>

 

                                 SUPERHEROES!  Not all superheroes wear capes.

Many heroes live everyday lives but do extraordinary things. We want to celebrate these superheroes and all other kinds of heroes at our event.  We will be showing a special video during our two services on Sunday, August 31^st, made by Carolyn Bried that feature superheroes that have been chosen to be recognized by our Outreach Ministry Partners for the special things they have done for the organizations. They sent stories and a picture of someone who is a superhero to them for going above and beyond the norm.  I can't wait to see it.

This is our theme this year for the 28^th Fruits of the Harvest, fundraiser for Outreach Ministries where the whole parish comes together in fun and fellowship to support the work these organizations do.  With some imagination, you’ll be mingling among all the superheroes in our parish hall during the night. Come with us as we gather to do what we do best...have fun while we do good work.

We even encourage you to come dressed as your favorite superhero or someone who did something meaningful for you or for the whole world.  Or you may come as your wonderful self. You may even come as a villain or a good guy.  There will be a prize for the best costume.

We’re raising funds for grants to support 15 Outreach ministries, events and projects.

We are striving to have a night that not only brings us together for a great party with a catered dinner, socializing, silent auction and raffles, Fund-A-Need, Superhero Bingo, but also to inform you about the incredible work that these groups are doing to help better people’s lives.

Our Special Speaker will be Tania Hansen De Young, President of Contra Costa Interfaith Housing, who will tell us the important work they do for people who are going into their first home after being homeless. 

All the net proceeds gathered at this event are put together and grants are sent to each of these ministries.  The best Outreach Committee meeting of the year is when we get to allocate all the grants to the fifteen ministries and many events that our Outreach Ministry partners do. Their work is amazing and they help those in need in so many ways.  All these worthwhile organizations are listed on the Beneficiaries page of this website and in our Outreach Ministry Partners flyer on our Saint Timothy’s church website under “Outreach.” There are live links to most of these organizations own websites if you wish to learn more about them.  

This is a parish-wide event. We need your help.  It's a great way for newcomers to become involved and meet people to become part of the family that is Saint Timothy’s.  We even have a SignUpGenius Helpers Sign Up page where you can volunteer and make donations. Also, check the weekly Thursday announcements and the monthly Tidings newsletter that are emailed to you if we have your email on file.  Call the office, 925.837.4993 x110, and let us add you to the emails. It's the only way for you to know what's happening here for all upcoming news and work parties.

    Singles are very welcome. Invite your friends. We have extra invitations at the bulletin board.  

 

                                                                                                                                  

                HISTORY, INTERESTING FACTS, & FOTH SURVEY REVIEW 

History - Our first event in 1997 was formed to help Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church in Grand Forks, North Dakota after a terrible flood. We thought we would raise about $2,000, but we ended up sending them $16,340.  Since then, the Fruits of the Harvest (FOTH) fundraiser has raised a net of over $890,335 and given away much more than a million dollars in grants with the addition of donations and the church budget allocation for Outreach of $15,000.  Over the past 27 years, we have given funds to over 23 beneficiaries on a local, national, and global level, and supported Outreach through our God’s Hands short term projects at St. Timothy’s.

 

   FOTH SURVEY REVIEW   

For the benefit of newcomers, we are including this information on a survey done in 2018 to give you some background on the event.

In early 2018, we asked for parish input with an FOTH survey and your responses gave us the chance to improve.  We listened and made many changes where we could.  Some of you are new and are not familiar with our fundraiser for Outreach.  Here is a review of the information which addresses some of the topics raised in the survey.                                                                                                              

“Concerned that the ticket price does not go to the beneficiaries.” Ticket Prices include much more than the price of your dinner. As you are aware, prices for everything have increased greatly.

Our costs include the invitation paper, printing, and stamps, the software to help with registrations, banking, and website, decorations, rentals, catered food, bar, and publicity for the event.  We hire servers who are in need a work, so we are serving out our mission to help people in need and they are helping us to do the hard work of serving and cleaning at our function.

Our caterers make the main dishes, but we make the salad, appetizers, and dessert to keep costs as low as we can while still giving you a nice dinner and a fun ambiance to provide an enjoyable experience so you’ll come back again next year. This event raises way more than what it costs.

