March marks the beginning of the 5th year of Light Gives Heat (LGH) and although it is celebratory to an extent, there is also a heaviness of a financial tight spot that we currently are in. For the first time in four years we might not be able to offer the consistent incomes in Uganda. We are heavy-hearted but trying to live by the words we profess: HOPE IS A CHOICE!

For the last couple weeks, Dave and I have had stress headaches that have kept us from sleep in the middle of the night, we have woken in the mornings to stomachs pitted with worry, and we’ve (well, mainly I) shed tears. We have always valued transparency and vulnerability and the truth is that the burden of responsibility of LGH is heavy. But the Truth is that we aren’t alone, because what LGH is at its core is the love, heart, time, creativity, talent, passion and life stories of thousands of people, who have bought, given, communicated, traveled, sacrificed, and hoped. So here is us holding loosely and asking for help…

We could turn this blog into a book, but wanted to keep it succinct, so please take the time to read ‘The Why’ below.

We have TONS of product to sell!

o Shop for SUUBI and EPOH products
o Wholesale - connect LGH with stores that might be interested in carrying LGH products
o Use SUUBI products as fundraisers (adoptions, sports teams, summer camps, girl scouts, youth groups) – call us!
o Tell others to do the same – email, word of mouth, Facebook!

Consider making a financial gift to Light Gives Heat:

o Yourself:
• Online (we don’t pay processing fees)
• By check: 2507 Weslo Ave, Grand Junction, CO 81505
o Connect us with business owners who would consider corporately giving to LGH – we would love the opportunity to share with them!
o Share the need in social clubs, philanthropy circles, churches, and schools!
o All donations are tax-deductible!

The Why:

o For the past four years our sales and donations have been sufficient, there have been tight months, but there has always been Provision.
o Reasons for the cash-flow crunch are not due to poor management or leadership, and it’s not because we are a sinking ship, but that we have experienced exponential growth and have dreamed big and taken big steps forward. We have doubled the size of the organization (both in Africa and the US) each year using only donations and product sales, which is hard on cash flow.
o This last month has been full of some big expenses and a few disappointments. We had to pay 6 months of rent on our facilities in Uganda and we had weeks in February where we did double buying from SUUBI in preparation for Uganda elections. We found out this week we didn't receive a grant for the MOVING ON which we submitted in December and we also had two big platforms that would have brought LGH national exposure fall through.
o On a hopeful and productive note, for the last year we have been working on a film called MOVING ON which started as a small vignette project and has turned into a feature-length documentary which demands lots of our time and fundraising efforts. This is a huge and worthwhile endeavor - the message of this film will reach hundreds of thousands when it is completed, but it is definitely a long-term investment for LGH.
o Because of the economy, decreased sales/donations, and the fact we have spent time fundraising for the documentary fund (which is completely separate from the general budget), our general operating budget has suffered.
o We provide a consistent income regardless of what is sold, so all of our expenses are front-loaded, meaning we purchase up front and it may take months to sell our inventory depending on sales and wholesale accounts.
o In the month of February, neither myself nor our fulfillment manager were able to receive a paycheck and now half-way through March we are in a place where we don’t know how we will meet the needs in Africa or America for the remainder of the month.
o We are currently working with a grant writer and other cooperative efforts to secure future funding, but these are long-term plans so we really need your help to make it through this short-term crisis.

Thanks for your time, support, and love…remember, LOVE IS WINNING! We couldn’t do this without you!

On behalf of LGH,
Peace,
Morgan & David Hansow

(Links to donate, shop or browse are located below)