The Kogge Family's Story of Generosity

Jesse and Heather became members of First in 2019. Jesse has been active in Youth Group and Heather serves on the Youth Council.

Generosity means doing what you are able to support your community, whether that community is your neighborhood, church, work, family network, or other entity. You can give of your time, expertise, financial means, or simply share a meal or a spare room to someone in need!

I have spent the last twenty years of my professional life serving as a university fundraiser and, through this experience, witnessed lives changed by the generosity of all kinds of folks. Often the donor is as positively impacted by their gift as the recipient!

Last summer, I received an urgent email request from Markus Dickinson, who was seeking support for one of the Jubilee students. She was in need of a safe place to stay for a few weeks, while she worked to extract herself from a toxic situation with her roommate at the time. Since we have a spare bedroom in our finished basement, we were more than happy to share it with the student—and she helped us in return by taking care of our pets when we were away for a few days and making us some fabulous dinners during her stay! Thanks to Markus’s email request, we now have a new friend in Chloe!

I hope others will realize that generosity can change lives in many ways and that you don’t have to be wealthy or in a position of power to make that change. The smallest act can make a huge impact!

— Heather Kogge