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It’s Black Friday. If you’re reading this, it’s probably safe to assume you’ve opted out of the usual Black Friday Christmas shopping frenzy. And if that’s true, then you’ll be excited to read this post!
Every year when it’s time to shop for Christmas gifts, I find myself in a dilemma. I am deeply bothered by the materialism that overtakes the season. Every year I find myself torn between wanting to buy presents for the people I love and resisting the pull to join in the culture of materialism and excessive spending.
Is anyone else with me?
That’s why I am excited to tell you about something that we are doing at Pulpit Rock this year. We are giving you the opportunity to shop for gifts where all of the proceeds – every single dollar – will go directly to help our neighbors, both here and around the world.
This year, your Christmas shopping can support:
- our city
- the vulnerable
- the local church
Do those things sound familiar? They should.
Beginning November 27 (and continuing throughout December) we will have our first ever Holiday Pop-Up Shop!
Each Sunday in the Gathering Place, you will have the opportunity to buy gifts from three different organizations. So stop by, pick up some gifts and make your money mean something!
Written by Becky Giovagnoni
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COS I Love You
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_blurb admin_label=”Blurb” title=”Shirts, sweatshirts, hats, mugs, stickers. Price range is $1-$35.” url=”http://cosiloveyou.com/” url_new_window=”off” use_icon=”off” icon_color=”#d65d43″ use_circle=”off” circle_color=”#d65d43″ use_circle_border=”off” circle_border_color=”#d65d43″ image=”https://pulpitrock.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/COSiloveyou.jpg” icon_placement=”top” animation=”off” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_icon_font_size=”off” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]
THE VISION
We are a movement of diverse organizations and people who share a heart and passion for our city, who are determined to make a difference and who know we are better together!
THE STORY
Last year we spent a lot of time asking how churches can band together to be a good neighbor to our city. And when we asked that question, the city responded.
The churches in the Springs have been asked by our Mayor to partner with them in a project with the Springs Rescue Mission.
In our city there are 31,000 households at risk of homelessness every single day in our city. Over 1000 people are already homeless. About 300 people every day are without shelter.
So we are partnering with Springs Rescue Mission and the City of Colorado Springs to develop a multi-agency campus designed to help every person living on the streets of Colorado Springs to find a pathway out of homelessness. This project will almost triple the number of beds to provide 55,000 shelter nights per year, provide a dining room capable of feeding 200,000 meals per year, provide laundry and shower facilities, and a day center stacked with agencies to help them find a pathway out.
THE MONEY
All proceeds from the sale of COS I Love You items will go to the part of our Christmas Offering given to the Springs Rescue Mission.
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Three Cords (Haiti)
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_blurb admin_label=”Blurb” title=”Headbands, bags, wallets, purses, and t-shirts. Price range is $5-$50.” url=”http://threecordshaiti.com/” url_new_window=”off” use_icon=”off” icon_color=”#d65d43″ use_circle=”off” circle_color=”#d65d43″ use_circle_border=”off” circle_border_color=”#d65d43″ image=”https://pulpitrock.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/threecords.jpg” icon_placement=”top” animation=”off” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_icon_font_size=”off” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]
THE VISION
To bring life transformation through an artisan business that focuses on employing Haitians with disabilities, as well as at-risk women.
THE STORY
Three Cords was born out of Mission of Hope Haiti, an organization that exists to bring life transformation to every man, woman, and child in Haiti. After a major earthquake devastated Haiti in 2010, an estimated 9,000 Haitians faced amputations from the falling rubble. Mission of Hope provided surgeries, prosthetics and other medical care to many people impacted by that earthquake.
Unfortunately the disabled in Haiti are seen as unable to work or contribute to their communities and are often treated as outcasts. A missionary working for Mission of Hope in a post-operation ward and prosthetics lab began to occupy patients by teaching them to braid fabric as they awaited surgery. Knowing those women would need opportunities to grow and work, the idea behind Three Cords was formed to empower and employ those amputee victims. Three Cords quickly expanded to hire from the nearby deaf community. Today the vast majority of artisans on staff are women with a disability, and we continue to look for ways to provide employment opportunities for the disabled as we pursue our vision and mission.
THE MONEY
Our profits are reinvested back into Three Cords and into many programs and ministries under Mission of Hope that are otherwise not self-sustaining, such as a free prosthetics lab for amputee patients.
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Talem Ltd (Uganda)
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_blurb admin_label=”Blurb” title=”Accessories made by indigenous artisans around the world. Price range is $8-$30.” url=”http://www.talemltd.com/” url_new_window=”off” use_icon=”off” icon_color=”#d65d43″ use_circle=”off” circle_color=”#d65d43″ use_circle_border=”off” circle_border_color=”#d65d43″ image=”https://pulpitrock.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/talemltd_crop.jpg” icon_placement=”top” animation=”off” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_icon_font_size=”off” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]
THE VISION
To stand in the gap for the vulnerable around the world, to empower individuals to lift themselves out of poverty and transform their communities and nation.
THE STORY
In early 2016 after leading a conference, we were led to a remote village in the middle of the jungle in rural Uganda, Africa where one young man had decided to take a stand for a community of the extraordinarily vulnerable. He started an orphanage, school, and brought together sixty widows, single mothers and HIV+ women without the means to take care of themselves. He gave them hope by investing time into training them to make breathtakingly beautiful crafts of all kinds. However, being so removed from any local market posed a problem. We felt a tug on our hearts that could not be ignored.
That’s where Talem Ltd. was born.
THE MONEY
The money goes back directly to the women who made the items. This allows these widows, HIV+ women and single mothers to provide for themselves, their children, help provide for the orphanage/school and give back to the community in which they live.
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