Borrower Appreciation Night and $100 Mission Update

July kicks off the second half of the year, and with that, a new quarter. Saturday the 16th, we hosted our first ever Borrower Appreciation Night – our $100 Mission charity partners got the opportunity to thank our borrowers in person for their contributions throughout the year. And thanks to the generosity of our guests, we raised an additional $5,000 for these deserving charities! Thanks again to all who attended – we had a great turnout, and a fantastic time. The party was a great way to finally meet everyone face-to-face, as well as raise awareness and note the impact of contributions to our charity partners.

As a reminder, our charity for the first quarter was The MORElove Project – a non-profit organization dedicated to end homelessness in Seattle through building relationships with the homeless community. Founded by Kristine Moreland in 2015, MORElove coordinates weekly Search and Rescue nights to provide food and other necessities to the men and women without provision. Kristine’s passion and persistence have changed the lives of many, and Rain City was proud to have been able to help with her cause.

Our charity partner for the second quarter was Beautiful Soles, an organization founded by Demetria Lund to provide shoes for children in need. Inspired by her son’s selflessness in giving away his own shoes, Demetria knew she could make a difference for families with little or no resources. Thanks to our borrowers, Demetria received a check on the 15th for $24,100 – that’s 241 loans funded in Q2!

Every month this year, our borrowers have helped us break Rain City records, and in turn raised a lot of money for great causes. Demetria will be setting up shoe closets in many local schools, to make sure any child in need of a good pair of shoes can easily access some. With the fall quickly approaching, new shoes are in high demand. Beautiful Soles will now be able to easily accommodate back-to-school requests from families in need. $100 buys four pairs of shoes – that’s four children who are able to walk, play, and engage with other children without fear of bullying or physical pain. Demetria’s commitment to easing the pain of children in need continues to inspire those around her, and we’re incredibly grateful to be able to contribute.

At the beginning of the year, our goal was to raise $100,000 for charity. The repeated business from our loyal borrowers has turned a lofty goal into a realistic goal! We continue to be overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of our clients – we simply couldn’t do it without you. We’re grateful for the opportunity to serve both our clients and our community.

Thanks again to everyone who made the second quarter our best yet! Stay tuned for an update on our third quarter charity.