It’s hard to believe that we’re in the middle of November, which means that one of my favorite days of the year is almost here.

Giving Tuesday is just around the corner (Tuesday, November 28), and as I busily prepare for that, I’m savoring submissions from our member agencies.

When I get a notification alerting me of a NEW Tools for Change testimonial, I usually drop what I am doing to read them. I don’t know about you, but it’s easy to get lost in the daily weeds of work, and I am thankful for these beautiful submissions to snap me back to reality of what we accomplish here on the daily.

I recently heard from Richmond’s Sacred Heart Center and here’s what they had to say about being a ToolBank Member Agency.

• “The garden bed kits were a great way to physically improve our community garden and provided a fulfilling volunteer experience for a corporate partner! The kits had everything we needed and were extremely intuitive to build.”

• “As a non-profit, every expense is just that- expensive. The ToolBank has made several projects possible for the center and provided many pieces of outdoor furniture that we would not have had the resources to do ourselves.”

• “This past Friday, 11/3, we hosted a group from Ernst and Young who helped us replace old, falling apart garden beds and replace them with new ones. They also helped shut down our community garden for the season so it will be ready for next spring.”

Your donations, large or small, helps your local ToolBank provide the necessary tools and equipment for member agencies like Richmond's Sacred Heart Center to do good throughout our community. There inspiring stories is what drives our team to open our warehouse each weekday, and your donations help continue funding these efforts, so THANK YOU!

And here’s the best part, your donation is a force multiplier. Every dollar you donate towards our Giving Tuesday campaign is multiplied by 33, thanks to our 3% rental fee. This means that when we hit our Giving Tuesday goal of raising $3,000, it translates to an astounding $66,000 worth of support for our member agencies. Your generosity has a ripple effect that transforms lives and strengthens our community in ways we can hardly measure.

Signing off to go pack for an upcoming fall adventure with my family to celebrate Thanksgiving!

Jamie Frieling

PS - Were 68% of the way done with our 2023 Annual Fund Goal, meaning, we’ve got 32% left to raise. Are you ready for Giving Tuesday? Drop a comment below if you are going to participate in this year!