We just finished the Chase County Challenge, our biggest fundraiser of the year, sponsored by the Imperial Community Foundation. The Foundation invites any Chase County 501(c)3 to receive a dollar-for-dollar match from the Foundation, up to $10,000. This event coincides with a concert and the Smokin’ on Broadway barbecue contest. This year, the event was trimmed down as conflicting events and other logistics canceled the barbecue contest portion. However, this did not deter our donors as we met our goal and then some. We’re grateful for every dollar donated and will keep those who have donated in our prayers of thanksgiving. Their generosity will go a long way in helping families in need.
We received a compliment from a mother with her two sons visiting from out of town. She asked about our rosaries at the counter, cueing us to ask if she happened to be Catholic. Indeed, she was, and her two sons are making their First Communion this fall. We asked if they’d seen our chapel and invited them to do so if they hadn’t. They visited and were so thankful and joyful to have had the opportunity to take it in. It actually stirred up a Catechism lesson with the boys asking lots of questions. The mother continued to voice her appreciation for the chapel and mentioned how much she loved the layout of the store.
With another out-of-town experience, we assisted an elderly couple, helping their adult son with health problems, get started furnishing his new apartment. He’d found an employer willing to work around his health problems in a town an hour and a half away. As his parents told us, “He’s sitting on the floor with his dog in his new apartment”. We helped with a reduced price on a loveseat and a small end table. We stuffed the loveseat into their small SUV with plans for the couple to be back to get the end table, possibly collecting a few more furnishings as they have room to haul.
