December
27, 2013
Dear
friend of Peaceworks,
In
these waning days of 2013 I’m writing to personally extend both thanks to those
of you actively supporting our work and an urgent call to others to join in and
give us the wherewithal to continue moving forward in the New Year. Please
consider the times we find ourselves in and the need to come together, thinking
globally and acting locally to address these challenges and co-create a
workable future.
PRESENT REALITY: We live in perilous times. Beyond the direct
impact of war on
We’re
seeing an unprecedented skewing of wealth and income and, along with it, the
hollowing out of the middle class. Our privacy is being eroded on a wholesale
basis, all in the name of “national security.” And direct and indirect military
spending is in the neighborhood of a trillion dollars a year, with
politicians—many supposedly concerned about deficits—clamoring to feed more tax
dollars to the hungry military beast.
Meanwhile,
the greatest threats to our security, including Climate Change, are going
unaddressed. Real Security concerns and sustainability are largely ignored, or
addressed with platitudes, rather than effective policies. And power continues
to accrue in the hands of a tiny elite who not only control the major
corporations and the bulk of our nation’s wealth, but also are exercising ever
greater political influence.
PEACEWORKS’
UNIQUE PERSEPCTIVE: Unfortunately,
this constellation of interconnected issues is seldom addressed by most liberal,
environmental, peace or other single-issue groups. Peaceworks, on the other
hand, gets to the roots and connects the dots. Sustainability, peace economy,
climate action, economic and social justice all are pieces of the same puzzle.
That’s
why you’ll consistently find us in the forefront of opposition to wars and
militarism and simultaneously organizing Earth Day, and educational events like
the Edible Columbia Garden Tour and the Sustainable Living Fair. That’s why
we’re the folks who offer classes on climate change and sustainable living
while we continue to work for an end to the threat of nuclear annihilation and
educate the community on the flaws in the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Peaceworks
is grassroots. We’ve been around for nearly 32 years and we’ve always been
volunteer driven, local, rooted here in mid-Missouri. Peaceworks is made up of
more than 400 member households and dozens of volunteers who devote their time
and talents to our mission to create a brighter, more just, peaceful and
sustainable future for all.
KEEP IT
LOCAL—LEND YOUR SUPPORT: As
you may know, this November we embarked on an ambitious campaign to raise
needed revenue to fund our ongoing work. While very frugal, it takes some money
to keep the doors open, the lights on, the educational materials produced, the
supplies procured and the small staff paid their modest wages. Given that so
much is done by volunteers, your donated dollars go much further in this
grassroots operation than they do when contributed to national groups.
While
we have been aiming to raise $30,000 in this, the fourth quarter of 2013, to
date we have only raised 60 percent of our goal, and there are only a few days
left to the year. We are most appreciative of the 187 of you who’ve donated
already during this “Keep it Local” drive. Today, there is an urgent need to
hear from more of you.
I’d
like to ask each of you who hasn’t given, or hasn’t given lately, to please
consider how important it is for the mid-Missouri area to have an organization
like Peaceworks. And I’d like for you to understand that we can’t do this
without more support. It takes a village, as they say, and if you are a
villager, please consider kicking in to the village fund.
NUTS & BOLTS
OF GIVING:
I’d like to suggest that you consider
becoming a member of Peaceworks’ Peace Core. These are our core supporters who
donate at the $100 and above level. This could be by making a one-time
contribution. Or you can become a sustainer, making a monthly donation of at
least $10. It’s really easy to do this using your credit or debit card or via
PayPal so you don’t have to write a check monthly or mail it in.
Our
basic household membership is just $60 per year, which is only $5 per month, if
done as a monthly sustainer. Perhaps you can give much more than this. Our
largest contribution so far in this drive has been $1,200. And others have only
been able to afford $5 or $10 in total. Support at any level, generously given,
is gratefully received.
MY PERSONAL
APPEAL: I’ve had the privilege of working full-time
for Peaceworks since 1985. I’ve seen what we can do, as a community, when we
come together with a sense of hope and common purpose. I recognize just how
sorely we need such a sense of direction at this time.
I
believe that Peaceworks and our allies in the struggle for a livable, shared
future have a crucial role to play in educating our community. Likewise, an
essential part of our mission is recruiting and training activists who can
provide leadership and move us forward in the years to come.
If
you share my sense of the importance of this work, I really hope you’ll pitch
in and do what you can now, giving as generously as you can.
I
thank you in advance. Please see below for the ways in which you can make your
tax-deductible contribution.
My
best wishes to you and yours for a more peaceful, prosperous and sustainable
year in 2014.
All
the best,
Mark
Haim
Director,
Mid-Missouri Peaceworks
WAYS
TO GIVE: You can give securely on-line at http://blog.midmopeaceworks.org/p/donate-online.html.
You can mail your contributions to Peaceworks, 804-C E. Broadway, Columbia, MO
65201. You can just stop by the Peace Nook at any time we're open and give in
person. You can even phone in your contribution on your credit or debit card
(573-875-0539). However you do it, it's most appreciated.
