What a Life! for August 1-5, 2007

Life is full of transitions. We start our life’s journey by moving from the security of our mother’s womb into a hostile, unknown world. After we became accustomed to our parents, siblings, home, and surroundings, we gave up that security and were introduced to larger community of children. After experiencing transitions from smaller schools to larger ones, we finally made the transition of moving out of our parents’ home and began a life on our own. This was only the start of many more transitions that would take place.

Transitions demand that we let go of that which is familiar and comfortable, and move into an area where we have never ventured. The unknown can be very terrifying but we must trust that God will give us the strength to move beyond our present situation and not become stagnate. Christ said he came that we might have life to the fullest – right now and also in eternity. The quality of trust defines both our character (what we are made of) and our competence (what we do). Georg Christoph Lichtenberg once said, “Judge people not by their opinions, but by what their opinions have made of them.”

In my retirement, I have gone through a transition of giving up the ministry of serving God’s people for almost forty-four years and moved into a life without some supports from friends and co-workers for the Lord. The transition has been discomforting but has gone well. I miss the many people who have supported me and worked with me to do God’s work. I have also realized how blessed I have been. I have received many blessings graces, and benefits and I want to give something back to our community.

To do this, I have started a foundation to benefit church organizations in the Houma-Thibodaux area. The foundation is set up through the Greater New Orleans Foundation. I have called this foundation, “The Fr. Willie Todd Foundation.” Its purpose to give limited grants to church organizations who want to begin a new ministry but do not have the seed money to start the project.

For example, a church parish may want to establish a Helping Hands organization that would help the poor and those living on fixed income repair their homes. They may need tools and other building material to get the project started. They could apply for a grant up to $5,000 for these items. A committee consisting of one priest, one religious, and three layperson will review the applications and decide who should receive the money.

The Greater New Orleans Foundation invests all their funds at a higher rate than any individual foundation could. Right now, their investments are earning 9% interest. The foundation keeps 1% for administration purposes. We can distribute 5% after the first year of investing. The foundation is endowed and will be around forever.

I have opened this foundation with $25,000 and plan to add to it as more retirement money becomes available. All the money I will earn during my retirement will go to this foundation. I would like to invite my readers to consider contributing to the foundation. We appreciate any size contribution. Five percent of $25,000 is only $1,250. If we can endow the foundation with $500,000, we could distribute $25,000 every year.

You can send the check to the Greater New Orleans Foundation and put in the memo: Fr. Willie Todd Foundation. You can send the check either directly to them, 1055 St. Charles Avenue, Ste. 100, New Orleans, LA 70130 or send it to me, 267 Klondyke Road, Bourg, LA 70343. For more information, contact me at (985) 594-3171. Thank you for considering this cause.