Doubling Our 2017 MCC Relief Sale Income

Imagine having families living like this for years on end.

Last year’s Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale at the Rockingham Fairgrounds raised its second highest amount ever for Mennonite Central Committee, over a third of a million dollars. Much of it went for desperately needed help for the world’s growing refugee crisis.

This year the Relief Sale Board, in response to people interested in new ways of adding to the total giving, is promoting an "S.O.S (Sharing Our Surplus) Campaign”, an attempt to double the amount raised this September by encouraging generous cash, check and credit card giving in addition to supporting the auction and the sale of food and other items. A special table will be set up Friday evening, September 29, and all day Saturday, September 30, to receive such donations for MCC war and famine refugee relief, in addition to the "My Coins Count" project (formerly Penny Power).

With some 10,000 attending the relief sale each year, it should be possible to raise $1 million annually for humanitarian crises of this kind.

When MCC was founded in 1920 in response to suffering caused by famine and war in the Ukraine, over $1.2 million was raised over a three year period. In today’s dollars that would be some $16.7 million, a significant accomplishment.

In the spirit of Jubilee, our giving can be over and above our regular tithes and offerings, and not result in decreased giving elsewhere. This could mean our willingly becoming poorer for Christ’s sake, rather than assuming the right to amass ever more personal wealth each year regardless of world need. 

Such “sacrifices” could include:

• Giving a tithe (or more) of whatever is in our savings accounts

• Matching what we spend annually eating out

• Keeping an aging vehicle an additional year, etc.

In response to a first century famine in far off Judea, the apostle Paul, in II Corinthians 9, wrote: "Right now you have plenty and can help them; then at some other time they can share with you when you need it.”

It’s what Jesus would have us do.

Besides donations made at the Relief Sale or on its website, donations can be made directly on the MCC website.

Here's a link to more posts on increasing giving for refugee relief 
http://harvyoder.blogspot.com/search?q=relief+sale