HOPE DRIVE 2021 Needs Your Help
TO: Virginia Church of God Leaders and Pastors
FROM: Frank Allen, Missionary to the Poor
RE: 29TH ANNUAL HOPE DRIVE
I trust this note finds you, your family, and those whom you serve all doing very well.
We need your help! If any way possible, I am begging that you please consider partnering with us in our 29th ANNUAL HOPE DRIVE. These goods will help our Church of God missions' ministry to the poor, right here in Virginia. Like you, we believe that the genuine HOPE for the poor rests solely with Christ and His church!
COVID-19 has horribly affected our ministry, as it has yours. The nights will soon be long and cold, and during this time of uncertainty and strife, homeless people and poor families are struggling more than ever. Every day, adults and children are ringing our doorbell and asking about coats. We are turning people away because we do not have enough resources. We have reduced our daily feeding programs. We do not have enough food and coats to help those in dire need. We are working hard to do our community justice with our vital work of equipping them with the tools they need to survive. This winter, your support will allow us to give a little food, a coat, or a blanket to those without hope, and a Christmas toy to a child in need.
Also, please pray for us. Crime has become rampant. We have always heard gunshots and sirens about every day. Now we hear gunshots multiple times a day and throughout the night, but very rarely a siren. Our law enforcement is woefully understaffed. People are dying and being killed, young parents are running away from their children because of pressure. Our children are not shielded or screened from this horror. Let me tell you the three elements of a drive-by shooting—multiple rapid-fire gunshots, speeding engines, and screaming and running for cover. Overdosing has become so common until people just walk right by while someone is dying. Over the past three decades, we have learned the value of sharing the tangible gospel (a coat, blanket, hug, hot meal with the gospel message). Many times our voice is the last voice that some hear. But we cannot share this tangible gospel without your support.
We work directly with more than 9,000 needy individuals in over 2,000 struggling families. Most are children being raised by single moms, aged grandmothers, or in the foster system. Most fathers are simply absent: deceased, in prison, or missing in action. Nearly all of our children are being raised by struggling single mothers, grandmothers, and aunties. While battling poverty, unemployment, underemployment, homelessness, addiction, or mental illness. All of this is further compounded by COVID-19.
This year we are begging for your help!. We are also asking you to make an appeal to your church for a special offering to help us through this challenging season. If you choose, your church can receive World Missions' credit.
Please consider partnering with us for this year's HOPE DRIVE by asking your congregation to bring as many of the following items as possible:
New or lightly used and recently cleaned winter coats, hats, gloves, and blankets - please, no regular clothing!
Unwrapped Christmas toys for boys and girls: 2-15 years of age, around $10.00 in value
Basketballs and Footballs for boys, among other items
Baby dolls for girls, among other items (Remember, if buying baby dolls, 85% of our community is
African American.)
Non-perishable food, household supplies, and hygiene items
A cash offering to help us during this difficult time
Last day to bring these items to church is November 7, 2021.
Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter and your continued prayer for our ministry. If you have any questions, please contact me at frank.allen@hopecharitable.org or text/call (757) 761-0974. I look forward to hearing from you. Until then, I remain . . .
YOUR MISSIONARY TO THE POOR,
Frank Allen
Director | Founder
NOTE: Please add the following emails to your contacts address book so messages from the Church of God State Office in Virginia do not get purged or sent to your spam/junk folder.
admin@vacog.org
bishopjm@vacog.org