Barnabas helps launch Free Wheelchair Mission
In April, 2002 we made our first presentation to The Barnabas Group. The outcome gave us great confidence, as many of your members stepped forward with clear encouragements, and we enjoy their support to this day. Their support was more than financial. We got moral, spiritual, nutritional, and strategic planning support as well.
Since then we have been back 4 times. Each time new doors opened as our mission reached the hearts of your members. Specifically, Barnabas members helped us with our first relatively modest evening event, then another, and then our first major evening event. Your members continue to facilitate and participate in numerous strategic planning meetings. Some members underwrote the creation of our literature packets. One member supports us in paying the salary of some of our staff members, pointing the way for us to develop an infrastructure foundation! Your members stood behind us with financial support should we need it (though we never did) in our successful "10,000 wheelchairs for Christmas - 2003" campaign. Your members have been on numerous mission trips, helping distribute our wheelchairs.
This past year, you have allowed us to participate along side of your efforts to go national with The Barnabas Groups. I am told that we are presented to your new groups as one of the best examples of where your members can come along side of a start-up organization and make it successful. Of course, we hope this results in us being able to gain national support which is critical to our growth as well as yours. Each year I tell you that I doubt that we would exist today had Barnabas not helped when you did. I wish to repeat that claim. But more important for you to hear is that over 315,000 people now that have gained mobility, dignity, and chances for better lives. Perhaps our deeds have opened their hearts to God's love as well. We all pray for that.