THE FIRST TEN YEARS
Friends of Exodus was formed in May 1991, after three volunteer ladies, who had been helping Rev. Bill Crews in his office, realised that he needed organised fund raising support.
Our first fund raiser was a dinner at the Ryde Catering College which raised $370. This was soon followed by participation in Ashfield and Burwood Charity Weeks, numerous street stall, craft sales and market days.
In November 1991, we held our first "Dinner Auction" at Western Suburbs Leagues Club, which raised $22,500. This then enabled us to purchase the first Van for Exodus.
In 1992 we began to sell Christmas Cards with "Friends of Exodus" logo and this has continued each year with some 10,000 cards being sold for last Christmas, 2000.
In April 1993, we held our second "Dinner Auction" at Western Suburbs Leagues Club. This was again a great success, raising $25,000. This same year we purchased another vehicle and furnished and equipped a Home for Homeless and StreetKids that Bill had established in Ashfield.
In 1994/95 an amount of $32,380 was given by Friends of Exodus for Kitchen and Dining Room equipment in the Exodus Free Restaurant.
In 1996 we reached and amount of $1000,000 in fundraising. This was greatly helped by generous donations from St. John's Wahroonga Uniting Church and Denistone East Uniting Church from functions these churches have held. These two churches and others have continued to give us generous support right up to this present time.
1997 saw the purchase of another vehicle, after trading in the first one. The Tutorial Centre had been established by this time and we were able to support the children from Years 6 and 7 who were attending the School.
In 1998 we were able to have air-conditioning in the Tutorial Centre at a cost of $30,635 and we also supplied further equipment for the Kitchen in the Free Restaurant.
In 1999 we were able to provide $30,000 to be spent on new equipment for the Kitchen and Administrative Office.
In 2000-2001 to date, we have supplied further equipment to the Kitchen of the Free Restaurant, the Administrative Office and the Tutorial Centre. Over the past ten years since our very beginnings, we have provided the funds to pay for insurance, registration and servicing of the Exodus vehicles.
Looking at the ten years of our organisation, our collection of funds and general activities has just about doubled. In total over this period, we have raised over $200,000. Although there have been some big fund raining functions in this time, and generous support has been given by churches and other organisations, yet we can say that our results would not have been possible without the generous and sacrificial support of many, many individuals, and we give our heartfelt thanks to all those who have made jams, cakes, spent endless hours sewing and craft making, working on street stalls, at Market Days and Fetes, and in so many other ways. We give thanks to God for all the help that has come from so many people.
We also acknowledge those who have supported us by attending our Friends of Exodus meetings over the years, with an average attendance of ten people, and those who have agreed to hold Committee positions so that the organisation can function properly.
Finally, we can say with confidence, that all of our members and helpers and workers have regarded it as a privilege to have supported Bill Crews and the Exodus Foundation over these ten years as they carry out their never-ending endeavours, in our Lord's Name, to help the needy and less fortunate.
So, as this is the end of the first ten years, which we celebrate with gratitude to God, we also are conscious that it is the beginning of the second ten years. The need is as great, and in fact greater, than it has ever been. The work must go on.