Faith in Simple Charity
Senior Tessa Carley and University of North Georgia student Katie Pruitt shined the light on global poverty as they enjoyed a brisk October night at the annual Cumming Fair. At the fair, the members sell home-made t-shirts for $15 and provide different incentives for each dollar donated. They also strum melodies on a guitar to draw attention to the booth and give those walking by enjoyable music to listen, providing a pleasant contrast to the loud screams echoing from the rides in the distance.
Simple Charity began with a dream for a solution. Senior Brian Grasso, the founder of Simple Charity, saw the potential in North Forsyth to raise $100,000 before the end of the school year for the poverty-stricken delivered through Christian-based organizations. The group has hosted several events to reach their goal, such as a chili dinner with a silent auction, a garage sale, and a booth for advertising at the county fair. At the chili dinner, Grasso spoke about the importance of the mission and how it can be accomplished with the motto “Fives Save Lives.” Raising the money became easier for the foundation after gaining professionally crafted commercials on North’s broadcasted Raider Report and word of mouth gaining the attention of North Forsyth High School.
By the first week of school, the group decided to raise $5000 which became an extreme challenge a week before the deadline as the group had not earned half of the goal. However, a miracle was presented to the foundation when a local business offered a grant where it would match the funds for up to $1,000 the Tuesday, August 5th, before school.
Grasso went on to say, “We did a car wash on Wednesday that raised over $500 and then did a big social media push that got us up to $752 midnight at Thursday, our decided deadline.”
Despite their efforts, the group still had not raised the full $1,000 for the matching grant; Grasso felt as if they had let the opportunity slip from their hands. However, it was not until the next night when the club’s mood changed. Another tiny miracle came this time from within a mailbox: A blank envelope with only the words “Simple Charity” written upon it. This kind gesture revealed itself to be $200 which boosted the club up to $952 of the $1,000 matching grant. When it came down to receiving the final donations, the local business rounded up the total to $1,000!
Although the group did not meet the goal of $5,000, Brian remained optimistic as he said, “We actually got all the money for the matching grant and rose over $3,800! We got 76% of our goal and hey, a C is still a passing grade,” displaying the faith remaining in the potential of Simple Charity.
The power of God that is constantly presented to Simple Charity is inspiring as it displays the power of the individual through faith in Christ. The members are constantly striving for their goal despite obstacles, all the while, serving as a great example to reach for dreams even when it seems impossible.
Brian Grasso and other members of the leadership team currently have a blog running, providing current information on the status of the club. The school year has been broken up into different focus sections that the money raised within that period will go to: hunger, education,water, disaster relief, shelter, health, and bible poverty. Those interested can sign up for notifications and updates about Simple Charity or make donations through their blog.
Erin Dickman is a collection of loud noises, booger-picking, and blonde hair. Her greatest accomplishment is winning the 7th grade health award- you can...
