Dear all,

This fundraiser is for building a village church in Upper Egypt (St. George Coptic Orthodox Church, Shalash, Dairout, Assiut), where I was brought up. The church is already under construction but still requires a considerable amount of funding to finish the work and repay loans.

I understand there are numerous other emergent situations out there that need fundraising and potentially more than this one. However, I am putting this out here so that it gives people a chance to donate for this goal of building a church, knowing very well that building a church equates to building a well-balanced person and improving the average mindset and morale towards oneself and the society – let alone spirituality and connection with God. Those who experienced building new churches know how it usually goes and that funds are collected internally and discreetly, so the fact that this has to be shared on this big a scale shows how dire the need is. Therefore, we hope this fundraiser makes it to higher priority on the reader’s list of donations – ideally donations are collected on a periodic basis with a set amount based on the donator’s comfort and income.

Below are the details about the church and the fundraiser.

Church Services

The church serves around 300 families and offer:

- Sunday School for elementary, middle, and high school

- General meetings for men and for ladies

- Servants’ meeting

- Brothers of the Lord (charitable outreach)

- Health and medical support

- Wedding preparation for young women (spiritually and materially)

- Monthly aid to families in need

- Serving patients

- Literacy classes for the elderly

Construction Progress

Completed:

- Concrete structure and main building

In progress / still needed:

- Internal cement and plastering

- Plumbing

- Electricity

- Doors and windows

- Painting

- Tiling

- Internal finishes

- Furnishing and accessories

Things you can do

- Praying

- Sharing

- Donating

Donation Process

Because of GoFundMe’s country restrictions, donations will first go to my bank account. At the beginning and end of each month, I will transfer all funds raised to the church’s account in Egypt through Western Union. For transparency, I plan to periodically update this post with:

- The Western Union receipts

- A confirmation letter from the church priest

If you are unsure, hesitant, or concerned or if you have advice or any recommendation, please reach out.

Many thanks for taking the time to read this post and many thanks to those who will help us out.

God bless!

Sincerely,

Peter Kaladius