November 1, 2010
Dear Supporter of Welcome and Inclusion:
We would like to thank you for your support over the past year and a half! The ripples from what we were able to accomplish in Columbus are still reverberating throughout Mennonite Church USA. What a powerful statement it was to be present and visible, to be loving and courageous, and to be compassionate in the midst of confrontation and oppression. What a privilege to have your support!
The efforts leading up to Columbus were not without cost, however. Many hours went into organizing, planning, coordinating and collaborating. Without the immeasurable donation of time by numerous committed individuals, we would not have been able to have the incredible presence and impact we had in Columbus. The same is true for the generous donations that allowed us to print materials, fund travel to key meetings and organizing sessions, and provide scholarships to Pink Mennos to attend convention.
Our success in Columbus was also largely due to having a small coordinating committee that worked out many of the details necessary to have an effective presence. We anticipate using a similar approach for our planning for Pittsburgh 2011. However, we have learned how critical it is to have an individual who is able to coordinate and oversee the organizing, planning and collaborating that will be necessary to build on the momentum created in Columbus. To that end, we are hoping to generate the funds to provide some basic financial support to this point person.
This is where we need your help. Your donation of $50, $100, $1000 or even $10,000 would go a long way toward ensuring a strong, vibrant, peaceful, fun-loving and persistent presence in Pittsburgh next summer. We are partnering with Brethren Mennonite Council for LGBT Interests to ensure your donations are tax-deductible. Please make your tax-deductible donation online at www.pinkmenno.org or make out a check to BMC – Pink Menno and mail it to: P.O Box 6300, Minneapolis, MN 55406.
We have a goal of raising $16,000 by Dec. 1 so that we can begin to build the Pink Menno Pittsburgh campaign. Your donation will help support:
- $10,000 – A part-time Pink Menno point person to coordinate the Pittsburgh campaign.
- $3,000 – Travel to 5 or 6 key regions of MC USA to recruit and train local Pink Menno leadership groups to build a strong network of diverse support leading up to Pittsburgh 2011.
- $2,000 – Printing of resource materials for regional Pink Menno leadership groups, printing of informational materials to distribute in Pittsburgh, and, of course, printing of amazing Pink gear.
- $1,000 – Formation of a Pink Menno Nonviolent Communication (PMNC) group to ensure all Pink Mennos are safe from harassment and negative attacks at Pittsburgh. This would include purchasing some basic communication equipment, developing a manual for PMNC volunteers, providing training to volunteers and setting up an infrastructure to support this effort.
Thank you for considering how you can help these efforts. As always, we will continue to primarily rely on volunteers, and we will work diligently to keep our costs down. But your financial support will make our efforts even more impactful and effective as we continue to strive to help Mennonite Church USA become a more welcoming and inclusive place for all!
Sincerely,
Pink Menno Steering Committee – Katie Hochstedler, Philip Kendall, Luke Miller, Jen Yoder, Luke Yoder, Sarah Conrad Yoder, Jordan Zickafoose
