It’s difficult to plan for the future when you aren’t sure how much money to expect in your bank account from one month to the other.
That’s why monthly donors are a crucial part of the CRP community, according to Asha, the community center programs manager.
“We’ve been losing monthly donors and that’s incredibly dire,” she said. “It takes a lot to make CRP work. We’re operating on four apartments that we’ve renovated to be a center and now we’ve opened a new center downtown. In order to make these spaces work and make them available for us to do programs, we have to have reliable funding and it’s our monthly donors who make that happen.”
In addition to helping with operational costs, Asha said monthly donations keep a variety of programs afloat. Art classes, which give beneficiaries a creative outlet, are largely supported by monthly donors. The emergency assistance program also relies heavily on this funding.
“Emergency assistance is one of the core things we do at CRP,” said Asha, explaining that the program helps those who are struggling to afford food, shelter or medical care. “The other community center things that we do are only valid and important if we are able to provide people with their basic needs.”
Although monthly donors are sorely needed, Asha said CRP recognizes that it may be challenging for some supporters to make a long-term commitment. But she pointed out that even a monthly donation of five dollars can make a big difference.
“Even if the donation amount that they make is small, that consistent money makes our programs happen,” she said. “It’s incredibly important.”
A big thank you to all of those who support us. And if you don’t already please consider donating, even $5 a month which feeds a child for a week.