Ideas for fundraising to pay off debts

[rissa87]

I am trying to think of ways I could raise money to pay down my student loans in order to be able to pursue a vocation as a religious sister. I can make beautiful, quality rosaries. I was thinking one thing I could do is sell those for a fair price with optional donation toward my cause. I have connections with someone whose blog gets quite a lot of traffic and he has raised decent amounts of money for his apostolate with rosary sales… I thought if I could set up a site to do this and get him to promote it on his site, this might help put a dent in my school debt. But it’s obviously not going to pay it all off. Any other ideas???

 

[InigoMontoya]

Have you asked your church for any guidance? If you’re a registered nurse, it might be worthwhile to take a high OT position for six months or so, while living frugally.

 

[mab23]

yes thats a great Idea

make a site, make rosaries

you can ask for a start donation and make beaded or corded rosaries, also cord rosary bracelets which are easier to make!

 

[sw85]

I am trying to think of ways I could raise money to pay down my student loans in order to be able to pursue a vocation as a religious sister. I can make beautiful, quality rosaries. I was thinking one thing I could do is sell those for a fair price with optional donation toward my cause. I have connections with someone whose blog gets quite a lot of traffic and he has raised decent amounts of money for his apostolate with rosary sales… I thought if I could set up a site to do this and get him to promote it on his site, this might help put a dent in my school debt. But it’s obviously not going to pay it all off. Any other ideas???

There are also organizations out there that help pay off debt for people pursuing a vocation. Normally they will make your payments for you while you’re in seminary / novitiate / whatever, then will pay off the balance when you’re ordained or take final vows. Matter Ecclesia is one, but there are others: fundforvocations.org/

 

[rissa87]

Have you asked your church for any guidance? If you’re a registered nurse, it might be worthwhile to take a high OT position for six months or so, while living frugally.

I am not an RN. I am a licensed practical nurse… But what is a high OT position? Do you mean overtime? I am having a hard time just getting full time hours at my current job. Otherwise, I would do that…

I spoke with Father today… He wants me to get all my loan papers together and total them up so he knows what I am looking at. Then he wants me to break down what I have been spending all my money on–whether bills, loan payments, groceries, etc… So we can see if there is anywhere I can save money to apply towards it. That was my homework for now

 

[AmataVeritas]

Sounds like you’re on your way with sound guidance from your priest. It looks like you were just confirmed several months ago and from another post, possibly are still in process of discerning a community?

Definitely look to keep your living expenses frugal and put as much income as you can toward your debts while you discern. Most organizations that assist aspirants in resolving educational loans require the aspirant be accepted to a religious community, pending resolution of their educational loans. I understand your position-I discerned for a time before being accepted to enter the cloistered Dominican nuns at Corpus Christi Monastery in Menlo Park, CA. I am currently an aspirant with The Labouré Society.

So in the meantime, keep discerning! I will keep you in my prayers.

 

[rissa87]

Sounds like you’re on your way with sound guidance from your priest. It looks like you were just confirmed several months ago and from another post, possibly are still in process of discerning a community?

Definitely look to keep your living expenses frugal and put as much income as you can toward your debts while you discern. Most organizations that assist aspirants in resolving educational loans require the aspirant be accepted to a religious community, pending resolution of their educational loans. I understand your position-I discerned for a time before being accepted to enter the cloistered Dominican nuns at Corpus Christi Monastery in Menlo Park, CA. I am currently an aspirant with The Labouré Society.

So in the meantime, keep discerning! I will keep you in my prayers.

Yes, I am discerning a community. I’m not looking to apply for grants or anything like that as of yet because of the reasons you have mentioned. My plan is to try and pay down as much as I can so that by the time I am ready to apply I will have a better chance at being selected. I know it seems very soon to some, but I feel so sure I am called to religious life! I felt the calling while I was still in RCIA, but I doubted it because it was so soon and I didn’t think God could be calling me at that point in my life… But in just 3 months, I will have been confirmed and an active member in my parish for a year! This feeling has still not left me and has become stronger… Curiosity turned to desire and now it is all I can think of. I prayed for God to increase my desire for religious life and to make very clear to me my vocational calling if I was to enter a convent, and I feel he has done both. I feel both the desire and the feeling of possibility that I could follow through in this vocation. I have followed the advice of my priest and become active in several ministries within the Church. And the clergy I have discussed my discernment with have been very supportive. I still have a lot of time yet to choose a community, but I feel more sure of my vocation every day! I think this next year, it will be good for me to look around and figure out where I am supposed to go and then , after 2 years in the Church, if I have decided on a community to apply at that time. But I do still feel a need to pay down as much debt as I can before resorting to grants, etc. So that is why I am trying to come up with things I could do now…

And congratulations on your acceptance!!! Also, thank you so much for your prayers. That is probably what I need the most of right now

 

[urgelles]

As an LPN I would search for work in anything that has to do with senior care. There is a market in seniors that have left a rehab facility. Or continuous in home care.

 

[rissa87]

As an LPN I would search for work in anything that has to do with senior care. There is a market in seniors that have left a rehab facility. Or continuous in home care.

I currently have 2 jobs as a wellness nurse at 2 different assisted living communities. I used to work in rehab/skilled nursing, but surprisingly I didn’t make any more money there. One of my current jobs pays the same rate that one did and the other pays more. Yes, you are right–senior care is the best paying field for an LPN. I worked in a doctor’s office for a shorter period of time and it paid significantly less. But even on my salary now, I will not be able to pay back my loans anytime soon. I need to get very creative with other ways to find/make money.