“I need to be with you all”
This year’s Giving Tuesday post
I knew this was going to be a tough year the first week of January. It was our first Harbor brunch call of 2024. Someone asked, “Are we going to have an election night watch party? I will need to be with you all.”
Isn’t the US election in November*? I thought. It’s only January. Oof.
As we followed political shenanigans in all our countries in 2024, our weekly brunch calls became a safe haven for people to express their distress, find solidarity and, most importantly, support each other with good humour. On November 6, we spent over two hours on our brunch call as a couple dozen people took turns sharing their genuine fears for their safety and the safety of their loved ones, often with tears, full of gratitude for one another.
I know this may not be the most significant accomplishment you are reading about for Giving Tuesday, but it makes me think of everything we have become as a community to be the first place people think to go when their world (or just their country) is falling apart.
We are very careful about how and when we ask people to give us financial support. Many of us have been manipulated into giving way beyond what we could afford and sacrificed far too much in order to support exorbitant budgets that made very little impact. We only make this kind of ask once a year, at a time when you are hopefully already considering your charitable giving. We are up front about what we need, and we promise transparency. You can ask for our budget and financial statements any time. You can also book time with one of our pastors (Dawn, Jon, or Dottie) to ask about our financial stewardship.
Harbor Online Community is almost 4 years old, and we run a very lean ship. Our biggest and fastest growing expense is our staff, who work almost entirely leading gatherings, small groups, and meeting one-on-one with people to offer individual support for folks dealing with family crises or parsing through the many, many questions of faith change. As our community grows, so do our staffing needs. We carry no debt, but our current individual donations only cover 20% of our budget. We know that amount will need to grow for us to continue being the safe place people land when they are leaving high-control religion or looking for others with the same questions about faith in their lives.
Whether you have a little or a lot, you can help.
Become a monthly donor: Even $10/month makes a big difference to us and goes directly to our work with people looking for a community that is LGBTQ+ affirming, supportive, and living in solidarity with racialized and other marginalized communities. You can become a monthly donor here.
Make a one-time donation: Again, even $10 makes a difference. Every month we send direct financial support to people in our community who need help paying rent, tuition, medical expenses, and many other emergency expenses. Your donation makes a difference. You can make a one-time donation here.
Share your Harbor story: We count on you as part of our community to tell others about Harbor. Do you have friends who are seeking community? Share our website with them. Invite them to sign up for our newsletter or make an appointment with one of our pastors. Do you have a story to share about how Harbor has supported you? Share your story on social media or send it to us to share.
Thank you for all the ways you support Harbor. We are so grateful for you.
*In case you are wondering why one of our pastors doesn’t immediately know the US election is in November, I (Dawn) am our resident Canadian.
