Thoughts
Transforming Giving
Thoughts on the importance of philanthropy Sister Lillian Murphy, CEO Mercy Housing As the CEO of a major organization that brings stability and safety to people’s lives through the provision of housing and support services, I have witnessed first hand the impact that a home has on the life of individuals and families. I have also witnessed the equally transforming impact that philanthropy has on individuals, corporations and foundations who give generously to the mission of Mercy Housing. Human beings are born givers. We seem to be hard-wired to give. So we find that giving is integral to the development of a healthy life. Of course we give to those who are close to us. But we also give to those whom we may never meet, but whose basic human well-being depends on our willingness to live out what it means to be a “born giver.†When we give freely of ourselves and our resources, we are changed for the better. We are changed when we learn what it means to give without expecting anything in return, except the knowledge that we have changed someone’s life forever. What better return could we ask? This is so counter-cultural in our day. We spend our lives working hard in order to accumulate money and possessions. And we are bomb-barded every day with marketing and advertising campaigns to win our business. Philanthropy makes us step out of this whirlwind and enter into a new world, a world that re-centers and re-creates us. And we come to understand that, in a society in which some are poor, no one is truly rich. For 25 years, Mercy Housing has not turned its back on the neediest among us. We encourage you to join us. And you will discover that your philanthropy binds us together in our common humanity and opens us to all the possibilities of life. |
