Thanks to you, the sound of singing, chanting, cheering, laughing, and yes, even sometimes crying has filled the Emmaus House campus this summer. It is the sound of hope, the sound of a new generation of leaders. It sounds like God singing.

“Teaching children may be the highest way to seek God. It is, however, also the most daunting way, in the sense of the greatest responsibility.”

— Gabriele Mistral, in Thoughts on Teaching

This year, as an evolution of our Camp Summer Hope, we launched a Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools® site. Each day, 70 children and youth representing 40 neighborhood families experienced an integrated reading curriculum proven to help school-aged children maintain or improve their reading skills over the summer.

“My girls come home reciting the chants. They’re motivated. It makes it easier to get them to pick up a book,” 

— Shelbia, mother of two Freedom Schools® Scholars

Your support can make a life-changing difference for people like Shelbia and her children.

For seven summer weeks, we have the opportunity to affect educational achievement for our neighborhood children and youth. But what about the other 45 weeks of the year? What happens once children get home can make or break the academic advances they achieve during the day.

Emmaus House is committed to partnering with parents like Shelbia who are doing the hard work of raising their children while overcoming significant economic barriers. That's why this summer Emmaus House also launched the Peoplestown Family Initiative. This two-generations, case management approach is designed to accompany families as they strive to create stable home environments for their children.

Through your support of these new programs, you help to alleviate some of the stressors facing our neighborhood parents, providing them the tools to be the kind of parents they deeply desire to be. By connecting with both children and their parents, we address barriers and threats to stability before they become crises that could result in homelessness or worse.

Please consider making a gift this summer to support families in Peoplestown.

Your donation makes the Freedom Schools® summer program and the Peoplestown Family Initiative possible. Only with your support do families receive these vital programs.

PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION TODAY.

You also have the opportunity to become a Peoplestown Partner, our new monthly giving program. As a special incentive, a generous supporter of Emmaus House has offered to give $150 for every person who becomes a Peoplestown Partner – up to $7,500! Please see the box below for more information on this exciting new program.

We are so grateful for your support. You make the work of Emmaus House happen.

Sincerely,

Joseph Mole, LMSW

Executive Director

Shelbia Blackwell (featured in the article) and Kaye Montgomery, one of our Servant Leader Interns at the Freedom Schools® program

A new wave of grassroots philanthropy is rising in the hearts of many as more and more people join helping hands to unite for positive change.  As world, national and local economies continue to face extremely serious challenges, people are rising to the occasion by sharing their personal bounty, energy and time in helping others.

GivingTuesday is one such web-based facilitator. It is both an organization and an event.

We've had Thanksgiving Thursday, Black Friday, Cyber Monday all followed by Giving Tuesday this December 2nd.  This is the third annual Giving Tuesday campaign. This year, owing to its previous success, Giving Tuesday incorporates an international component to raise worldwide awareness and share the joy of giving back.  This consciousness raising is, perhaps, Giving Tuesday's biggest contribution.  

Through their website the example of giving is being promoted by a savvy campaign titled "The Unselfie".  Here's how their crowd photo sharing campaign works:    Write your contribution of time, energy or cash on a small placard.  Take a 'selfie' holding your sign, tag with #unselfie and any charity close to your heart and post to your social media pages. 

Simple as that!  By sharing your personal example, it will inspire others to be more selfless while promoting specific ways to give back.

Giving Tuesday also provides tools to increase the fundraising effectiveness of organizations.  

In addition to being cheerleader for giving, the web-based organization helps individuals, groups and organizations identify causes and recipients and directly supports a plethora of causes by channeling funds to smaller organizations and persons.  The areas range from helping individuals achieve educational goals, to environmental causes such as saving sea turtles.  To view some of the fantastic work they are helping promote, visit their FaceBook and website news pages.

If you would like to add your voice and heart to a concerted global community of giving, Emmaus House encourages you to join hands with the human community by participating in Giving Tuesday this December 2nd.  If you've already contributed to Emmaus House or wish to do so, please take an 'unselfie' and upload it to the Giving Tuesday site.  This will not only help increase contributions to Emmaus House's efforts but will help inspire others to give of themselves in helping recreate a more bountiful world for all.  

So please spread the word to family and friends!  Encourage them to contribute whatever they can of personal time or resources to Emmaus House or their favorite organization, issue or cause... and don't forget to inspire others by participating in the worldwide unselfie campaign.