In talking with some of my "co-workers in the vineyard," it's obvious that budgets are being cut. How is this affecting your programs? How are you creatively getting around this? What do you think the long term implications of this might be?

Interested in your opinions,
James

James,
For my parish it has been a case of the Lord will provide. Last year at the end of the summer with the parish budget going thru the summer vacation blues and the money collected for the comming year not yet available for spending because our fiscal year hadn't yet begun. I was struggling to find the money to make the most of the back to school sales for the basic supplies when $50 in cash arrived mysteriously on my desk with a note that the donation was in thanksgiving for a favor received from St. Jude.

When plannig arts and crafts activities at various times during the year we try to plan ahead to ask parishioners for things like toilet paper rolls for making angels at Christmas time. Instead of buying things like rosaries, metals and stickers we have been blessed with eldery parishioners who give us the ones they receive free in the mail from organizations searching for donations. I've also gotten to know the librarian and art teacher at my son's school who have pointed me in the right direction for some local companies who give away ends of runs for things like clear contact paper and other types of paper goods.

I have cut my postage costs by implementing "Family Files" which families are responsable for checking monthly, when I do feel the need for a mailing I try to use postcards. This year I will begin e-mailing reminders to all those who have e-mail rather than sending the postcards. I also began a website and I am trying to get families to check that out as a source of info.

Some things we simply will not comprimise on. The kids need books though we will be going into year 6 with our catechists guides and I will be waiting until late summer to order my books so I more closely match the number of students and books ordered.

Perhaps a related question is how are we helping families afford Religious Education? I'm sure no parish turns families away due to finances but how do we help families know that they can turn to us for that kind of help especially those who have not felt that kind of financial pinch before and are hesitant to ask for help.