A Fundraising Story: God is a Faithful God
Every year, as HYC participants apply to go on volunteer trips, they are faced with the daunting question: “How do I pay for this?” It is always so impressive the faith, planning, and creativity of our volunteers! Read about Carley Lloyd, a disciple in Los Angeles, how she raised money for HYC:
Fundraising for HOPE Youth Corps has not been easy for me in any way. Raising money has tested my faith tremendously. For all three Youth Corps, I have had to remember that all I can do is trust that God WILL provide. There were many situations where Satan tried to get a foothold, and discourage me from wanting to continue to raise and save money. I had to constantly remind myself that God is a faithful God, and I cannot lose heart, despite the challenges and lack of support I sometimes felt for wanting to go on Youth Corps. I learned that God was teaching me about my character in these times of trial. I needed to start working hard and making sacrifices, in order to pay for my trips.
For my first HYC in Philadelphia, I was still in high school with no job. I had to get creative. I raised the majority of my money by making edible fruit arrangements. I advertised at school, and made them more affordable than the actual company "Edible Arrangements". I made about $350 on Mother's Day that year. After that, people started to spread the word (at school/social media), and I began to make them for gifts and parties, earning around $20-$30 for each arrangement. I also wrote fundraising letters to disciples and family members, expressing how much I wanted to get out of my comfort zone, and go serve in a new place. Many people contacted me with jobs they had for me, which included house sitting, dog walking, yard work, house cleaning, and so much more. People will see your desire to volunteer and want to help in any way they can. For my recent trip to the Zagreb HYC, I had to make more sacrifices. It sounds a little silly, but I decided that I would cut out Starbucks. I absolutely love my coffee, but I knew that this is what I had to do. In the end, I saved around $300! I then started to sell my clothes on the app "Poshmark", which allows you to sell clothes for decent prices, which helped a lot.
The day after I arrived home from my HYC in Zagreb, I applied to go to Kathmandu this Christmas for another HYC. In my heart, I was afraid and doubtful that I would be able to pay for it in only 5 months. Two of my best friends are also going on a Youth Corps this Christmas, so we teamed up to have different babysitting night events. We reached out to the different disciples to drop off their children for a few hours, and give us any donation they would be willing to give. We ended up receiving over $500. The kids love it too because all of their friends are there. I also had a yard sale, where I asked disciples, family members, and neighbors for any items they are trying to get rid of. I continue to sell my clothes, and am sacrificing pretty much every Saturday night for babysitting.
If I had listened to Satan's lies, I would not be leaving to Nepal in a month. I learned that it is not always easy, and I cannot just rely on donations alone, but I really need to work hard for God, and trust him.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters" Colossians 3:23