“Younger people don’t come because it’s too expensive to hire a sitter.”  By lowering the ticket prices and by offering free childcare, we hope to attract younger families to come and take part in this event. In 2018, only two children came to our childcare. In 2019 we had 11 children attend, so we will continue doing the free childcare so families can enjoy the event.  We also are offering dinner tickets for youth for $18.  Note:  Since 2018, costs of everything have gone way up, as you are all well aware.

“Don’t like the asking for money at the Fund-A-Need.” The Fund-A-Need (F-A-N) is an event where people donate money without purchasing an item. We hold up our bid numbers on the backs of our catalogs to register a bid that the speaker calls out loud. This practice of donating funds is used in 85% of non-profit and school fundraisers. 

It is now a major source of our donations which in 2017, brought in $16,000. In 2018, F-A-N made $17,930, and in 2019 it made an amazing amount, $23,960.  During Covid, we only had virtual and low-key fundraising with no F-A-N.  In 2023, we raised $17,000 at the      F-A-N.  This is totally tax deductible, while bidding in the Silent Auction is only tax deductible on what you bid above the value of the item. The F-A-N auction also allows people who did not win in the Silent Auction to still donate to the event that night. If all this still makes you feel uncomfortable, we do hope that you will still continue supporting Outreach with a mailed in donation. Helping make lives better is what we’re all trying to do here.

“How can I just give money to Outreach?”  Monetary Donations are also given by very generous people who choose not to attend, don’t like big parties, or have conflicts but still want to support all the Outreach Ministries. Just fill out the RSVP card that comes with your invitation, and specify “Donation.”  In 2017, a record $9,546 was donated in this manner. In 2018, you all blew us out of the water by sending in a new record in donations of $13,090, however, in 2019, donations sent in went down to $9,475 while the F-A-N went up by $6,030, which could be a reflection of our higher attendance.

"It all costs so much.” In order to raise money, we must spend money. Most of our costs are fixed and in 2017 we spent 17% of our gross to put on the event which netted $37,737.34.  In 2018, with an increase in your donations, and with the higher results of the Fund-A-Need, we netted $45,962.51.  The yearly church budget allotment to Outreach was raised to $15,000 (thank you to the Vestry) and with other donations and rollover funds to add to our net amount.

We do not have sponsors that will underwrite our costs like big organization fundraisers do.  We have not been able to come up with a better way to raise this much money to help so many people who need our support and to do the work that we are called to do. 

“The donations are the same every year.”  Since we are getting the majority of our donations from our parishioners, you will probably see repeats of their wonderful donations. We made an effort to get more diversity, and there was quite a variety of new items. We no longer seem to get the favorites such as a large number of dinner parties given by parishioners, or as many offers for vacation homes for a variety of good reasons.  We surely would love to have those.

Kimberly Bryant introduced the Mystery Boxes in 2019, and they were a resounding success.  Donors were asked to provide contents of a box that would be valued at $150 or more.  The boxes were anonymous and wrapped and were sold for a fixed price of $150 at the silent auction.  It was fun and we had Mystery Boxes again in 2023.  It raised $1,200. The Mystery Boxes were on hiatus for 2024, but they are BACK THIS YEAR for $100!  This year we are returning to a bigger silent auction and raffles, but we really need more helpers and donations to make it a success.

 

* “The price of auction items is out of my reach.”  Auction Items will be offered in many price ranges. There are also raffle items where anyone can participate by putting in a dollar raffle ticket for an item. Of course, this is a fundraiser, so there will be people bidding big to support Outreach Ministries, but we appreciate and value every single donation, no matter what the size, whether it be monetary, time or talent, and no one needs to feel uncomfortable. 

IMPACT OF COVID YEARS:  During these years, all of you opened your hearts and pocket books to help those who were suffering and in dire need.  We had to revert to 3 years of virtual FOTH.  We netted $68,905 in 2020.  We had two anonymous donations of $15,000 and we used emergency reserves of $10,000 given for this purpose.  We gave record grants of $93,550 to all our organizations in 2020 throughout the year. I don't know if that will ever happen again.

