Why Do We Participate?

Welcome to The Extraordinary Give information center! Now through November 20^th, this blog will be your number one resource of information about The Extraordinary Give for Friendship Heart Gallery, an extension of Friendship Community, including personal stories from Individuals, prizes and match information, why give extra/what does it mean and fun photos! But don’t worry… After Extra Give is over, this blog will become a wealth of information for all things Friendship Heart Gallery – showing you the ins and outs of the Gallery & Studio, in addition to Friendship Community and shedding light on what it truly takes to Express Capabilities.

Friendship Heart Gallery is one of the day programs facilitated by Friendship Community. Friendship Community is participating in The Extraordinary Give this year for the 8^th year in a row! Now the question is… why do we participate? There is a short answer and a long answer to this question. The short answer is that we want to benefit the lives of the Individuals we support. The long answer is a bit more fun. This day brings awareness to many non-profit organizations throughout Lancaster County and offers a sense of pride for our community as well as financial gain for the Individuals to accomplish more throughout the year. This 24-hour period of giving helps to provide things like art supplies, a tank of gas and even a few Team Member certifications along the way. It helps to spread the word about our services, volunteer opportunities and other annual events that bring excitement and joy to the Individuals.

Notice how “Individuals” is in both the short and long answer? That’s who this day highlights – the Individuals. This day enriches their lives and enables them to achieve more, which is our number one goal as they are the heart of this Organization. We couldn’t do this without YOU though. YOU are the ones that tell the Individuals they are worth it. YOU show them that their art is of professional quality and standards and must be displayed in businesses and homes. YOU are the ones that encourage outside events and activities for them to happily and energetically attend. YOU volunteer your time to be with them and show them you want to help. YOU are the ones that recognize the needs for things like new furniture to allow for proper social distancing and safety, outdoor tools to keep paths and parking lots safe for transportation and personal supplies for everyday use.  But most importantly YOU and your actions tell them that they are heard, valued and respected as fellow human beings.

So thank YOU for truly Impacting their World.

The next blog post in our Extra Give Series will introduce you to a few Individuals and Team Members and will share their stories for how your generous support during the Extra Give can directly impact their everyday lives.

Stay warm out there everyone!

~Stephanie