Dear Friend of St. Joseph By the Sea,

As we approach the great American tradition of Thanksgiving Day, we pause to praise God with much gratitude for His bountiful blessings to us at St. Joseph By the Sea! We want you to know that you are counted among our blessings. You and your loved ones are remembered in our daily prayers.

In our Appeal 2005, we raised a little under $20,000. This enabled us to remove three tubs in the bathrooms on the first floor and replace them with new shower stalls that are easily accessible. We also were able to replace our copy machine, two phones and some office furniture. As always, your generosity enabled us to respond to the spiritual needs of our retreatants, especially to women. In the spirit of our Filippini Sisters' charism, no one was denied a retreat experience due to lack of funds.

I am excited about informing you of our goal for this year's appeal: the addition of a handicap-friendly elevator.  Each year we have seen the need increase for our elderly and handicapped retreatants to gain access to the second floor. What a gift to our retreatants as we approach our 25th Anniversary in 2008! (Yes, our 25th year in retreat ministry at St. Joseph By the Sea!)

Perhaps you would like to make a donation in memory of a loved one or in honor of a loved one/family. For donations of $500 or more, the names will be inscribed on our new 25th Anniversary Recognition Plaque, located in our foyer. Regardless of the amount, we sincerely appreciate the spirit of your gift.

Your ongoing support of St. Joseph by the Sea makes it possible to provide the peaceful and quiet atmosphere for retreatants to invite Christ into their lives.

Please consider a charitable contribution in memory of a loved one or a remembrance in your will to help fund the programs that help fulfill this mission.

With deep gratitude and prayer, we accept your generosity and support.

God bless you,