Thank you for visiting my fundraising page!

As most of you know, I am a new employee with Bethany Christian Services.  That being the case, I have been working in the field of Child Welfare for the past 10 years and helping children to be connected with loving Christian families has become my passion as well as my career.  The work we do at Bethany is not only life changing, but in many cases is life giving.  

As the Director of Bethany's Central PA Branch, I am charged with the responsibility to cast a vision and expand the services we provide, so that we are able to serve more children and families.  One of the crucial services we provide is Birth Parent Counseling.  Every year our Birth Parent Counselors across the U.S. are helping people who are facing the crisis of an unplanned pregnancy.  In providing these services we are able to share the life giving options that are available and to come along side these folks as they make one of the most difficult and important decisions of their lives. To hear a first hand example of how these services impact peoples lives, click on the Mark Schultz video to the left of this note.

Mark Schultz, his music, and the lives that have been impacted by it, may never have existed without his mother's decision to make an adoption plan through Bethany 40 some years ago.

In our Branch area is the town of State College, which is the home of the main campus of Penn State University.  With an attendance of over 84,000 students, Penn State has become one of the largest universities in the country.  As we have assessed where there is a need for our services, it has become clear the State College is a location where our Birth Parent Counseling Services would be most valuable.  

As you can imagine, with the challenges of our current economic times, nonprofit organizations like Bethany are hard pressed to maintain our current functioning, let alone expand services to new areas; yet, the need is great and we have a great God, through whom all things are possible.  I like the saying, "Pray, knowing that it all depends on God, then act as if it all depends on you"; with that in mind, I have decided to designate my donations to Bethany's mission to help provide for the staffing of a Birth Parent Counselor at State College, PA. 

We have all heard the expression that many hands make light work.  That same principle also holds true when it comes to raising funds for a needy cause.  This is why I am inviting you to join me in this effort to raise monies so that we can provide Birth Parent Counseling services at Penn State's main campus.  Whether you donate a larger sum all at one time or a number of smaller donations over several months, by joining me in this venture, you have the opportunity to use the monies with which God has entrusted you, to further the mission of Bethany Christian Services, which is to manifest the love and compassion of Jesus Christ, by protecting and enhancing the lives of children and families through quality social services.

Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts.  Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think may also be interested in supporting our work.

Blessings!

Mark

Keep in mind that the reason you are doing something isn't the only reason you are doing something . . . .   God is always working His bigger plan!