By Bobbi-Sue Menard

KELOWNA’S Gospel Mission (KGM) launched a new  fundraising drive January 24.  

The 30k Club program is both a celebration of KGM’s 30th birthday, and a new approach to fundraising for capital initiatives.

Its purpose is to support the goals of programs and services designed to meet the needs of Kelowna’s Gospel Mission’s clients.  

The 30k Club is an appeal for $30-per-month donations on an ongoing basis.  The $30  amount was chosen for several reasons.

“In part it was to tie things around the 30th birthday,” explains Eric Frans, resources development director for the Gospel Mission.  

“The thought was that if everyone pitches in a little, then the problems become completely manageable.

“With $30 a month and thousands of people taking part, we hoped to create something that is simple and easy to do.”

The problems which the $30 per month are designed to address can seem insurmountable.  

There is constant media attention on the blight of homelessness; the sad results of drug addiction are visible on downtown Kelowna streets; and there is growing awareness of domestic abuse, and the hidden hurt of many families.  

The mandate of KGM meets those problems straight on. Grappling with housing, homelessness and poverty are key components of the Gospel Mission’s mandate.  

Helping to kick-start the campaign and draw attention are 12 high-profile community members.

They include RCMP Superintendent Bill McKinnon, Kelowna Mayor Sharon Sheppard, Lake Country MP Ron Cannan and various media personalities.  

“Every person we asked to participate said, ‘yes.’ Some of the requests had to go to Ottawa for approval,” says Frans.  

The mission also approached local businesses and media companies for the donation of skills and time, to help get the media campaign off the ground.

“They could all immediately see the vision; large portions of the campaign were donated,” says Frans.  

Those donations are helping Kelowna’s Gospel Mission keep its fiduciary duty to its current and ongoing donors, and keeping longstanding programs running.  

The 30k Club, on the other hand, is designed to bring new financial resources through the door.  

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Current programs for KGM include their thrift store, an emergency dental program for the uninsured, a barbershop, the hostel and Shiloh House.

 The latter is a home for women and children on their way to wholeness; it opened last fall.

“There are 10 beds in Shiloh House,” says Frans. “It was full the first week, and would have been full three times over at the end of two weeks.  The need is there.”

The need for the services of KGM is starkly illustrated by some everyday realities.

Frans knows the stats: “We serve 350 meals a day; some people eat with us more than once.  There are 77 beds in the men’s hostel – and it is pretty close to full.”

Kelowna’s Gospel Mission has a long history of adapting to meet community needs; many of its current programs have been developed in response to needs.  

The Mission is also part of the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions; each year the various organizations gather in conference to exchange ideas and best practices. “We are all independent, and based on Christian principles,” explains Frans.

As a multi-site campus spread throughout the city of Kelowna, the Gospel Mission’s most visible services are the soup kitchen and the emergency shelter.  

The funds raised by the 30k Club will go to facilities, most often for housing. As each  facility is purchased and paid off, organizers will then focus on acquiring further facilities.

The 30k Club is designed to bring in new donors and create a sustained response to ongoing issues.

 “Our current donors are great,” says Frans. “Currently, our donors dollars go to operations.  This is about reaching a broader demographic, who were not giving before. This is an opportunity for everyone in Kelowna to get involved – and at the end of the day, every dollar matters.”

The reach of the 30k Club is purposeful, and Frans doesn’t mince words about the clear choices it offers the community.

“We all know it is an issue; we are all waiting for someone to come and fix the problem. Who we are waiting for is us. We need to deal with this community issue on a community scale.”

The 30k Club holds out a clear hope, in addition to its fiscal goals and programs. Frans wants the whole community to share the benefits of a successful 30k Club.

“Let’s be strategic and make a difference, see some tangible results. We want to start telling success stories, to hear good stories in the media. Membership in the 30k Club has its privileges: the privilege of giving people a home.”

Contact: www.kelownagospelmission.ca.

March 2008