Scholarships for 7 young persons in our church community. The church where I am honored to be pastor took a journey into the future in the past few years. Holy Cross had dreamed of an Endowment Fund for many years. But, it didn’t happen. There was enthusiam, and interest, and donations, but we never broke the ‘glass ceiling’ that would create the endowment. We needed an initial investment of $25,000 in order to enter the investment pool offered to us by our denomination that would create an enduring legacy- a fund for the future. And we didn’t get there. For years. Faithful people served on committees, and gave money, but we didn’t get there. Until 2018. Somehow, the parts came together and the donations passed $25,000, and we were able to establish the Endowment. Nice. The giving and serving of all those people over the past 10 or 15 years came to something.
And then the market took a little dive. So, if the endowment gives gifts out of the earnings from that fund, we had none for our first year in existence. So we met in committee, we pondered, and we prayed. And we decided to ask the congregation if they wanted to donate specifically to the fund for this year’s scholarships, since there were no earnings to contribute. And people gave. Heroically.
Applications for our scholarships (the purpose of our endowment is education) came in from people who were nominated by folks connected with Holy Cross. Scholarships for law school, for college, for technical school, all came in. 7 of them. And we gulped. 7 young people in need, and no earnings from our endowment this year. And so we told the congregation what we needed to award 7 scholarships this year. And they gave. Heroically.
We awarded 7 scholarships this summer. Worth $500 each. For books, for tuition, for expenses of education. And we gave them flowers.
We are not alone on this journey of faith. We are God’s hands and feet to offer hope. We are surrounded by heroes. And I am thankful. – Pastor Patricia+
