What Judy and Joanna have in common
Yesterday left me stunned. In an 8-hour period, I received notification of three distinct grant awards totaling $375,000. That funding will make sure that:
Our Girl Scout troop meetings have air conditioning in August
Our partner housing initiative can contract a professional for the next step of its property acquisition plan
The garage of our new program space in the neighborhood becomes usable space
Our financial, data, and operations systems continue to improve
And that's just to name a few. We are overjoyed, to say the least.
In the wake of that news, two people have been on my heart. Judy and Joanna are both Orange County residents. They both see the suffering in their community and respond by making recurring donations to Unidos. The difference between their annual giving is three zeros: $_ / $_ ,000. But on the Unidos team, those zeros don't separate them — they stand hand-in-hand.
Judy and Joanna may give different amounts, but both are instrumental in:
Building sustainability that enables us to plan better
Ensuring we never veer off course in search of mission-adjacent funding
Reminding our sometimes-tired staff that they're surrounded by dozens cheering them on
Living out our name: Unidos (united)
Being on the Unidos team is one of the greatest joys of my life. Whether I'm supporting our Youth Director at camp, writing a grant proposal, answering a phone call about a father detained by ICE, or preparing reports for our Board, I know each action unites me to a resident-led movement. Together, with dollars contributed, volunteer hours given, neighbors' courage offered, and many, many prayers, we are reflecting God's love into our community.
You can be part of this team too.
Join us with a monthly contribution and become one of our 68 (and counting) Unity Partners. No matter how many zeros.
"If the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have." (2 Corinthians 8:12)
With a heart overflowing with gratitude for this diverse, generous, and growing team,
Heather Chapman
Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director
