Happy New Year from the People of Project-44!
For many of us, the new year is ushered in with renewed hope, enthusiasm, and the promise of making it the best year ever. We come up with resolutions and write lists of the things we want to accomplish. We share our goals and aspirations with those close to us in hopes they might keep us accountable. We dream big!
But in the haste to get off to the right start, we often jump straight into the new year without taking stock of where we have been and what we have accomplished. It’s as if we want to put the disappointments and missed opportunities of the previous year behind us as quickly as possible. We seize the opportunity to make a fresh start. Yes, there are plenty of things about 2022 we want to put behind us. Economic challenges, political polarization, continued fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, wars, and suffering are all things we would just as soon forget. Sadly they won’t go away with the flip of a calendar page. At the same time, there is no point in dwelling on that which has passed.
For Project-44, this new year, in particular, is a perfect time to consider where we’ve been. In 2023 we celebrate 15 years of service to the community. What started as a car ministry in early 2008 has evolved into several ongoing programs. The services we provide today have been shaped by the needs we’ve encountered firsthand. Some of the services we have offered over the last 15 years have come and gone, while others are in their infancy. We have celebrated lives changed and mourned the end of ministries we loved. Yet, despite the ebbs and flows characteristic of an outreach that serves a diverse population, our fundamental purpose has remained constant: we are called to help those in need where they are.
Like many of you, we have goals for the new year, and we hope to make this the best year ever. Throughout 2023 we will reflect on our past and challenge ourselves to continue growing and evolving. By reading this blog post, you are seeing the fulfillment of our first goal in 2023. Today we have launched a newly updated website. Our original site served us well, but we thought it was a good time to give our online presence a new, more modern look. In addition to the new design, we intend to make a more concerted effort to bring new content to the site. Look for more frequent blog entries, videos, and information about our outreach efforts Take a look around and don’t hesitate to drop us a note if you have suggestions.
As always, we are grateful for your generous support. Whether it is through prayers, volunteer opportunities, or financial gifts, we wouldn’t have made it to 15 years without you. We look forward to another year of ministry to the communities we serve. We are grateful you are joining us. May God pour out blessings on all of us in 2023!
Project-44 