Fundraising in Portugal My name is Tanya Abadia and I work with the fundraising department of Associa��o Humanit�ria Habitat. All of us at Habitat have stressful, rewarding, joyful and complicated work to do. My job, though, is to make companies and individuals aware of Associa��o Humanit�ria Habitat�s need for funding, while trying to raise funds for Portugal Build 2000 (12 houses in Palmeira) and for the future work of the affiliate. This, my friends, is no easy task! Although it is not too difficult to find people who care for others, obtaining funds for an organization that builds houses for people in need is not something that happens quickly. There are hundreds of phone calls to make in order to set up appointments with companies, churches, civic groups, or individuals that might have an interest in helping their neighbor. Once a meeting is established and our work has been presented, there are thank you notes to send out and follow ups to do. Then, the time to sit and wait comes around. Wait to see if the board of a company decides that your project is worth supporting. Wait to see if the company has money allocated to help a humanitarian cause. Wait to see if the company remembers to call you back to tell you their decision. Wait. Wait. Don�t worry, though! We stay busy while we are waiting! Besides direct corporate requests, grants also play a big role in funding for a humanitarian organization such as ours. We research organizations that give money to people doing work similar to ours and apply for money from them. This is a slower way to proceed, but in many cases, it can be a rewarding endeavor. The Lions Club International is a wonderful example of an organization that is willing to help people in need and that has a history of working with Habitat. This all sounds boring to you the reader, I am sure. Let me assure you, though, that my job is anything but boring. Creativity, patience and determination need to unite in order to have a good fundraising plan and to make it work. I not only get to come up with the plan, but I also visit with many people, telling them about the families who need a decent home and how they can be a part of providing a solution to inadequate housing. I love the fact that my job allows me to give an opportunity to those who cannot work on site or who cannot be a part of the day to day work of our organization to be an essential part of the it anyway. They can still change the lives of others with their contributions. A few examples of kindness which we will never be able to repay: Doce Prado, a bakery in Prado, donated bread for all our volunteers (lunch and dinner) and enough pastries to feed an army for an entire week! The owner of this bakery could not come to work on site due to his commitments at his store, but he gave us what he could and it was a welcome gift. Another donation came through the mail. An anonymous donation of 10,000$00 arrived with a letter stating that the donor wanted to help people in need. Amisia, a shipping insurance company just made a donation of 390,000$00 to Habitat after hearing of our need for funding to finish our houses in Palmeira. A couple in Lisbon asked their friends to make a contribution to Associa��o Humanit�ria Habitat instead of giving them wedding gifts. Because of their generosity, we received donations in excess of 1,800,000$00! And the list goes on. These are people who care enough to give a little of what has been given to them. Whether it is a few escudos, a larger amount of money or gift of materials, all the gifts are essential to our work and we could not do what we do without them. Even though we have received these amazing gifts, we still need a lot of money and materials to eliminate poverty housing in Portugal. The bottom line is that we cannot do this alone. My challenge to you today is this: ask yourself, �What can I give right now? What can I give to help people who are about to face another cold winter in inadequate shelter?� When you arrive at the decision that you DO have something to give (each one of you out there has something to give!), make a donation. It could be a once in a year donation, once a month donation or a once in a lifetime donation. Each bit helps. You can send a wire to our account at NIB 003203120020201503553 or you could send a check or cash to: Associa��o Humanit�ria Habitat It is possible to eliminate poverty housing in Portugal, if people are truly committed to that. A gift in any amount is vital to reach this goal! For more information, please contact us at (+351) 253-204-280/3.
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