“The Ingathering: Hope for Humanity” program has embraced new outreach methods resulting in a 9 percent increase in fundraising totals, says Maitland DiPinto, director of the program. Nearly $3 million was raised in North America in 2001.

“By revising our name, implementing a renewed emphasis that all donated funds are used only for humanitarian purposes, and providing well-developed witnessing materials, we have bolstered our church and community support,” says DiPinto.

During the past year, DiPinto and his associates produced a 16-page booklet that reports on aspects of the church’s humanitarian work. They designed the “Hope Kit,” a brochure that offers spiritual inspiration, Bible study correspondence courses, and a $50 gift certificate to local supermarkets. These and similar projects have encouraged the community and church members to donate more freely to the Ingathering fund.

“We want to motivate our church members to not only give personal contributions, but also to experience the opportunity that Ingathering provides to build relationships with their community,” said DiPinto.

Since 1908, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has sponsored Ingathering as an outreach and fundraising program to encourage its members to get involved in their community. One hundred percent of the monetary donations is used to provide resources and program support for humanitarian projects throughout North America and around the world, including: literacy, feeding, and clothing programs; school building initiatives in developing countries; maternal education; and job training.