New
Jerusalem Laura and its recovery mission are supported by the $140/month
rents contributed by its residents. These funds provide only about
one third of the operating costs of the organization.
Donations
are needed and welcome. NJL is a 501C3 nonprofit organization and
your donation is tax-deductible. If you wish to make a contribution,
please make checks payable to New Jerusalem Laura.
New
Jerusalem Laura
2011 West. Norris Street
Philadelphia, PA 19121-2120
Excerpt
from a newsletter by Sister Margaret, October 2005:
Our
financial experience so far has been a miracle. We have been given
just the breaks we need, when we need them. But miracles, alas,
not sustainable. First, all ye weary ones opening your mail to yet
another of those routine appeals from everywhere about everything.
Be clear. New Jerusalem does not see itself as a “gimme, gimme”
project. It may surprise you that its biggest contributor so far
is its members. Let me explain. They contribute most of what little
money they get from the system to New Jerusalem, which in turn houses,
feeds and cares for them, and provides a program, a therapeutic
community and numerous services, This money constitutes about 1/3
of our total expenses. In addition each member of Peter House contributes
two and one half hours of volunteer labor, five days a week, to
the work of New Jerusalem for the community. At the rate of $6.00
per hour, and an average of 30 members in Peter House that comes
to a total of a $117,000 potential value. In addition members clean
their own houses and cook their own food, and perform numerous other
voluntary mutual services. This explains the mystery of how New
Jerusalem is able to support an average of fifty recovering attitudes
on a budget of less than $150,000 per year. It is a paradox, a kind
of unmonied or more accurately a minimally monied economy. Food
is also a small item on our budget. Our people contribute half of
their food stamps to their houses which provide three squares a
day. Our members are not passive recipients of handouts. They participate
maximally in creating the quality and reality of their own program.
Those who see it as a free vacation from the stresses of the streets,
leave in their first week before they are voted in! Additionally,
if we had to pay salaries for our six House Managers, we would be
wiped out. We want to be even more self-maintaining than we are.
Outside volunteers and pre-funded programs also contribute substantially
to the enrichment of our program. There is a phenomenon of people
writing and receiving grants to service low income people, and having
difficulty recruiting participants because much of poor people’s
time is taken by chasing benefits and services in bureaucracies.
A situation such as New Jerusalem is a welcome haven for their programs.
And we benefit greatly from them. We have a valuable thing going,
even financially. But little of it shows on our annual 990 Budget.
What does show is that Member’s fees constitute about 1/3
of our income. The other 2/3rds are respectively, small grants and
unsolicited or hardly solicited donations. The Medical Mission Sisters
are our most reliable grantors. We apply to quite a few other sources,
but few respond. We are working on getting better at this.
As
for donations, we hardly ever ask for them, but some come anyway.
Mostly from those who see us and know us well. Personally, I am
not good at asking. I have always hated to ask for anything. Not
good!. Too bad about me. I am hereby asking! As I said above. OUR
WORK SIMPLY HAS TO BE DONE. Be part of the miracle of recovery!
We are in a transition time with regard to leadership and staff,
and getting a sound financial base. Please help us over the hump
on the road to self maintenance and sustainability. Our budget projects
a deficit at this time. Our people are struggling hard to do all
they can to help themselves. Please help them by giving us a little
boost. I know you will. Our mailing list is not very developed.
Could you give us some names of people and groups that may be interested
in supporting us in any way. Thank you so much. But I am not finished
yet.
I want to share another way you could help us out – Save your
USED COOKING OIL in plastic gallon containers for milk or juices,
and ask your neighbors to do so as well. Read on if you are stouthearted
or curious enough.
Part of our dream for achieving a sounder and more dependable financial
base is using some of the community service time to run some simple
small businesses. One part of it is starting a” Nifty Thrifty”
shop. There are no thrift shops in our immediate neighborhood, and
we already receive many unsolicited donations. We planned a space
for that in the basement of our projected new building.
The second idea has to do with the cooking oil. Arnold told us that
most of the vehicles of the Bruderhof Community use biodiesel instead
of gasoline. We want to start in a small way, converting one of
our own vehicles and collecting used cooking oil from our neighbors
to whom we distribute food every week. Also from the many fast food,
Chinese and Korean restaurants. Who knows maybe we’ll “strike
oil” right in the middle of North Philadelphia. It’s
there! We’ll store the oil in a large tank and, at first,
use it for ourselves, and hopefully start helping others convert
their cars from gasoline to biodiesel, and sell it. It won’t
be hard to beat the current gasoline prices. And it will be an act
of kindness for Mother Earth. Are you with us?
In summary: We have the wherewithal to make a go of it. We just
need a little help right now!
