Hey, it’s Giving Tuesday!
Let’s throw back to the reverse offering and celebrate some of the scandalous stories you shared.
Thanks to the amazing generosity of those who give throughout the year, hundreds of stories like these were made possible!
Coffee and Questions
Not too long ago, I met a couple around my age through a mutual friend. After talking for a while, the gentleman inquired about my faith as he had recently stepped away from religion.
I gave him the money from my envelope, and I told him that if he wanted to talk more, we could get coffee. He took me up on that offer, and we've been knocking on doors that we both have questions about, which I've learned to do well through the Alpha course.
A Birthday Surprise
My young sons and I received $75. We agreed that we would follow our hearts and signs from God to help us decide when to give the envelope and to whom.
While celebrating my son’s birthday at a family-style restaurant, my son turned to me and said, “Mom, this waitress is really good, and she is working really hard. I would like to give her the money.”
My son presented the envelope to her and explained the meaning behind it. The waitress was overwhelmed with gratitude.
When walking out to the vehicle, my sons were smiling and said they felt really good about what we just did and were so happy to see the young lady’s reaction. What a beautiful experience.
Feeding Hospital Staff
My son and I put our money together and then matched the amount with some of our own. Hearing how overworked and short-staffed the emergency rooms have been in hospitals across the province, we wanted to show the staff at our local hospital how much their role is needed and appreciated.
On two different days, we dropped off trays of sandwiches from Mr. Sub. We figured they probably often don’t even stop to eat!
Praying and Waiting
The reverse offering has been an interesting experience. I began praying right away about how to use the funds I received. Each time I thought I knew, there was no opportunity.
Finally, I woke up one morning and immediately prayed about how to use the money. Instantly, a person came to my mind. A person who had seemed sad lately–we had previously chatted, and I had prayed with her.
The amount in my envelope wasn’t one of the larger amounts, so I checked my wallet for what cash I might have. The exact amount was in my wallet – even the same denominations. So, I grabbed a wee card, wrote a note, and combined my cash with the offering amount.
I then went to see her and explained about Connexus and the reverse offering. She had recently been evicted, so she recognized God’s hand in the gift and was so grateful and encouraged.
Being Seen
Our school support staff were experiencing a week of high stress and uncertainty. We brought some treats from Farm Boy to give to the school’s custodians as an act of recognition and appreciation for the work they do. The custodians I spoke with appreciated being seen for the work they do.
Support for a Family
A coworker recently became ill and ended up in the hospital, leaving her husband to manage their kids, meals, and the house. She was stressed and concerned about being away from her family.
We used the money towards providing the family with meals, letting her know that they're not alone.
Livelihood for a Refugee
My sister is housing a young family from Ukraine. The father is still fighting, and they haven’t seen him since February.
She needed a kickstart to get herself financially stable. With our money combined and some top-up, I was able to purchase an entire cleaning kit all the way including a mop, cleaning supplies, and a calendar for appointments.
She cried tears of excitement!! She proudly uses this and has been able to start her own cleaning business.
Hope Trees
We sold potted evergreen trees to raise money for Candlelighters Simcoe which is an organization that supports children diagnosed with cancer (RVH) and their families.
The trees came from the property of a couple in our group, and we added some Christmas decor and called them Hope Trees. We raised $673.11! With the money, we made Christmas care packages for the children and their families.
Halloween for Youth in Shelter
I wasn’t in the service when Connexus distributed the $15,000, but my family wanted to be part of this initiative to bless our community.
We purchased and delivered several boxes of Halloween chips and candy to a shelter housing 30 young people in Barrie.
The director put out some of the treats immediately for the kids. It was heartwarming to be able to bring smiles to young faces through this initiative.
Loads of Love
Our small group pooled our money together and added to it, as well. We gave a cash gift to Ryan’s Hope, an organization that serves unhoused community members in Barrie to use towards one of their initiatives.
They serve breakfast to 125+ a day and partner with “Loads of Love” to pay for community members to do four loads of laundry on Thursdays each week.
