Last chance: closing out our Spring Appeal

It’s the peak of summer so we need to close our Spring Appeal. July 31st is your last chance to participate. We know that fundraising requests come fast and furious these days so it’s easy to forget even when a cause is really important to you. I also wanted to make sure that everyone had a chance to read Rebecca’s invitation to participate in the appeal since it is increasingly relevant in our political context and not everyone received (or maybe opened) a hard copy. And if you’ve already sent a gift, then THANKS. This is another vital year for Beautiful Day and we really appreciate your partnership.

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Dear friends,

As a supporter of Beautiful Day, your gifts made a real difference in the lives of resettled refugees last year. [If you haven’t seen our most recent annual report yet, you can see a digital copy of it here.] You will notice a lot of interesting facts and figures. But something else happened last year that goes beyond the numbers, something important that couldn’t have happened without you. This is what I most especially want to talk to you about today.

As I’m sure you know, 2018 saw the passage of increasingly restrictive policies toward refugees in the US. The numbers allowed into the country were drastically reduced and efforts were made to dismantle a once-thriving national resettlement system. These policies were accompanied by mean-spirited public reaction fueled by misinformation and fear.

But take a look at the photos of our trainees [in the Annual Report] as they stir, sift, roll, and pack up granola. The camaraderie, affection and laughter tell a very different story from what we are hearing on the national stage. While political arguments swirled around us last year, our trainees were quietly creating a community that offers a model of tolerance and inclusion that our country so desperately needs right now.

Our trainees make an unlikely community. They differ in the languages they speak, the countries where they were born, and the ways they worship. They are women and men, some wearing jeans and others wearing hijabs. Some are college graduates, some never went to school. In their home countries they worked as farmers, shop keepers, human rights activists, and migrant camel herders. Under normal circumstances, most would never have crossed paths.

Jeanette from DR Congo (left) and Evon from Iraq (right) do not sharea common language. That doesn’t stop them from being friends.

Yet here they are caring for each other, supporting each other, sending a message that it is not only possible for people of different races, religions, and backgrounds to work together, but that there is incredible power, energy, and joy in doing so. These are people who, for the most part, do not share a common language. And yet Jeanette, a Congolese farmer who spent 22 lonely years in a refugee camp, lights up when she talks about her coworkers at Beautiful Day. She says (through a translator), “We are like a family.”

Please help us to develop our programs and services for refugees like Jeanette by continuing to support us. Our greatest need right now is for a job developer who will help our trainees find and keep jobs after they graduate from our program. Would you consider making a gift or increasing your giving this year? Any amount you feel inspired or able to give would be greatly appreciated.

To give online you can click here.

Beautiful Day is a place where refugees learn job skills and rebuild their lives. It is also a growing business producing delicious granolas and coffees. But even more than this, it is a powerful response to a country that is increasingly misled by the lie that difference is dangerous. Please give today and help us continue spreading a message of hope and reconciliation to our divided country.

With gratitude,

Rebecca Garland

Director of Strategic Partnerships

P.S. This year, your donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar through a $10,000 matching grant raised by our board. You can make a one time gift here.

Also, because monthly donations (available online only) make such a profound impact in stabilizing our organization, a monthly gift of any amount (including through Team Granola) will automatically incur an extra $250 match. So a pledge of just a $10 monthly gift means we will get an additional $260 for that first month. Wow! Make a recurring gift here.