I’m delighted to share with you another bundle of HOPE-filled moments of this past year. And they are connected to YOU!
This year has been about reconnecting with YOU, our faithful NITEO supporters, after our hiatus. It has also been about meeting and welcoming YOU, our new NITEO supporters. Some of you have journeyed with us for 15 years and for others, 1 year ago the word NITEO may not have even been in your vocabulary.
YOU have planted so many HOPE-filled seeds this year.
YOU have given generously of your precious dollars this year. And together, we are growing something special.
- I am thankful for every like, follow, & share on our social media accounts.
- I am thankful for those of you who have bought tickets and attended events (BTW, we have a SUPER FUN EVENT coming up to help combat the post-holiday hibernation blahs on January 18th!).
- I am thankful for the families who read & raised together during our Read-A-Thon joining with us to raise almost $5,000 to support literacy for children.
- I am thankful for the crew of students who have launched our NITEO Africa UBCO club and held their 1st Bake Sale fundraiser!
- I am thankful for our 5 monthly donors whose scheduled giving allows us to plan for the future (We have a goal of increasing this number to 50 over the next 2 years!)
- I am thankful for the companies and individuals that have made annual pledges to give NITEO a 3 year runway in this relaunch season.
- I am thankful for every cheque and e-transfer, whether it be $5 or $5,000.
Each financial gift is an INVESTMENT in NITEO and our work today and in the years to come.
Your generosity fills me with HOPE.
Together, we can do so much more, than on our own.
Access to books is about the long-view of poverty eradication.
Access to books raises literacy levels among children.
Higher literacy levels furthers learning in school.
The more education a child has, the greater the likelihood of breaking the cycle of poverty.
It is no quick fix.
It is the way forward.
We have a vision of children stepping out of the cycle of poverty and lifting their families out with them. This is possible if they are given the opportunity to step through the doors that literacy and education will open. In order to open those doors, we need YOU.
We have big dreams for 2023. And we will go as far as our funds allow. YOU and YOUR GIFTS make all of our work possible. Some of these dreams include:
- Launching an online platform to make NITEO training more accessible and to multiply our reach.
- Onboarding 10 more partners in 2023. We have a waitlist of organizations waiting to partner with us to get more books into the hands of children across Uganda.
- We sent 1 suitcase of books to Ghana this December with a pioneering UBCO student who matches our vision for literacy for children in her context. We want to continue the conversation about what partnership could look like in a new country.
- Continuing to expand our reach in the Okanagan to support newcomer and refugee families.
Would you give a gift today to help us finish 2022 financially strong and ready for 2023?
I feel compelled to ask boldly because this is urgent, life changing work.
We truly cannot do this without you! I invite you to continue to lean in to this HOPE-full NITEO community.
Keep showing up.
Keep inviting others to join.
Keep living generously.