As usual, MUM is ahead of the crowd! For the last couple of years, MUM has held a “Non-Event Annual Fundraiser.” This approach has enabled us to save money on party logistics and direct the funds to where they could be best used – the needs of our clients. It also allowed you, our supporters, to save on the costs of outfits, transportation, parking, silent auctions and raffle tickets! When we switched to the non-event format, little did we know how useful “non-event” events would become in 2020!

As you know, the support of donors like yourselves has allowed MUM to continue to serve our neighbors in need during this COVID-19 pandemic. Although our on-site choice pantry has been closed since March, our Sunday Mobile Pantry sites – again, ahead of the crowd! – have continued, and now serve close to three times the number of clients served at this time last year. Other support – eviction prevention, utility assistance and prescription drug assistance – is once again being provided, and we anticipate there will be a need to help many more people in our community than we have in the past as government restrictions preventing evictions and utility cut-offs expire.

None of this would have been possible without the support of MUM donors throughout the community. But we cannot sit back and be satisfied, as the pandemic continues to disrupt all our lives and the number of neighbors needing services continues to grow, almost exponentially.

So, once again, MUM is proud to announce the MUM 2020 Non-Event Fundraiser of the Year with a goal of raising $50,000 by Thanksgiving (November 26) 2020. Read Executive Director Larry White’s inspiring appeal here.

As we approach the end of 2020, we want to announce the retirement of MUM Executive Director Larry White – many of you know him as “The Man from MUM.” Larry has been a good friend to MUM since 2002 and became Executive Director in 2012. Under Larry’s guidance MUM has flourished. He’s worked to increase MUM’s operating budget to meet the increasing needs of our clients, overseen two office moves, and had the vision to create the mobile pantry several years ago – these are just a few of Larry’s accomplishments. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank Larry for the passion and care that he has brought to his job as Executive Director. He plans – and we intend to hold him to those plans – to continue to serve MUM as a volunteer. What more fitting way to say “thank you” to Larry for his many years of service than to make a donation as MUM faces ever-increasing need in the community?

As we thank Larry as he steps down from his official position, we also welcome Mr. Dewey A. Reeves as MUM’s new Executive Director. Mr. Reeves comes to MUM with a very impressive resume and we look forward to him leading MUM into the future. Again, we encourage you to consider welcoming him through a donation.

What we are asking you to do is stay home, stay safe, relax, remember those neighbors in need – before and during the pandemic – and take the money you would have spent on attending a gala and donate it to MUM, helping us reach our goal of $50,000 before our Non-Event Fundraiser end date of Thanksgiving 2020.