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November 03, 2009

Dear Friends,

Doesn’t Christmas seem to come around more quickly each year? Time can seem to go by in a blink of an eye, but here’s what encourages me about that: so much good can happen in such a small amount of time. Struggling men and women who came to last year’s Christmas Dinner are living different lives today simply because they’ve taken remarkable steps to improve their lives through the programs at UGM.

Now imagine if for even one man who attends this year’s Christmas Dinner on December 12th, next year were completely different.

 This Christmas he may be homeless, estranged from family and friends, and suffering in the depths of addiction, but by this time next year he could be free from the hold of drugs and alcohol, living inside, and working hard to create a bright future for himself. It is possible.

At UGM we know it’s possible because we bear witness to such change every day. Lives are transformed. Faith is renewed. New directions are taken. 

Take Jemal for instance. Jemal once lived in war-torn Ethiopia, a young soldier in a bloody conflict. Though Jemal escaped to Canada, his problems only got worse when he started to use alcohol to dull the pain of violent memories. You can read Jemal’s remarkable story on here. He’s a different man today than he once was, and that’s entirely thanks to you. Your gifts make transformations like his possible. 

As you read Jemal’s story I encourage you to think about the power of the gift you can give this Christmas. For a man or woman in need, your donation towards the UGM Christmas Dinner could be the start of a new life for them. Imagine.

I wish you and your family a blessed holiday season and I thank you for making new beginnings possible this Christmas.

Gratefully,

William B. Mollard