FREE MONEY?

I don’t often use the bulletin column to talk about money, but when it’s “free money” I will make an exception. How does the parish get free money? Through our scrip program! I want to take a few moments here in the bulletin to talk about the benefits of the scrip program and to encourage you to participate if you do not already do so.
 
For those who are unaware, the scrip program is a parish program in which the parish purchases ordinary gift cards, or scrip, from popular retailers at a discount, which the retailers are happy to give because they’re guaranteeing themselves customers and some goodwill advertising. Anyone can then buy the gift cards at face value. We keep the difference in price. If you are a parent of an Assumption Catholic Schools student, the profit is used by ACS. When you spend the scrip card at the retailer, the card is worth the full face value; you haven’t spent an extra dime to help the parish or ACS, nor have you had to change stores. Scrip is just another way to pay for everyday purchases using gift cards in place of cash, checks, and credit or debit cards.
 
Some people think that scrip is worth less than the face value of the card or what they’ve paid: that’s not true at all. For example, if you purchase a $100 gas scrip card, you pay $100 and get $100 for use at the retailer. However, we purchased the card at only $95 and so we made $5 in profit from the sale. It’s really free money for us. The profit percentage varies by the retailer: some are as high as 20% or as low as 1.25% but every little bit helps!
 
If every parish family simply purchased their gas and groceries using scrip cards, the parish would have a great deal of free money to use! Think about it before you go to the grocery store or the gas station next time. Scrip is available after the Masses on Saturday evening and Sunday morning and anytime in the parish office during regular business hours. When you get into the habit of buying scrip—especially for those regularly purchased items like gas and groceries—it’s easy and helps the parish tremendously.
 
Additionally, in this age of “big brother” and targeted advertisements, when you purchase scrip using a check or cash at the parish and then use the scrip card at the retailer, the retailer doesn’t know who you are and cannot track your purchases: an added benefit. Finally, take it from me as a millennial (that is, someone born between 1981–1996), young adults and young people love getting gift cards as gifts and we don’t see it as impersonal in the least. Rather we see it as allowing us to purchase what we want: so think of the scrip program when you’re gift giving, too! If you have any questions about the scrip program, don’t hesitate to ask or stop by the parish office. Remember: try to purchase at least gas and groceries with scrip to help the parish!