An End-of-Year Request from Sara
Merry Christmas everyone! I hope each of you had a wonderful celebration with those you love. I’m enjoying time with my family in North Carolina, grateful to have this week to just hang out and appreciate each others’ company.
For those of you who might not know this, In Spirit and Truth is a volunteer project I do in addition to my job as executive director of Awake Milwaukee. Awake is a growing grassroots Catholic nonprofit organization that transforms the words of this blog into concrete action in solidarity with abuse survivors. In fact, many of the victim-survivors you hear from in the Survivors’ Voices posts here are actively engaged with Awake as well.
As we move toward the end of the year, I wanted to take a pause from my usual posts to make a request for your support. If you believe in supporting survivors and working for transformation and healing in our Church, donating to Awake is a great way to help make that hope a reality.
(Even if you’re not able to make a financial gift, I hope you will read the letter below to learn more about what we do and consider subscribing here to stay in the loop with Awake’s work.)
One of the most rewarding parts of serving as Awake’s executive director is reading messages of gratitude from people who are personally impacted by our work. It is such a gift to hear firsthand the way that this compassionate, courageous community is making a real difference in the lives of so many, and I never get tired of sharing this good news with those who make this impact possible through their engagement, prayers, and financial support.
But I’m sure you would rather hear these words directly from members of the Awake community, so I have invited three of those folks to share their own stories of belonging.
(I also have an exciting announcement about a meaningful new Awake event taking place this summer - More on that news at the end of this letter!)
First, I would love for you to hear from my friend Michael Koplinka-Loehr. I met Mike on Zoom last winter, and he has quickly become a highly engaged and deeply valued member of the Awake community. Here’s what Mike had to say when asked about the impact of Awake:
I am so grateful that Mike has found ways to both give and receive in this community, as has Christine Ellerbrock, a dedicated volunteer with Awake’s Prayer Team. Christine has this to share:
Finally, I’m glad to introduce you to Father Matthew Duclos, who is newer to Awake but has already been deeply impacted by our work. Here are a few words from Fr. Matt:
When I read these reflections from Mike, Christine, and Fr. Matt, I am reminded of the gift and responsibility we all bear as part of this body, where “each member belongs to all the others.”
Today, I am asking for your financial support to build and sustain the Awake community in 2023.
Please consider making a year-end donation to help us continue this important mission!
With gratitude,
Sara Larson
Blogger, In Spirit and Truth
Executive Director, Awake Milwaukee
PS: Remember that exciting announcement I mentioned? In response to many requests, Awake will be hosting our first in-person gathering for abuse survivors from all over the country, a weekend retreat in the Milwaukee area this summer! We still have many details to work out, but I wanted you to hear the news right away, because it’s your financial support that will make this valuable opportunity possible. Thank you for considering a donation.