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| Snack bags donated by one of our elderly members |
The majority of the persons who donate to ITNAC's covid response efforts are individuals of average means, some who may not have much, but give out of the little that they have. One donor works in the retail industry in a foreign country, so when the lockdowns were implemented she found herself with no guaranteed income stream, as only nationals qualified for the financial assistance from the government. God graciously allowed her employer to offer her a job in their online division, working to pack orders for online customers. It was out of this little that she gave to the cause.
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| A pensioner who donated a "small" bag of groceries |
A young lady who lives overseas was scrolling through facebook and saw the work that ITNAC was doing in bringing relief to vulnerable families who have lost their source of income due to covid restrictions. She sent funds to her mother who still lives here, and asked her to pass the funds on to us. Her mother was skeptical at first, questioning if her daughter knew for sure that ITNAC was a reliable organization to give money to. She assured her that she trusted us because she recognized that one of our members had taught her at a camp she attended before she migrated ten years ago!
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| Thanks to her daughter she now knows of a trustworthy NGO that she can support :) |
For Mother's Day weekend, our desire was to bless the single mothers or those with challenging domestic situations with an extra dose of love. We approached the owner of a small store which sold gift items and they were more than willing to open the store for us to choose perfumes and creams for this initiative. Not only did they give us the items at cost price, but they also gave us additional gift sets and handbags free of charge! We were also blessed with cupcakes from caterers who would have suffered a major loss of income during this lockdown. Talk about sacrificial giving!!!
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| The mothers were pleasantly surprised to receive these gift items |
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| I wish I could have recorded the smiles on their faces when they received these sweet treats :) |
One of our team members, upon delivering a hamper of groceries to a family, noticed that the children were wearing mismatched slippers, or were barefeet. She shared a picture of the children's footwear (or lack thereof) with one of her colleagues, and they responded by procuring a trunk load of children's shoes! Because of their generosity, many children were blessed with brand new shoes and slippers.
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| Shoes of all sizes and colors |
Apart from these individuals, there are young professionals and elderly pensioners, single persons and married couples, self-employed and company employees, small and large churches, and corporate bodies who have contributed to the cause. The amounts given may vary, but what matters more than the amount is the intent behind the giving. In Matthew 25 when Jesus was referring to those who would be welcomed into the kingdom of God, the righteous asked in verse 37, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?' His response is in verse 40, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
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| Anthurium plant donated by a grateful recipient of a food hamper |
We do not do what we do with the expectation of anything in return. The gratitude expressed from the families we bless, and the peace that comes over their faces when they realize that they don't have to worry about where their next meal is coming from, is reward enough. We are grateful for the opportunity to demonstrate our love for God, by providing for the families who are most in need.
