When money gets tight or harder to find, it becomes much
more important to plan how to continue to accomplish our mission. And that is
exactly what the staff and board at InterServ have been discussing, in much
more specific terms than we have in the past—“How will we continue to serve
people in need in our community if available funds continue to decrease?”
As a nonprofit that has been particularly responsive to the
needs of people as well as receptive to requests from other nonprofits,
churches, government, etc., to “do something” about whatever problem has arisen
at any given time, InterServ has made itself vulnerable to the “mood swings” of
the economy. Fortunately, you and donors like you have made us strong enough to
provide resources needed to address almost any emergency situation in the
community. One way in which you have done that is to rise to the occasion—when
InterServ puts out a call for volunteers, you come, in droves; when we need
funding to help people displaced by flooding, you provide it; and when we ask
for prayers to keep our staff and volunteers strong, you pray. But one way in
which our donors and volunteers have kept us strong is something that we
haven’t talked much about up to now.
Over the last year or so, a number of our very devoted
donors and volunteers have passed away. In several instances, just as we became
accustomed to not seeing or hearing from one of them, we received a letter,
letting us know that this loyal servant had included us in his or her estate
plan. It is an awe-inspiring and emotional occurrence, receiving that letter.
It reminds us, every time, that we are here on earth for such a short while.
When we are gone, the things about which we cared, so dearly, may still exist,
but will be less without our support.
And so it goes with InterServ. We will continue to feed
people. To care for children. To make sure that the youth of our community stay
on the right path. To help families to help themselves. To assist the elderly
and the infirmed in living where they want to live. And, thanks to the
thoughtfulness and planning of the many people who remembered to name InterServ
as beneficiaries in their wills, InterServ is stronger and more resilient to
the financial highs and lows that so often damage nonprofits. The mission lives
on.
Simply naming InterServ in your estate plan leaves behind
not only a legacy of love and caring, but an answer to the question, “How will
we continue to serve people in need?” Your legacy of love and caring for your
neighbors is one of the most important gifts that you will ever give. InterServ
promises, in return, to use your gift wisely, to help those most vulnerable
among us to live their lives more fully and more capably.
We thank you for your partnership and support, but mostly we
thank you for making life better for others.
