Midlands Holy Family Fund

Way down on my blogroll is a blog called The Midlands Holy Family Fund. While this is not my blog per se, I am in charge of its update and administration. I think I have mentioned this organization here before, but let me give the 5 second recap (if you want the full story, read the blog entries at the website).

Midlands Holy Family Fund was started to help families in the local community (of Columbia, SC and surrounding area) who need temporary financial assistance due to medical situations or loss of job. Some organizations won't help you unless you loose everything. We wanted to help stabilize family finances and keep the family together while the family deals with the present crisis and finds their way out.

The first family MHFF helped was a family with 11 children. The father was diagnosed with MS and eventually had to retire early. We supported this family with a monthly stipend while the mother went back to school for a nursing degree. MHFF filled the gap while the mother was in school and the father's Social Security disability retirement was being processed (which can easily take a year or more.)

Assistance from MHFF may come as a one-time check or as a monthly stipend reviewed regularly-depending on the type of assistance needed and crisis encountered. Families who apply for MHFF help must have a plan to get back on their feet. Most of the families we have helped have been referred to us by the local Catholic parishes. I think the idea was for everyone in the Catholic community to give a little each month to support each other. This ideal is played out by some, but we also rely on larger donors.

So far, I believe that 100% of donors contributions have gone to help needy families-the board members have paid for all mailings, registration fees, and the like.

Why do I mention all this now? I am about to issue the MHFF Fall/Winter 'o7 newsletter, and I have been updating the website these past weeks, including putting on a PayPal link. (By the way, in the picture on the website, I am the guy with wrinkled pants. I would phot0-shop the wrinkles, but an updated picture with our spiritual advisor is due any day now.)

So even though the Midlands Holy Family Fund is not local to most of my readers here, if you want to give some dough to a worthy organization as we prepare for Christmas and can't find one near you-then by all means, feel free to donate to the Midlands Holy Family Fund.

Check out the website and then open your heart (and your pocketbook)!

Our Lady of Joyful Hope-pray for us! ... Oremus pro invicem!