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TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
As many of us were throwing away our calendars several weeks ago, I am guessing there were many sighs of relief; 2009 was not a good year as many measure it. High unemployment, lower visitor counts, H1N1 flu, political dysfunction, and bailouts gave us plenty of reason to cheer the year’s end. Yet as is often the case, misery was not equally distributed.
For those who lost their insurance or their jobs or their homes, life was especially tough and we count some of those in our school family. But in the midst of troubling times like few us have witnessed, many parents sacrificed nearly everything to keep their kids at Faith. Watching those struggles was both heart wrenching, but it was also motivating.
The Faith Lutheran community is pretty good in a crisis. It stepped up when there was a tsunami in Asia, a hurricane in New Orleans and an earthquake in Haiti. Tonight offers the opportunity to step up for those in need a lot closer to home.
There is the temptation to overdo the survivor theme of tonight’s event. After all, no one’s life is at stake. Adults can look at transferring schools as one of life's inconveniences. For a 13 year-old, it’s devastation. Adults know that kids will overcome. For an athlete to be separated from his or her team, the hurt lasts. Adults can see opportunity in change. Kids just feel the loss.
Our mission tonight is simple: gather the resources necessary to throw a lifeline to families who need one. The truth is that for many students, Faith is the only place where they encounter the love of God and the message of the Gospel. That “Good News” provides the hope that we can survive the tough times in this life, but it also holds the promise of an eternity of great things to come.
So thanks for coming. Thanks to our gracious hosts, Jim and Joan Hammer. May God bless this event and multiply the impact of the dollars raised for our students now, and for those yet to come.
In His Service,
Kevin M. Dunning
Executive Director |
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