2019: Notable Accomplishments, Notable Needs

“I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly.” – John 10:10

Dear Abundant Life Family,

In 2019 year we have witnessed our ministry and families in our community take amazing steps forward. The year began with us fully transitioning our offices into the Prospect Neighborhood, enabling us to be more fully present in our community. We then launched our Abundant Life Fellows Program, welcoming an inaugural class of five new Fellows. This program has played a crucial role in helping us support our eight programs for over 100 children and adult participants.

Yet this year has also involved milestones for some of our partner families. Two of our Dollars and $ense program participants are now in Habitat for Humanity’s homeownership program, and two of our past STRIVE program participants are graduating from college this December. It has been a privilege to walk alongside these individuals as they achieve such important accomplishments, and to engage in mutually transformative and long-term relationships with them.

At Abundant Life one of our core values is to empower others as they pursue their goals for themselves and their families. Our organization is now better positioned to impact our neighborhood in these ways, not simply with services and programs, but with the Gospel and the vision it provides for an Abundant Life with God and God’s people. 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.

Please consider joining us in this work by:

• Praying for us: Prayer is what sustains all the staff and volunteers who work daily with the students in the schools and adults in our personal finance program.
• Volunteering with us: The contributions of volunteers are essential for broadening our program capacity and supporting the needs of participants.
• Donating to us: We need $75,000 to meet our budget for 2019; please pray about how you can help us to reach this year-end goal and consider monthly giving in 2020 to sustain our work. Tax-deductible donations can be made online at charlottesvilleabundantlife.org/give or mailed to P.O. Box 71, Charlottesville, VA 22902

We continue to be encouraged by the positive changes we see in people’s lives. From the growing confidence of a student who improves academically, to the renewed hope of a parent who takes steps towards financial self-sufficiency, it is a privilege to be a part of what God is doing and to see the fruit of God’s faithfulness. As one adult program participant, who also grew up in our programs, recently remarked,

“The adventures I had were amazing and wonderful, but what I realize now as an adult is that God’s love and his truths were planted in me at such a young age and even though I still had and will have struggles there was and always will be God’s love, hope, and a fantastic support system.”

We are thankful for all of you who have been a part of our community and look forward to what God will do through us together.

Yours in Christ,

Nathan Walton, Ph.D.

Notable 2019 Accomplishments:

• We continue to serve over 100 program participants.
• We completely moved our offices into the Prospect Neighborhood after purchasing additional property the previous summer.
• We successfully launched our Abundant Life Fellows Program and welcomed our inaugural class of five new Fellows.
• We are celebrating our first two STRIVE Program college graduates!
• We greatly expanded our summer programs, including a new monthlong camp for middle school ladies and four weeks of Vacation Bible School for our elementary school youth.
• We welcomed a new Young Men’s Program Coordinator, Bruce Boling.
• Our Dollars & $ense program was awarded a Rotary Club grant in support of Prospect residents who are pursuing financial self-sufficiency.
• Our Young Ladies Program Coordinator, Sonia Montalvo, was awarded an Emerging Leaders Grant through the We Raise Foundation that supports programmatic costs for our Young Ladies Program as well as staff professional development.
• Our Young Ladies Program partnered with Lighthouse Film Studios to produce a film that was selected for the Virginia Film Festival.
• We held two successful neighborhood cookouts, drawing nearly 150 residents at each gathering and deepening our presence among our neighbors.
• We began partnering with the Fifeville Neighborhood Association to implement a neighborhood trail that increases resident access to Tonsler Park.
• We welcomed two new board members: Alex Meador and Colin Anderson.

Notable 2019 Needs:

• After an ambitious year, we need $75,000 to meet our budget for 2019; 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.