December 2013 Newsletter
LETTER FROM REVEREND JOE ALBRIGHT
2013 has been a busy year for Dial Hope! I am continually amazed by our dedicated Board of Trustees and their hard working teams who give countless hours to further the ministry of Dial Hope. They are inspiring.
The enclosed letter highlights some of our major accomplishments. In addition to those, I’d like to share a few others with you.
You may have noticed that we have updated our website. If you have not visited it lately check out our new video. I think it beautifully captures the essence of what we are about as a ministry! (From the homepage, click on “About” and you will see it cued up on the upper right side of the screen.)
Back in March we hosted a Chaplains’ Breakfast at the Pines of Sarasota. I had the opportunity to speak, and then meet with chaplains from all over the local area: Ringling College of Art and Design, Bay Village, Village on the Isle, the Pines, and Sarasota Memorial, Blake and Doctors hospitals, and Young Life. Many of these folks have committed to helping us spread the word about our ministry.
Personally, my schedule allowed me to visit a number of different churches this year. I was able to share Dial Hope with pastors and congregations in Neptune Beach, Green Cove Springs, St. Augustine, Orange Park, Jacksonville, and Palatka, Florida, and in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. I’ve handed out hundreds of bookmarks, and a few of these churches have even linked us to their websites. Fr. Fred Robinson, Rector of Church of the Redeemer in Sarasota, and retired Lutheran pastor Rev. Eric Wogen have been promoting Dial Hope in local Sarasota congregations.
And the word is getting out. Just in terms of email subscribers – in June of 2012, we had 146 daily subscribers. In October of 2013, we had 267 daily subscribers. That is about and 80% increase in a little over a year.
It has been a fantastic year, and I give thanks to God. I also give thanks to our Board of Trustees, and thanks to all of you who so generously support this ministry!
Monday, November 25, 2013
Dear Friend,
Recently we had an inspirational call from Mrs. J. who lives in California. Her employment had been terminated in 2009. In 2012, she had lost a loved one and become disabled. More recently, she began losing her eyesight.
Did she sound down and unhappy? No. She was upbeat and cheerful. She said that listening daily to Dial Hope, she was reminded how important it was for her to reach out to others, making them smile and sharing words of encouragement.
What a moving testimonial!
As a member of our Dial Hope family, let me take this opportunity to thank you for your dedication to our 24-hour global telephone and internet ministry which provides encouragement, inspiration, and care.
This year, we have expanded our services to meet more needs. Through an incredible individual’s foresight, we have been able to initiate an Endowment Fund to provide long-term stability to further our mission. In addition, we’ve expanded our outreach to local hospitals, chaplains, and youth; to churches nationally; and to military servicemen and women and veterans worldwide. We have also created a DVD that is featured on our website and will be shown in presentations by our newly-created Speakers’ Bureau.
Today, we are aware that our on-line accessibility means that people living in South Africa, Vietnam, Brazil, Australia, and India – to name a few – are tapping into our messages of inspiration. We are truly a global ministry.
It is our hope to meet people wherever they are in their journey through life and encourage them. Whether you’re having an exceptionally difficult day, or a wonderfully happy day, Dial Hope will always add to making your day a better one.
Dial Hope relies entirely on individual donations because we do not charge fees or our service.
No matter the size, your gift to Dial Hope will make a difference as we continue to expand our ministry.
Yours in peace,
Anne Jones, Chair Joe Albright, President
