Hiring Loki: fundraising, grants, and the tricky business of hiring one of our friends on the margins
Recently we had the opportunity to hire Loki, a member of our community, to our staff. This was thanks in large part to a grant from the Oregon Food Bank that covered most of her first two months. This is an important development for us for a number of reasons. First, right from the beginning we’ve wanted to bring a voice from our community onto staff. We’ve always been strong believers in the adage that “Those closest to the pain should be closest to the power”. Second, Loki is trusted by our people (especially the women in our community, who are already sharing things with her they would never share with our otherwise-male staff). Finally, she’s excited for the other things she can bring to our ministry, including a new mobile food bank program.
We are excited as well, but we are looking to find a way to pay for it over the long haul. This is where some of you come in. We are looking for monthly donors to support Loki’s position. Hiring someone who lives outside means hiring someone who does not have the social network to raise her own funds. Can you help us out? If you can, you’ll be directly supporting a significant step forward in our ministry. If you can’t, do you know someone who could? Help us get the word out!
We are also working on some fundraising events and we’ll have more details about those soon, so stay tuned. For now we’re asking those who already love what we do to share our need with their own networks, share about why you support our work via your social media platform. You can help us reach new people to join our team of supporters. Thanks for helping us continue and improve the work we’re doing.
You can find our PayPal portal here
L to R: Loki, Bruce, Zack, and Gus on a chilly Tuesday night having just finished sharing burritos with our friends in the Park Blocks
