over the course of this summer, I'm in the process of writing give-or-take roughly 1,000 letters to fundraise for this mission. For those who are interested in contributing, I attach below a version of the letter that I sent to more than 500 households already:
As you may know, having just graduated from Yale Divinity School, I have been invited to serve for one year as a missionary at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center in Rome, Italy. My primary work there will be in assisting hundreds of immigrants fleeing perilous situations in North Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
With this upcoming mission, I am required by the Missions Personnel Office of the Episcopal Church to raise at least $10,000 to defray the costs of their sending me abroad. I would like to raise an additional $10,000 as a contribution to the Joel Nafuma Refugee Centre, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, and the Anglican Centre in Rome, for a total goal of at least $20,000.
$6,500 – base stipend & living expenses (Approx. $500/month)
$6,500 – insurance
$1,200 – language learning stipend
$2,000 – round trip airfare
$6,000 – discernment process, missionary orientation, reentry interviews
$1,000 – repatriation costs
$800 – visas and vaccinations, as well as administrative
costs
I am contributing the first $2,000 and so far I have raised approximately an additional $8,000 from the Diocese, the Cathedral and several other large & small donations.
For this reason I write to ask you to contribute whatever you can in order to make this incredible opportunity a reality.While I know this is a difficult time in the life of our parish, I pray that you will be as generous as possible. Please know that any contribution will make an important difference, and will be used responsibly and accountably under the guidance of the Episcopal Church.
The best way to donate is to give a tax-deductible
contribution online using the web link https://episcopalchurch.thankyou4caring.org/,
making sure to select “The Fund for Missionaries” as the Designation and to
write “Charles Graves” in the Comments box. You may also give by check
(made out to “Episcopal Church USA” with “Charles Graves YASC” in the memo
line) or by credit card using the forms linked here for check and credit card contributions.
If you would like to follow my journey, I invite you to follow my blog, http://charlesgravesiv.
With love,
Charles C. Graves IV
“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39).
Donation Options
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Yanick Fourcand
Mission Personnel Office
The Episcopal Church Center
815 Second Ave.
New York, NY 10017
Or
Make check out to
St. Paul’s American Church
With “Charles Graves IV” in the memo line.
Send to
621 E. Mehring Way,
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Note: No GoFundMe or KickStarter webpage will be used because those services require fees and are ineligible for tax-deductible status.
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Donate online
using either of the following links: http://www.stpaulsrome.it/donate/ http://www.jnrc.it/donate/ Click “comments” in the review screen and type in “Charles Graves”. Or All may use the following link: https://episcopalchurch.thankyou4caring.org/ Select “The Fund for Missionaries” as the Designation and write “Charles Graves” in the Comments box. Note: contributions using this link incur a 3% transaction fee.
Or
Chase Bank users may donate online, by phone or at a branch location using the following:
Account Name: St. Paul’s American Episcopal Protestant Church
Account Name: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A.
Account Number: 00000 038 1999168.
Write “Charles Graves” on note of transfer.
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