which means the poor get so much poorer and the hungry become so much more hungrier.
The cost of food in Haiti (most all of it is imported) is so very expensive. In many of the city areas people have no access to food items because they cannot afford them. Farmers, dependent upon crops are left to the mercy of extreme weather conditions, and the slightest disruption can negatively impact that farmer and his ability to feed his family. God has blessed us with so much, and I know first hand the reality of true desperate need in Haiti, especially among the children.
Rays of Hope for Haiti is a visible demonstration of God’s love and hope to the children, families and full time missionaries in Haiti. We are asking for your prayers and your assistance. Can you imagine what a bag of rice and one dollar can do? It may seem small, but when your bag of rice and one dollar is added to others we will raise up a great supply of food for the children of Haiti. The one dollar, which is donated along with the bag of rice, will help pay for the shipping of the rice and delivery to the needy in Haiti. No funds are retained for administrative or overhead costs though this ministry. 100% goes into the ministry of helping others. We call this program the Bag and a Buck. This is my favorite because it is a great opportunity for classes, churches, work, and VBS to become more educated about our opportunities to help others. This demonstrates that a very little will go such a long way. The Bag and a Buck Campaign simply encourages people to donate a BACK OF RICE and ONE DOLLAR in order to help the children of Haiti. This may not seem like much, but your bag and one dollar, included with mine, and others from our churches in order to become a flood of support and food for the children. Furthermore, this program is covered in prayer and it is local! We will be able to report back to you directly how your support helped the children of Haiti. This will be done through photos, email updates, and through our newsletter.
Would you and your congregation consider partnering with us in this demonstration of love and support for Haiti? I would be glad to visit your church along with Doug Porritt, from Rays of Hope for Haiti in order to show you photos and discuss the need first hand. I strongly feel that this program, the Bag and a Buck is an economical way of expressing our true Christian belief in Social Justice, along with our commitment to sharing the Gospel into the entire world.
I would love to talk to you further. Please feel free to contact me at 616-453-5550 if you have any questions.
God bless you always,
Rev. Mathieu Pierre, Grand Rapids West International Church of the Nazarene