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Friends,

As we enter the final days of our annual stewardship season, we wanted you to hear from Cathy O’Sullivan, a longtime Foundry member and an active volunteer with our ID ministry. 
 
The ID ministry is one way in which Foundry prepares the table with justice and joy, not just for our members, but for all of our neighbors. Such ministries make our lives together more fulfilling and carry out the work God has called us to do.
 
Here’s what Cathy says:
 
“My first visit to Foundry, more than 40 years ago, was enough to convince me that I had found my new church home. Why? Of course, I was impressed with the thoughtful sermon, glorious music, and welcoming atmosphere. But the commitment to social justice really got my attention. 
 
“Over the last forty years, I have seen Foundry actively look for new and creative ways to put faith into action. The ESL program, for example, was started by Foundry folks who talked to the day laborers who used to gather at the corner of 14th and P and learned about their needs.

"It gladdens my heart these days to see Foundry funding two staff positions dedicated specifically to social justice and offering the congregation an ever-developing variety of opportunities to help ‘change the world’ through advocacy and direct service to our neighbors.
 
“Since my retirement, I have been part of the Friday morning ID Mission team, another example of Foundry’s creative and practical approach to service. Birth certificates, IDs, and so forth may not sound exciting, but just try getting a job, housing, education for yourself or your children, or almost any government benefit without such documents. And getting them is no simple matter for many of our unhoused or low income neighbors.

"How likely is it that someone who must carry all of his belongings around in a bag (which may be stolen on the street or in a shelter) will be able to produce the undamaged official birth certificate required to establish his identity at the DMV? 

"Will the low-income mother who needs D.C. birth certificates for her three children so that they can go to school have $69? How will someone born outside D.C. get a birth certificate without a computer, money to pay the fee (or credit card to transmit it), a secure mailing address, or the required forms of identification?
 
“There are very few places in D.C. that provide help with these basic issues. Non-profits, halfway houses, and even government agencies such as D.C. Vital Records all send people to Foundry for help. Our ID Mission provides advice, prepares letters and applications, and covers necessary costs. Even more importantly, the volunteers and staff treat everyone who comes in as an individual of worth, entitled to respectful attention—something that many of them tell us they are not used to receiving. 
 
“The ID Ministry and all the other social justice ministries at Foundry depend on substantial and reliable financial support. I am glad to be part of a congregation that cares about helping to create a more just society, and I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in all of Foundry’s ministries through my annual estimate of giving.”
 
We are so grateful for Cathy’s service and witness. 
 
You can join Cathy and submit your own estimate of giving online right now, by clicking on this handy link. Help us get as many people as possible to turn in their estimates before Consecration Sunday on November 21. That’s not much more than a week away!
 
Thanks so much for your continued support of Foundry’s missions and ministries.
 
In Christ,
Dan Vock and Lorea Stallard
 
P.S. If you get a phone call from a number you don’t recognize in the next couple of weeks, it might be someone from the stewardship team. 
 
P.P.S. If you haven’t seen Pastor Ben’s presentation on how stewardship supports Foundry’s social justice missions, you’re missing out! See his powerful message here. You’ll want to hear his story of how Foundry helped an immigrant mother in crisis, and what a profound effect that had on her family.
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1500 16th St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20036



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