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Amplify Austin: Volunteer from your desk (or phone)!

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On March 2-3, The Christi Center will once again participate in Amplify Austin, a citywide day of online giving. This year our goal is to raise $40,000 in 24 hours, which would support the cost of providing grief support services for 40 adults for an entire year!

To reach this goal, we’re looking for ambassadors who are willing to set up an online fundraising page to share with family and friends via email and social media (or even snail mail) during Amplify Austin. Your campaign can be as small or large as you like, and you can also promote your page earlier and encourage folks to schedule donations in advance. Some of our Christi Center friends run campaigns in memory of loved ones, and this is a great way to honor them while giving back to our Christi Center community.

In honor of our 30th anniversary this year, we’d like to have 30 ambassadors who are willing to set up fundraising pages and campaigns. Will you be one of them? Sign up here today!

PS Mark your calendars and save the date for our Amplify Austin kickoff party on March 2nd at 6 pm!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I don’t like asking people for money. Why should I do this?

A: There are two reasons. Word of mouth is the #1 way people learn about The Christi Center. The more you talk about it, the more likely it is that people who need us will hear about us. Everyone experiences grief, and this is a great way for you to increase awareness in your circles about The Christi Center’s services. The second reason is that the only way we’re able to keep our services free to everyone who needs them is through fundraising. This is not JUST asking for money. It’s sharing your personal story to help someone walking the grief journey behind you.

Q: How much do I have to raise?

A: Totally up to you! Our Christi Center collective goal is $40,000 – your campaign goal can be as small as $250 and as big as you like!

Q: What am I asking for money for?

A: The Christi Center uses all funds raised to provide free, ongoing grief support groups for children and adults who are adjusting to life after the death of a loved one. If you’ve come to groups at the Center, this is a great way for you to pay it forward to those traveling the grief journey behind you and keep our services free of charge to all who need them!

Q: So what all is involved with this?

A: We keep it as simple as possible. We’ll help you set up an online fundraising page and send you the link. You can spread the word about your campaign in several ways:

Send an email with the link to your page to friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, etc. letting them know why The Christi Center is important to you and asking them to make a gift. Some people ask for gifts in memory of their loves ones and that is a great way to honor your loved one’s memory.
Share the link to your page on social media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram – wherever you are and feel comfortable! In addition to your story, you can share facts and information on The Christi Center (we’ll send you this info throughout the campaign).
Bring your family and friends to the Purple Zebra Birthday Party at The Christi Center on March 2^nd from 6:30 to 8:30 pm! This free celebration is our Amplify Austin Kickoff (we’re also celebrating our 30^th anniversary) and a great way for people in your circle to see The Christi Center themselves!

Q: I’m going to be out of town/busy on March 2-3, can I still participate?

A: YES! The beauty of this e-campaign is that you can do it from anywhere that you have your phone or laptop! You can also ask people to schedule donations in advance – so if you’d rather run the campaign earlier than March 2^nd, you can do that as well.

Q: Got it. I’m social-media savvy and I’m ready to take my campaign to the next level. Where can I get ideas/inspiration?

A: Amplify Austin (the lead organization in this city-wide day of giving) is an AMAZING resource – they offer toolkits, trainings (there’s a great one on February 11^th from 11 to 1 that you can also take online), and more. Contact us and we’ll send you direct links to all this information.

Q: You missed something or I did – I still don’t get it.

A: We’re here for you! Fill out this form or call 512-467-2600 and we’ll walk you through it all. Thanks so much for supporting grieving families and The Christi Center in this way – we’re grateful for you.

7 Reasons to Donate to The Christi Center TODAY (or tomorrow)

You may have heard us talking about a little thing called Amplify Austin over the past few weeks? In case you missed it, Amplify Austin is a city-wide day of giving. Collectively, over 400 nonprofits across Austin are trying to raise $4 million in 24 hours (6 pm March 20th to 6 pm March 21). The Christi Center’s goal is $17,000.

Will you help us?

With over 400 amazing causes to choose from, why support The Christi Center?

1. Your gift helps solve a problem that every person in our community will face. 8,000 people will die in Austin this year – each one leaving behind a grieving circle of family and friends. 100% of us will lose someone we love, and most of us already have. We provide free, ongoing grief support to people who are adjusting to life after the death of a loved one. Doesn’t it make you feel just a little better knowing that The Christi Center is here to support you (and your family and friends) anytime you need it?

2. Grief may feel like the worst heartache you can experience, but left unresolved it can actually lead to bigger problems. You know the old adage “Time heals everything”? A grieving heart does begin to heal on it’s own timeframe, but about 15% of people will experience Complicated Grief, which has been linked to substance abuse, major depression and even physical illnesses like cancer. Resolving grief depends on a lot – your relationship with the deceased, the nature of the death, your other support systems, and more. Any of us are at risk for a grieving process that becomes more complicated than we expected – The Christi Center is always here for you if that happens.

3. Kids and teens grieve too – and imagine how it feels to be the only kid in your class that’s even experienced grief. One in 7 kids will grieve the death of a parent or sibling before the age of 20. Because grief often looks different in children and teens and influences their school performance, friends/social choices and more, it’s critical that kids have access to a support network of other kids who understand what they’re going through. We offer twice monthly groups for children at teens at our 2 locations in Austin and Georgetown, and we also offer groups onsite at local schools for kids who can’t come to us.

4. Most people don’t know how to help someone who is grieving. Awkwardness and avoidance are common responses, neither of which are helpful to the bereaved. To help us all better support the grieving people in our lives, The Christi Center partners with helping professionals, churches, and community groups to offer training on grief and bereavement. No one should have to walk the grief journey alone – and you can be one of the people that helps them.

5. Your support keeps all our services free of charge to anyone who needs them, for as long as they need them – including you. We serve 500 people a year through our support groups and another 2500 through our information/referral network and training on grief and bereavement. We’ve been serving Central Texas for 26 years and we’re a one-stop shop for any questions on how to get support after a loss. Your gift makes that possible. Donate today.

6. Your dollar goes a long way here. We have over 200 volunteers that give us the equivalent of 5 full-time staff worth of hours. We only have about 3 full-time equivalent staff that we pay, and we own our property debt-free. This means that it only costs us about $500 to serve one grieving person for an entire year.

7. You’re lucky to live in Austin. Forbes magazine named us America’s Fastest Growing City in 2014 for a lot of awesome reasons – you’re lucky you live here already! And you’re even more fortunate that a place like The Christi Center exists – appropriate grief support is sometimes hard to find, but grief support that is completely free of charge is a real gift to our community. Help make sure that The Christi Center can keep up with demand generated by Austin’s growth. Support our great city and The Christi Center by donating through Amplify Austin today.

Amplify Austin: Volunteer from your desk (or phone)!

7 Reasons to Donate to The Christi Center TODAY (or tomorrow)

Will you help us?

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