November 25, 2019DEAR FRIENDS, |
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As we approach the Thanksgiving Day, when we celebrate God's goodness and His blessings, I'd like to share with you all the reasons we have to be thankful at the RCH: please click here or on the photo to read and see more!
This year again we accomplished a lot thanks to all the prayers, help, time, and dedication of so many volunteers. I'd particularly like to thank all those who attended the Spring and the Fall Volunteer Work Days, as well as the Hog Roast Fundraiser in August and donated money or equipment for the RCH (like the large TV screen for presentations, the snowblower, and small mulch chipper that we have now on the property! A special mention is to be made of the meditation spot with Our Lady's statue on the path leading to the "Faithfulness" cabin, which was also offered and arranged by donors...). The donated funds were so providential in facing some large unexpected expenses while working on the "Peace" cabin's winter preparation. It's coming to the end (the most difficult and expensive part of the project being the "invisible" but already done infrastructure) and I have high hopes that my move from the Dome House, where I live for the moment, to the "Peace," will be by Christmas!! I would like to particularly thank Dan Muldoon (the architect), Paul Glaser (the electrician), and Tom Kaiser (our volunteer Director of Operations), without whose generous volunteering it would simply not be possible. Besides this biggest and most challenging project, this year we were also able to repair the worst part of the dirt road leading to the property (now it's the best! J), install gutters on and blinds/curtains in the Dome House and "Patience" cabin, start a small flower bed near the Dome House, get a truck, and continue cleaning the grounds from fallen trees and waste (no more of that metal scrap which was sitting in the RCH parking!). Moreover, there is now a good stock of firewood prepared for the winter, which I will surely greatly appreciate myself during long and cold months this winter! Next year we hope to accomplish the following: build a garage for cars and for storage; a tool shed; renew the interior of the "Patience" cabin and bring electric power to it; tear down the old structures fallen into disrepair (including these old camping cars) on the path leading to the "Faithfulness" cabin; hopefully also "bring back to life" the camper systems (water tank, propane gas stove, light batteries, self-composting toilet) in the "Faithfulness," which is actually an old camper turned into a cabin! |
We will of course continue cleaning the grounds from fallen trees turning them into firewood, too. Another Volunteer Work Day will be held in the spring, and we anticipate welcoming plenty of helpers again for this joyful and inspiring time of fellowship and giving!
Without your prayers and generous support, all this would simply not be possible. Thanksgiving Day is closely preceded by Giving Tuesday (or followed by Giving Saturday), so we invite you (and please invite your friends, too!) to prayerfully consider giving this year to Our Lady's project at the RCH: you can do this by visiting our Donate page, where you can donate online. Please be sure that all Donors will get a Tax Receipt Letter. You will notice there a 2019 Bronze Seal of Transparency. We just earned it by adding information to our Nonprofit Profile on GuideStar (the world’s largest source of information on nonprofit organizations). Now 10+ million GuideStar users can find out more about our mission. Plus, thus we’ve provided fresh information to 200+ charitable websites and applications that use GuideStar data, such as AmazonSmile, Facebook, and Network for Good. You can check out our GuideStar profile by clicking on the Seal. And if you shop on AmazonSmile, please choose the Congregation of Saint John in Littleton, CO as the recipient of the donations. Thank you so much! Please also check out our Wishlist. If you have and no longer need the tools or equipment listed there, we would be glad to put them to use! For the gifts in kind, the Donors will also get a Tax Receipt Letter. I would especially appreciate any help in decorating the Dome House for Christmas Season: the RCH has already received a gift of a beautiful creche (many thanks to the Donor!), but we don't yet have neither Christmas tree, nor wreath, nor garlands... if you want to donate something for that purpose, please let me know at newsletter@rchermitage.org. If you click here, you will see how beautiful the Dome House could be in Christmas season! Once again, my heartfelt thanks to all of you, and most of all - to our Good Lord and His Mother! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families, Br. Francis of the Child Jesus, Steward |
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