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| 2020 is a year most of us will not forget. The toll of racial, political and economic unrest - in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic - has been daunting. As people of faith, we pray for God's protection and presence among us as individuals, as communities, as a society, and throughout the world.
I will be honest that NACSW has experienced many challenges this year as well. We are grateful that we have not had to cut back any of our programs or lay off any of our staff thus far - even though our membership numbers have slipped, our book sales and donations are far less than we had been counting on. In addition, just several weeks before our fall annual convention, the conference hotel cancelled their contract with us, requiring us to pivot to a fully virtual convention this year - the first time we've not had a face-to-face annual convention in 70 years!
As a result, we recognize that it will be important to regain some of the momentum we've lost in the year ahead. Our unanticipated fully virtual convention was a good start toward this end. Although we had only a few weeks to pivot from a hybrid to a fully virtual convention, we are grateful that over 400 registered for this year's online conference, and many contacted us to express their appreciation for the time together even though most of us were miles apart.
But we have more work to do to rebuild our organizational momentum in the year ahead. Here is where you can help. I invite you to make an investment in NACSW before the end of the year to help us reduce our significant 2020 deficit, and enter 2021 ready to make strides in two critical areas:
Initiative #1: NACSW’s first initiative for 2021 will be to reach out in a variety of ways to members who were not able to retain their memberships because of the many challenges they faced during this year of COVID-19. We want to find ways to make it possible to welcome them back to NACSW's membership in the new year.
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| Initiative #2: NACSW’s second initiative in 2021 will be work with Christian college faculty to discover effective ways to get NACSW publications (in lieu of closed college bookstores) to their students that need them in the midst of this time of increased online classes.
In addition, NACSW continues to remain committed to developing additional teaching and training materials supporting the integration of Christian faith and social work - including the highly anticipated publication of a significant revision of So You Want to Be a Social Worker: A Primer for the Christian Student in 2021.
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| Vigorously pursuing these two initiatives will enable us to regain some of the organizational momentum that was lost during this difficult year of COVID-19 - and to support NACSW's sustainability so we can be a vital Christian presence in the social work profession well into the future. We can’t do this without your help! Providing a monthly or one-time gift now will make an crucial difference in furthering NACSW’s ability to meet its mission in 2021 and beyond.
Thanks so much for considering an investment in NACSW to provide robust support for Christians in social work in the year(s) ahead!
Peace,
Rick Chamiec-Case, Ph.D., MSW, MAR
Executive Director, NACSW
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Rick Chamiec-Case, PhD, MSW, MAR |
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