Our March mission offering is for KIVA, an international nonprofit organization that helps marginalized people worldwide who do not have access to banks, credit cards or debit cards to obtain short term loans. KIVA was established in 2005 when the first loan was given to a woman who had a fish mongering business and sold fish in baskets to local markets in Uganda. A $500 loan changed her life. Nineteen years later, 5 million people have received loans through this organization. In 2019, an account was opened by our church and started with $805. Joan Trusty took care of this account and through KIVA we loaned out $3,915 to 369 people in 61 countries. The loans are paid back by the recipients and then the money is loaned out again. In Joan’s last days, she began withdrawing the money from our account with KIVA and returning it to Sanctuary. The Outreach Team has decided to reinstate the account with previous funds and using our March mission offering to add to the account. We are calling it The Joan Trusty Memorial KIVA Fund. Paige Moore-Anderson will help us manage the account and help select the KIVA recipients. You are invited to come to the parlor after services on March 8th to hear Paige tell us more about this organization.