In 2022, we gave away grants of $54,200. In 2023, we had cost increases across the board for everything as was indicative of what was happening around the country. The event netted $52,000 and with the annual addition of the church budget allotted amount of $15,000, plus other donations, we ended up giving grants of $71,300 to 15 organizations.

GRANTS GIVEN IN 2024:  We netted $57,318.29, and with the added funds, we gave away grants of $ $75,990 to15 organizations, events and programs that our church supports.  What a great feeling to be able to send a grant for $10,000 to Trinity Center, a day shelter with many services for homeless men and women in Walnut Creek; or $9,500 to Loaves & Fishes, who are serving almost 4,000 nourishing hot lunches out of 5 dining rooms and a mobile van; or to send $5,500 to GAIA Global Health in Malawi whose programs impact AIDS with many services; or to give a grant of $7,500 to Monument Crisis Center, a food pantry in Concord that offers many services for families, children and seniors; or to send a $5,500 grant to provide addiction recovery services for clients at Options Recovery Services in  Berkeley.

 

*Paraphrasing what Brene’ Brown said about her fundraiser, “Those who donated large amounts was breathtaking.  One big donation means more money goes to folks in need.  Multiple people making smaller donations means more eyes and hearts on the problem.  We need both. And you delivered.”

 

 

History - Our first event in 1997 was formed to help Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church in Grand Forks, North Dakota after a terrible flood. We thought we would raise about $2,000, but we ended up sending them $16,340.  Since then, the Fruits of the Harvest (FOTH) fundraiser has raised a net of over $890,335 and given away much more than a million dollars in grants with the addition of donations and the church budget allocation for Outreach of $15,000.  Over the past 27 years, we have given funds to over 23 beneficiaries on a local, national, and global level, and supported Outreach through our God’s Hands short term projects at St. Timothy’s.

 

   FOTH SURVEY REVIEW   

For the benefit of newcomers, we are including this information on a survey done in 2018 to give you some background on the event.

In early 2018, we asked for parish input with an FOTH survey and your responses gave us the chance to improve.  We listened and made many changes where we could.  Some of you are new and are not familiar with our fundraiser for Outreach.  Here is a review of the information which addresses some of the topics raised in the survey.                                                                                                              

“Concerned that the ticket price does not go to the beneficiaries.” Ticket Prices include much more than the price of your dinner. As you are aware, prices for everything have increased greatly.

Our costs include the invitation paper, printing, and stamps, the software to help with registrations, banking, and website, decorations, rentals, catered food, bar, and publicity for the event.  We hire servers who are in need a work, so we are serving out our mission to help people in need and they are helping us to do the hard work of serving and cleaning at our function.

Our caterers make the main dishes, but we make the salad, appetizers, and dessert to keep costs as low as we can while still giving you a nice dinner and a fun ambiance to provide an enjoyable experience so you’ll come back again next year. This event raises way more than what it costs.

“Younger people don’t come because it’s too expensive to hire a sitter.”  By lowering the ticket prices and by offering free childcare, we hope to attract younger families to come and take part in this event. In 2018, only two children came to our childcare. In 2019 we had 11 children attend, so we will continue doing the free childcare so families can enjoy the event.  We also are offering dinner tickets for youth for $18.  Note:  Since 2018, costs of everything have gone way up, as you are all well aware.

“Don’t like the asking for money at the Fund-A-Need.” The Fund-A-Need (F-A-N) is an event where people donate money without purchasing an item. We hold up our bid numbers on the backs of our catalogs to register a bid that the speaker calls out loud. This practice of donating funds is used in 85% of non-profit and school fundraisers. 

It is now a major source of our donations which in 2017, brought in $16,000. In 2018, F-A-N made $17,930, and in 2019 it made an amazing amount, $23,960.  During Covid, we only had virtual and low-key fundraising with no F-A-N.  In 2023, we raised $17,000 at the      F-A-N.  This is totally tax deductible, while bidding in the Silent Auction is only tax deductible on what you bid above the value of the item. The F-A-N auction also allows people who did not win in the Silent Auction to still donate to the event that night. If all this still makes you feel uncomfortable, we do hope that you will still continue supporting Outreach with a mailed in donation. Helping make lives better is what we’re all trying to do here.

