I had been thinking that it had only been a year since budgetary cuts in assistance programs made our monthly Change for Change Offering necessary. In an interview, our Church Treasurer, Scott Driver, reported that as of October 2009, St John’s has contributed a total of $3,713.06 since it began on the first Sunday in December of 2007.

On the first Sunday of each month, St. John’s MCC passes around those loud tin buckets as a part of our worship services. We love it when we hear handfuls of coins splash to the bottom of the buckets. We smile when the sound those coins make is cushioned a bit with floating money that some generous worshiper has offered. Once a month, a team hauls all that money to the bank and cuts a check to the Alliance of AIDS Services – Carolina.

In January 2012, we will collect the Change for Change Offering on the Second Sunday, January 8th.

On average, St. John’s people give more than $168 a month.

Carolyn McClendon, Director of Faith Ministries for the Alliance, told us that when the “Ryan White Funds” had to put cost-saving cuts in their budgets a few years ago, they eliminated the funds that the Alliance used to help people living with HIV and AIDS get to important places. The funding is still available to travel to established doctors’ appointments but not anywhere else. “The money you collect each month helps us fill that gap,” Carolyn said. “When our clients tell us they need a bus ticket to go somewhere important – like getting home after grocery shopping, to job interviews, and whatever they need to do, we now can help them. A client told us recently that he needed twelve tickets to get to dialysis even though his patient intake process was not complete. We were able to help him.”

“When I give away these tickets,” Carolyn said, “I am sure to tell them that they are possible through the contributions of St. John’s MCC. While most of the bus passes are for rides within Wake County, we have even provided some TTA tickets to get to regional hospitals in Durham and Chapel.”

“Both our clients and staff feel so affirmed when we can give these bus tickets. The process of giving the tickets to people helps me establish a special relationship to people who need our care. A day bus pass costs only two dollars. We help that many people,” Carolyn said, passionately.

So this Sunday, don’t forget to set your clocks to fall back an hour and don’t forget to put your extra Change for Change in your pocket.