Jan. 4, 2010 issue
MMA grant meets needs during recession
By Mennonite Mutual Aid staffPage:
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GOSHEN, Ind. — As the recession of 2009 deepened, Mennonite Mutual Aid realized its regularly budgeted Sharing Fund money wasn’t going to meet the needs of financially struggling people last year.
“For the first time ever, our Sharing Fund ran out of money in June,” said Phyllis Mishler, Sharing Fund manager at MMA. “We’ve used our entire budget before, many times, but never as early as June.”
Knowing the intensity of the needs families would continue to face during the recession, MMA provided an additional $50,000 in June through a specially created, one-time Faith in the Future Grant.
This money was used only for people who had lost their jobs or who were underemployed because of the economy. Through this grant, until all its funds were disbursed in November, more than 300 additional families received assistance.
The total grant amount was increased by an additional $10,000 made available when MMA decided to scale down the size of its booth at the Mennonite Church USA conference in Columbus, Ohio, this past summer. In addition, the conference moderator announced the opportunity to delegates to give to this fund.
“It truly was a great moment of mutual aid,” Mishler said. “For the rest of the summer, I continued to receive contributions from individuals and churches that helped boost the Faith in the Future fund by another $6,500.”
Through this united mutual aid effort, families who received assistance included:
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An Oregon father of six (three with special needs) whose hours were cut back and needed help with medical bills and the mortgage.
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A Pennsylvania father of two who lost his job and needed help with rent.
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A Pennsylvania couple with three children who both lost jobs and needed help with their mortgage.
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