"The Funds Will Come in Somehow or Other"

I just finished reading Dorothy Day: A Radical Devotion by Robert Coles, where I came across this quote by Peter Maurin: "In the Catholic church...one never needs any money to start a good work.'... 'People are what are important. If you have the people and they are willing to give their work-- that is the thing. God is not to be outdone in generosity. The funds will come in somehow or other." It stuck me as a very bold and trusting concept, or, put more negatively, a foolish concept! I'm sure many of us would react, "What do you mean you don't need money??" And while I think it is a little extreme to say that one never needs any money, I do think there is some truth at the heart of what he's saying.

At Taller de José, we need money to pay the bills for our office space, the phone and internet, public transportation for our clients, basic office supplies, and the salaries of the few staff members who are paid. But we wouldn't be where we are today without the generous donations of time from our many volunteers. Our volunteers donate about 170 hours per week to the organization--what an incredible gift! The volunteers and interns accompany the majority of our clients, work at the front desk answering the door and the phones, gather information about new resources, assist with clerical tasks and our accounting, design our flyers, brochures, and newsletters, and help with special projects along the way. So in that sense, Maurin is right; people are what are important. Without people, we'd have an operational office space and fully loaded bus cards, but no one to see the clients.

And he was right in another sense-- the funds do come in "somehow or other." For Taller de José, that "somehow or other" is often grants and sponsorship from organizations like the CSJ (Congregation of St. Joseph) Ministries, but a large amount also comes from individual donors. Thanks to all the generous family and friends who donated to Taller as part of my marathon fundraising, I've officially exceeded my goal with a whole week to spare! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I have been so touched by everyone's generosity.

But, that doesn't mean I can't surpass my goal even further ;) Our total team goal is $5,000, and we're still short of that, so it's not too late to donate! You can do so here: https://www.givecentral.org/core.php?do=event_signup&key=GC-4fc7aa9d03cbd or by mailing in your donation to Taller de Jose, 3047 W Cermak, Chicago, IL 60623 (or you can contact me for my home address).

As the marathon gets closer, I just keep getting more excited (I know, it sounds crazy... why would anyone be excited to go out and run for almost 5 hours straight??). It will be such a thrill to be surrounded by so many people aiming for the same goal, and so many of them also running for charities. Please keep all the runners in your thoughts and prayers; I hope that everyone who has put in so much hard work during training is able to cross the finish line safely. Thank you so much to everyone who has accompanied me during this journey!

p.s. If you haven't yet, check out the redesigned website for Taller de José!