God is our Way Maker and I’m excited to share with you since I joined Vashti in late April as the Marketing and Development Director, it’s been a productive time filled with rapid growth. Thank you for understanding our silence while I revved up into this crucial role for our organization. I look forward to meeting you and building lasting relationships during my tenure at Vashti.
I’d like to share a few upgrades we’ve made so far and more about what’s to come.
In June, our development and finance team overhauled our donations process, adopting the Givebutter platform, which offers a modern, user-friendly way to contribute to nonprofits, whether through a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer.
Our new text-to-donate feature is as simple as texting VASHTI to 53555.
Plus, for those who prefer writing checks, Givebutter has streamlined that process as well and makes it super easy for us too.
July and August, our marketing team overhauled the website. The updates we have planned will showcase a true reflection of the incredible healing work we do with our youth and their families very soon. If you’re curious what’s new, check out our blog for the latest Vashti updates. We can’t wait to share more with you as Vashti stories and video interviews launch in the Fall. If you have a story or photos you’d like to share, please contact our marketing team at marketing@vashti.org to schedule an interview.
We celebrated big milestones:
- Four of our youth who received treatment in our Room, Board & Watchful Oversight (RBWO) residential program graduated from high school.
- Our dedicated team served 574 children and teenagers spreading their wings across six counties in southwest Georgia.
- We equipped and trained 971 community workers in nine counties to address behavioral health issues in our youth facing the heavy burdens of adverse childhood experiences, poverty, and trauma.
- Thanks to your generosity, we’ve since grown to 72 professionals and counting as of late August and increased our operating budget to $4.6M.
As we continue our mission, our development team is hard at work securing grants and identifying new ways to support our organization’s needs. With 121 years of service behind us, our management team plans to bring our operations into the 21st century, ensuring that your donations are maximized to their fullest potential.
Our current campaigns focus on several critical areas, including:
- The Residential Program Gap Fund: A vital $333K fund to cover gaps in our residential services.
- The Heart & Soul Fund: Providing essential medical and hygiene care for our youth not covered by their providers, much of which includes dental care due to neglect.
- A Technology Fund: We’re aiming to raise $95K to equip our staff and youth with the tools they need to thrive. This includes much-needed upgrades to our infrastructure, records management, and HR systems, ensuring that our operations are efficient, secure, and future proof. Additionally, we will enhance our campus security systems to create a safer environment for our youth, staff, and visitors.
- Nurture Our Team Fund: A $33K goal to support the well-being and development of our dedicated professionals, and Human Resource team needs.
- General Donations Fund: Supporting all the behind-the-scenes work that keeps Vashti running smoothly.
We’re also excited to share that we’ve recently installed two new roofs on King Hall and Bishop Hall.
Bishop Hall, once a Cuban cigar factory and later a girls’ home, eventually became the Bishop Hall Charter School, which still thrives in Thomasville today at another location just down the road from our campus. Now, Bishop Hall houses The Hub, a church for ordinary people on an extra ordinary mission, and the Pines & Palms Artists’ Studios. Stay tuned for a special announcement in early 2025—we know you’ll want to be part of what’s coming next!
In addition to these developments, our children returned to school, and our team is working to ensure they have the tools, medical care, activities and clothing they need for a successful year. And we need supplies too, so we’ve combined our wish list to incorporate items we need as a whole.
We’ve made it easier than ever to support these efforts—just visit GoVashti.org/WishList to see our Amazon Wish List, or contact the Development office on our Get In Touch form to coordinate a donation.
We accept gently used clothing that looks new and our childrens’ ages range from 10 to 18 in the residential program. We do, on occassion, receive donations for our youth in the afterschool clubhouse program too – their ages range from 5 to 15.
And don’t forget—our 10th Anniversary Dinner on the Bricks Bash is fast approaching on September 21st! Get your butterfly boots and bowties ready for a night of fun as we celebrate all that the Lord has called us to accomplish together, and help us raise $77,000 for this year’s event. If you can’t attend, you may still donate to our mission by choosing ticket options and selecting, “I’d just like to donate.”
Thank you once again for your generosity and for being such a vital part of the Vashti family. We’re excited for all that’s ahead, and we’re so grateful to have you by our side.
With heartfelt thanks on behalf of our flight crew of incredible butterflies,
Audrey Copeland
Director of Marketing & Development
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