Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Dear Friend of the Mission,

“There’s no place like home for the holidays!” That is so true, but for many of our men, they will not be home for the holidays – instead they will be at the Whosoever Gospel Mission – not a bad place, but not their true home. However, we work extra hard to make the Mission a warm and happy home for the holidays. If you would stop by at the Mission during the month of December, you would see festive Christmas decorations, you would enjoy delicious food, you would munch on homemade Christmas cookies, you would see our men select Christmas toys and gifts for their children and grandchildren, you would hear glorious Christmas carols joyfully sung in our chapel, you would see our men smile on Christmas Eve at our Christmas party as they receive gifts donated by Mission friends, and you would experience firsthand the wonder and joy of the season. We go all out at Christmas to bless our men, and we also go all out to remind them of the true meaning of Christmas – “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). As the angel of the Lord said to the shepherds that first Christmas, “I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people” (Luke 2:10). We want our men to capture and experience for themselves the wonder and joy of that first Christmas. This is the best present of all!

As we quickly move toward the end of 2016, please consider making a special gift to the Mission so that we can keep the joy and hope of Christmas before our men each and every day throughout 2017. Here are several great ways you can help:

1. A generous year-end gift of cash. God will use your gift to impact and change lives.
2. Some families bless our men by pooling their resources and giving a special Christmas gift to the Mission from their family (individual receipts for each donor can still be given).
3. If God has especially blessed you this past year, please consider sending a larger than usual gift to the Mission. Large gifts take big bites out of our budgeted expenses. They also strengthen and expand our direct services to our men. Your gift would be a major investment in the lives of our men.
4. Give a gift of appreciated stock. A gift of appreciated stock is always a great help and can also provide you with some excellent tax benefits, especially if you transfer the stock directly to the Mission rather than first selling it. Please consult with your financial advisor to confirm these tax benefits. We can easily arrange for an electronic transfer of your stock. If you would like to do this, please call me at 215 438 3094 (ext 102).
5. If you have set up a donor-advised fund, you can recommend that a grant be made to the Whosoever Gospel Mission. Your grant will make a difference in the lives of our men.
6. Make a Charitable IRA Distribution. This provision has now been made permanent by the IRS, and it allows you to make up to a $100,000 qualified charitable distribution. The effect in most situations is both a tax savings and an increased gift. Please consult with your financial advisor to confirm these tax benefits.
7. Save postage and time, you can go to our Whosoever Gospel Mission website to make an on-line donation. You can also set up a monthly recurring donation for 2017.

Christmas will be here and gone before we know it. But through your kind and generous support, the hope and joy of Christmas will continue throughout the year in the lives of our men. Jesus is the reason for the season, but He is also our hope and joy for the rest of the year. Our men truly do thank you for your support.

As we finish out 2016 and begin 2017, my prayer for you is that the Lord will abundantly bless you and your loved ones with good health, much happiness and great success in all of your endeavors. Thank you for standing with us in 2016. The Lord wonderfully used your gifts to make life-giving, life-changing and life-saving differences in the lives of our men. Your generous support impacted over 175 homeless men in 2016. Their families and friends and society as a whole also benefited from your support as our men became responsible, contributing members of society. Pray with us for even greater reasons to celebrate with our men in 2017.

Wishing you the joy and peace of Christmas,

Robert A. Emberger, D.Min.
Executive Director