At the start of the Summer, one of the things that you said on the surveys was that you want to donate to Heit’s Point whether we had the family reunion or not. Let’s make that happen!
Double your gift. Some of your aunts, uncles and cousins have decided step forward and double whatever the rest of the family gives up to $4,000.00. If you give $100, they will pitch in enough to make that to $200. If you give $500, they will make it $1,000. So let’s really stick it to these guys and make them double a lot of money. There is a time limit, we have until the end of September for donations to be doubled.
How much should you give? Some people suggested what it normally takes for your family to participate in the Family Reunion: money for travel, food, lodging, shared expenses, Sunday morning offering, and so forth. But the blessings I receive from seeing you all far exceed that amount. And besides, Uncle Lloyd told me I should give more than that, and you’re suppose to listen to your Dad. Give what you can. Give as you have been blessed.
How can I give? You can make a donation to Heit’s Point in a number of different ways:
- Send Heit’s Point a check. Make it out to Heit’s Point Lutheran Ministries and mail it to 28345 Heit’s Point Ave, Lincoln MO 65338. Send me a picture of the check, so that we know how much to double.
- Donate with a Credit or Debit card (or Paypal) by using this link (then click on one of the the donation button). Send me a picture of the confirmation message or forward the confirmation email to me at lloyd@LloydAndLauren.com, so that we know how much to double.
- What if you, like Peter, have already donated? Just send me some sort of confirmation. If you can’t find anything, just let me know and I’ll verify it with Heit’s Point.
What will the money go for? The Spitz Center is about 25 years old and needs a new roof. We make use of the Spitz Center every year, so that seemed like a good spot to put our money. If you have other ideas, feel free to designate your gift for something else or just as a general donation. It’s all good.
Want to be a doubler? If you are feeling especially generous and want to be part of the group of aunts, uncles and cousins who are doubling the amounts, let me know. This is not an open ended commitment. You still get to decide what you are blessed to give.
What if I don’t want anyone to know how much I give? First of all, I’m the only one who will know. The aunts, uncles and cousins who are doubling the amounts don’t want to know who gave what. They just want to know the total amount. But if you don’t want me to know, that’s fine. You should still give. It’s still a great cause to give to even without the amount being doubled.
How else can I help? First of all, talk to your family members. Encourage everyone to participate. Ask your sons and daughter or your siblings if they have made a donation yet. And talk to family members who might not have seen this because they don’t read the website or email.
Is my gift tax deductible? Yes. Heit’s Point is a 501(c)(3) organization and, if you use itemized deductions when you file your taxes, this donation is tax deductible.
Did I forget anything? Do you have any other questions? Just let me know and I’ll get the information for you.
Lloyd Jr. says
Just a quick update. After one week, we are at $600 from 3 of my favorite family members. Doubled, that will be $1,2000, of course.
Mr. Sommerer says
Week 2 update: We are now at $1,200.00 with donations from 5 of my favorite family members. Doubled, that will be $2,400.
Mr. Sommerer says
Week 3 update: We are now at $1,775 with donations from 9 of my favorite family members. That’s still quite a bit shy of our goal.
Mr. Sommerer says
I’d like to see if I’ve missed anyone. These are the people who I think have contacted me about donating to Heit’s Point. If you think your name should be on the list, but it isn’t, please let me know. If you think your name shouldn’t be on the list, but is, just let me go on thinking what a generous person you are.
Peter Sommerer, Dave & Joni Sommerer, Mary Jane & Ron Piazza, Naomi & Louis Vetter, Scott & Mer Nitzel, Tracy & Curtis Allen, Jim & Sherrie Sommerer, Jane Putnam, Kathy & Loren Meisinger, Thomas Meisinger, Steve & Melaine Sommerer, Ralph & Lolly Sommerer, Becky & Glen Cary, Lloyd & Lauren Sommerer, Lloyd & Jane Sommerer, Sam & Rachel Sommerer, Greg & Irene Vetter, and Scott Sommerer.
I included Glen on the list because he told Pete that he’d already made his donation. But I haven’t actually seen anything from Glen yet. Get an amount to me, Glen, so we can get it doubled.
I should also point out that the two people Pete called out have donated now, so, Pete, call some more people out.
We’ve had three more donations in the past week for a combined total of $700. That brings our four week total to $2,475 with about 3 weeks left to go.
This week’s task for you: Encourage your siblings to donate if they are not already on the list.
Pete Sommerer says
My hope is that every one of Adolph and Theresa’s children and their extended families can contribute to this cause. When we – as the cousins and second generation of our grandparents went to the farm to be with family it was a memorable experience.Now our children and grandchildren relate their experience with family to Heit’s Point. It is the bond that will continue to bond us as a FAMILY hopefully well into the future. Let’s make Uncle Ralph dig deep into his cookie jar!!!!
Mr. Sommerer says
First of all, well done this past week! You nearly doubled the amount donated to $4,175.00. Way to go. We’ve got two weeks left and there are still a lot of you left to hear from.
Second of all, expect a second email after this one with a neat message and a special challenge from Glen & Becky. I’m sending that as a separate email so you can respond to it. Remember, replies go to the whole family.
Third of all (is that even a thing?), help me out by passing this information along to your brothers, sisters, parents, and children who haven’t donated yet. I know that I have some email addresses that are missing or wrong, and I’m sure these are just going to the spam box for some of us as well.
Fourthly, here’s the updated list of everyone I’ve heard from so far: Peter Sommerer, Dave & Joni Sommerer, Naomi & Louis Vetter, Scott & Mer Nitzel, Tracy & Curtis Allen, Jim & Sherrie Sommerer, Jane Putnam, Kathy & Loren Meisinger, Thomas & Tracy Meisinger, Steve & Melaine Sommerer, Ralph & Lolly Sommerer, Becky & Glen Cary, Whitni & Josh Upton, Linda Lock & Bill Putnam, Scott Sommerer, Ted & Deb Kuegele, Tiffany & Chris Petro, Vernon Sommerer, Mary Jane & Ron Piazza, Lloyd & Lauren Sommerer, Lloyd & Jane Sommerer, Sam & Rachel Sommerer, and Greg & Irene Vetter.
Fifthly, I should probably point out that we reached the Doubling Challenge this week of $4,000.00. If anyone would like to go above and beyond to increase the amount we can double, email me at Lloyd@LloydAndLauren.com or call me at 402.817.9895.
Finally, if you missed the first email with all of the details (including how to actually make a donation), you can read them here.
Just two weeks left!
Mr. Sommerer says
One week left to go, and a lot of us haven’t reported in yet. I think the only thing left to say is to talk to your children, parents, sisters, and brothers who are not on the list below. Tell them that, even if they can’t give much, it will be nice to say that we did this as a family. They can still be part of something great that our family is doing.
Someone was wondering if they gave “enough”. I can’t answer that for anyone. But if you can give more and you’re wondering if you should, the average gift is $306.76 so far.
Just one week left! I have two brothers to talk to about donating. From looking at the list, you might have someone who needs to know about this too. Don’t forget about Becky’s Change Challenge.