FEATURED IN THIS WEEK’S EMAIL:
GC Crowdfunding Raises Money for Fire Victims
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Patrick’s Corner
GiveCentral cooperated with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to set up an emergency crowdfund for victims of the LA fires in early January while the fires were still burning. The money was used to provide immediate assistance with food, water, and housing to those who had lost their homes (over 14,000 houses burned to the ground). GC is honored to report that over $767,000 has been contributed as of this date! Thank you to all who contributed so generously and quickly. We are honored that GiveCentral was the first to set up a crowdfunding campaign with the Archdiocese and to alert donors through social media. If you need an emergency crowdfunding campaign because of a disaster or sudden loss, GiveCentral can help! For assistance, you can contact Teresa Meyer at teresa@givecentral.org.
Do You Need Training to Use GiveCentral?
GiveCentral offers a full array of live training sessions so that you can learn how to use our powerful platform with confidence and ease. We also have training articles and videos in our Knowledge Center, which can be accessed through your Dashboard. To learn more about our training sessions and to sign up, go to our training page here: GiveCentral Training Page
Last week, we celebrated St. Valentine’s Day. Our society has turned it into a commercial pop culture event celebrating romantic love. With flowers and boxes of candy, couples and loved ones show their appreciation to one another. In general, this is a good thing! Whenever we can show love and appreciation for others, it should be celebrated. However, I think we shouldn’t forget the spiritual roots of the celebration.
Valentine was a Bishop in the 3rd century of the Roman Empire in an area around the City of Rome. He was known for his kindness and desire for peace. It was a dangerous time when Christianity was still illegal in the Roman Empire. Valentine was known for marrying couples in large numbers so that the young men who had just become husbands would not have to serve in the Roman army. In those days a recently married young man was exempt from military service for one year after his wedding. Valentine was ordered to stop doing marriages, but he refused and was arrested. He was eventually executed for refusing to renounce his faith and swear allegiance to the Emperor. Today, St. Valentine is the Patron Saint for engaged couples. Though his memorial is no longer officially on the Catholic calendar, he continues to be celebrated in the Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican communions. The Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate his memory in July. We can learn from Valentine to be true to our convictions no matter the cost.
Last modified: February 26, 2025
