Dear Friends,
I recently received a “red alert” phone call from our Marist Brothers treasurer. He’d just visited one of our smaller retirement communities – home to five Brothers. Much to his surprise, as he settled into the guest room on the first floor, he noticed paint chips fall from the ceiling.
When he asked our Brothers what was going on, he learned that the second-story bathroom, directly above the guest room, had serious issues with leaking pipes. Every time anyone turned on the sink or shower, puddles collected on the floor and dripped through to the ceiling below.
Rather than make a fuss, our Brothers shut the second floor bathroom door and resolved to only use the first floor restroom.
As you probably guessed, we now had two problems. First, our Brothers’ bedrooms are on the second floor, so they had to navigate stairs in the dark of night when “mother nature called.” Secondly, water had seeped below the floorboards, behind the tiled walls, and down into the first-story. Over time, the constant drip, drip, drip had caused significant structural damage and a nasty breeding ground for black mold.
The final cost to fix the leaks and repair the bathroom walls and floor came in at $8,156. But since this was an unplanned expense, the budget would be stretched precariously thin. So now, I reach out to you and ask for your help.
Can we count on your gift? I assure you – your financial support will make an important difference. Whether you can afford to share $15, $25, or more, your gift to help cover this unexpected and essential repair will be greatly appreciated.
We can reach our goal if every Marist Brothers’ friend sends what they can.
If you think $8,156 is a lot of money to fix a “leak,”then consider these costly details. Bathroom pipes had been spurting water behind the walls and under the floorlong before anyone realized there was a problem. By the time our Brothers closed the second floor bathroom there was irreparable damage. The only solution was to tear open the bathroom walls and floor, find and fix the leaks, and then rebuild the bathroom. As you can see, the $8,156 covered far more than fixing a pipe.
It’s worth repeating how much your financial support means. And every gift makes adifference! It’s like the two nickels tucked in with my letter. The coins alone can’t buy much – but if you add many more nickels, the total grows. In the same way, when every Marist Brothers’ friend sends a gift, the support adds up.
Please know that you are remembered each day during our prayers in Chapel. We also look forward to including your intentions in a Mass dedicated to our devoted donors – held on the first Monday of each month. So, please…write your intentions on the enclosed response slip and send it along with your gift.
We look forward to hearing from you. Until then, every Marist Brother wishes you good health and pleasant days.
