2018: Notable Accomplishments, Notable Needs

This year has been a season of transition for Abundant Life Ministries. During this spring I was hired as Executive Director, and we took further steps to clarify the direction of our ministry and invest more deeply in the lives of those in our neighborhood. Since the spring, we have developed a strategic plan that outlines our strategic goals for the next three years. These goals include deepening our relationships with Prospect Neighborhood families, and broadening our partnerships with churches and other community organizations. Through the generosity of anonymous donors, we were also able to purchase a house right beside our current property, increasing not only our program capacity and accessibility, but allowing us to move all of our staff offices into our neighborhood.

At Abundant Life one of our core values is to pursue tangible presence alongside our neighbors and this year we have been blown away by the (literal) doors God has opened for us to pursue this goal. Our organization is now better positioned to impact our neighborhood not simply with services and programs, but with the Gospel itself. One of the reasons I’m confident that Abundant Life can play a role in this work is because we continue to witness the support of people like you. When you partner with us through praying for us, serving through our programs, or giving financially, you help to bring our neighborhood and city one step closer to what I believe has always been God’s intention: an abundant life for all people.

Notable 2018 Accomplishments:

• We hired Nathan Walton as our new Executive Director
• We purchased a second house right beside our current house in Prospect, with the help of anonymous donors, increasing our program capacity and enabling our staff offices to move completely into the neighborhood
• We continue to serve over 100 program participants
• We hired a new Young Ladies Program Coordinator, Sonia Montalvo, to increase our support for middle and high school ladies
• We hired a new Volunteer Coordinator, Kelsey Veldhuizen, to coordinate over 150 volunteers
• We have improved our financial literacy program under the leadership of Symia Tabron, Dollars & $ense, to provide longer-term support for participants
• We welcomed three new board members: Toni Kim, Michael Guthrie, and Harrison Wallace
• We were awarded a $10,000 Cville Gives grant for matching funds towards a house down payment for eligible financial literacy program participants
• We held a successful fundraising banquet in June, which raised $64,147 in gifts and pledges towards our program expenses
• We approved a comprehensive organizational strategic plan for the next three years
• We launched a redesigned website, improving our branding and partner communication
• We purchased a second bus with the help of a Perry Foundation matching grant, addressing our transportation needs for the foreseeable future.

Notable 2018 Needs:

• After a year of transitions, we need $75,000 to meet our budget for 2018; please pray about how you can help us to reach this year-end goal. Tax-deductible donations can be made online at charlottesvilleabundantlife.org/give or mailed to P.O. Box 71, Charlottesville, VA 22902.
• To provide greater financial sustainability beyond this year, I am inviting 50 people to commit to at least $100/month to increase our monthly income by $5,000. A monthly gift of $150 is the cost to tutor one child for a year, and $200 per month enables us to provide mentorship and discipleship to one youth.  Would you prayerfully consider joining us?
• Would you commit to praying regularly for us? Prayer is what sustains all the staff and volunteers who work daily with youth and adults in our programs.