Weekly Update: Noisy Offering

When I came to my office on Tuesday Morning, I found a set of boxes mysteriously placed on my desk. I looked at them quizzically and as I went to move them, their weight nearly pulled me over. Intrigued, I opened the first box to find it overflowing with pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. From what I could tell, it looked like the inaugural noisy offering last Sunday went well. 

So, I moved the 20 lbs. box to the side and opened the second box only to be met with the same image; change pouring onto my desk. I had thought the buckets and boxes I had for the noisy offering would be plenty big, but from what I hear, I was gladly mistaken. We would later haul 40 lbs. of change off to the bank. (Did I mention that we raised $400 in just one Sunday?)

I am taken aback by your generosity and enthusiasm for supporting the Massachusetts Bail Fund. Your willingness to learn over the past couple of months in spaces like Adult Forum, the conversations we've had at coffee hour, and the emails of questions I've received throughout the weeks have been offered to me as moments of hope.

The significance of finding these boxes on my desk on Tuesday morning is only exasperated by the very difficult and painful conversations I had shared with many of the women at MCI-Framingham just the night before. So, I owe you a thank you, not simply for your incredible generosity this past Sunday, but also for offering me a reminder of the hope that is to come in the very difficult justice work of prison reform. A hope, that will surely extend itself into the many lives that will receive freedom from the change in your pockets and piggy banks.

With much gratitude and peace,

Samm

The Next Noisy Offering will be held on February 23rd