“How can I just give money to Outreach?”  Monetary Donations are also given by very generous people who choose not to attend, don’t like big parties, or have conflicts but still want to support all the Outreach Ministries. Just fill out the RSVP card that comes with your invitation, and specify “Donation.”  In 2017, a record $9,546 was donated in this manner. In 2018, you all blew us out of the water by sending in a new record in donations of $13,090, however, in 2019, donations sent in went down to $9,475 while the F-A-N went up by $6,030, which could be a reflection of our higher attendance.

"It all costs so much.” In order to raise money, we must spend money. Most of our costs are fixed and in 2017 we spent 17% of our gross to put on the event which netted $37,737.34.  In 2018, with an increase in your donations, and with the higher results of the Fund-A-Need, we netted $45,962.51.  The yearly church budget allotment to Outreach was raised to $15,000 (thank you to the Vestry) and with other donations and rollover funds to add to our net amount.

We do not have sponsors that will underwrite our costs like big organization fundraisers do.  We have not been able to come up with a better way to raise this much money to help so many people who need our support and to do the work that we are called to do. 

“The donations are the same every year.”  Since we are getting the majority of our donations from our parishioners, you will probably see repeats of their wonderful donations. We made an effort to get more diversity, and there was quite a variety of new items. We no longer seem to get the favorites such as a large number of dinner parties given by parishioners, or as many offers for vacation homes for a variety of good reasons.  We surely would love to have those.

Kimberly Bryant introduced the Mystery Boxes in 2019, and they were a resounding success.  Donors were asked to provide contents of a box that would be valued at $150 or more.  The boxes were anonymous and wrapped and were sold for a fixed price of $150 at the silent auction.  It was fun and we had Mystery Boxes again in 2023.  It raised $1,200. The Mystery Boxes were on hiatus for 2024, but they are BACK THIS YEAR for $100!  This year we are returning to a bigger silent auction and raffles, but we really need more helpers and donations to make it a success.

 

* “The price of auction items is out of my reach.”  Auction Items will be offered in many price ranges. There are also raffle items where anyone can participate by putting in a dollar raffle ticket for an item. Of course, this is a fundraiser, so there will be people bidding big to support Outreach Ministries, but we appreciate and value every single donation, no matter what the size, whether it be monetary, time or talent, and no one needs to feel uncomfortable. 

IMPACT OF COVID YEARS:  During these years, all of you opened your hearts and pocket books to help those who were suffering and in dire need.  We had to revert to 3 years of virtual FOTH.  We netted $68,905 in 2020.  We had two anonymous donations of $15,000 and we used emergency reserves of $10,000 given for this purpose.  We gave record grants of $93,550 to all our organizations in 2020 throughout the year. I don't know if that will ever happen again.

In 2022, we gave away grants of $54,200. In 2023, we had cost increases across the board for everything as was indicative of what was happening around the country. The event netted $52,000 and with the annual addition of the church budget allotted amount of $15,000, plus other donations, we ended up giving grants of $71,300 to 15 organizations.

GRANTS GIVEN IN 2024:  We netted $57,318.29, and with the added funds, we gave away grants of $ $75,990 to15 organizations, events and programs that our church supports.  What a great feeling to be able to send a grant for $10,000 to Trinity Center, a day shelter with many services for homeless men and women in Walnut Creek; or $9,500 to Loaves & Fishes, who are serving almost 4,000 nourishing hot lunches out of 5 dining rooms and a mobile van; or to send $5,500 to GAIA Global Health in Malawi whose programs impact AIDS with many services; or to give a grant of $7,500 to Monument Crisis Center, a food pantry in Concord that offers many services for families, children and seniors; or to send a $5,500 grant to provide addiction recovery services for clients at Options Recovery Services in  Berkeley.

 

*Paraphrasing what Brene’ Brown said about her fundraiser, “Those who donated large amounts was breathtaking.  One big donation means more money goes to folks in need.  Multiple people making smaller donations means more eyes and hearts on the problem.  We need both. And you delivered.”

 

 

Join us to raise funds for all
  our Outreach Ministries!

 

,  SAINT TIMOTHY’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH