This is the letter I would write

The scouts were earning money for scout camp.  They got free spuds from the farmers and went around selling them to members of the ward. It was quite an easy fundraiser. Zach did his part and went with the leaders to gather the money and drop of the tators.  Well....not everyone was home and so the leader gave Zach the envelope and we ventured out on our own to deliver the rest and collect the money.  Each scout, I think, did $220 worth of sales.  Zach put $120 in the envelope and took it to church to turn it in.  Before passing the Sacrament Zachary brought the envelope to me so he could turn it in after.  I put it behind the hymn books. 

Right after Sacrament meeting I helped Ethan get something to eat and get him to class.  He has been having some difficulties in class so we have been trying to figure out how to help him so he is able to sit still and focus better.  He deals with ADHD.  Eating a high protein snack seems to be a huge help so we take Zone bars with us.  I am very focused on helping him transition to his class to make it a bit easier for both him and the teachers.

Sunday evening Zachary asks where his yellow envelope is.  I check my purse and the church bag.  NOTHING.  OH no.  I then think back and can't remember grabbing it.  But I don't worry too much.  I mean.....heck....I left it at the church.  It would be there.  We went back to the church but couldn't find it.  We figured it would turn up.  Someone grabbed it but would surely turn it in to the bishop.  RIGHT?  Maybe?  HOPEFULLY?  I mean....it had names of people in our ward on tithing slips and it was marked SCOUT CAMP.  Thankfully we still had two other families that hadn't paid and so $100 would still be available for Zach. We considered that a great blessing.

Well it has been over a month and still no envelope.  HMMM  The singles ward meets right after us.  We talked to our bishop and they made an announcement over the pulpit.  We talked to the bishop of the singles ward and they announced it over the pulpit too.  BUT NOTHING.

Zach thought maybe they needed it more than us.  And maybe so.  But this is the letter I would love to have Mr. money snatcher read.

Dear Mr. MS (money snatcher)

I hope you really needed that money more than my son.  My husband had a great job in Virginia as an Arabic Linguist.  We owned a home on 2 acres and made a lot of memories there.  My husband got bit by a tick and ended up getting Lymes Disease.  He was out of work and in bed for almost 2 months.  He got laid off.  We ended up losing our home and had to move here and live with my mom.  We have been living here for over 3 years.  My husband still is not employed and suffers from mental illness and has five bulging disks and degenerative disk disease.  Most of his days are spent in bed.  We are the parents of five kids.  I work full time at the school district and go to school full time in hopes of getting an education degree.  At this point, I am basically a single mother.  I do all the running around, working, cleaning, cooking and whatever else needs done to keep our household running until my husband can get back on his feet.  Hopefully that will come sooner than later.  I want you to know that we have now had to do our own fundraiser.  We bought some vinyl lettering and are putting quotes on it and selling them.  This has taken quite a bit of time and has resulted in less time spent on my studying for school.  This is not a way for me to complain or to plea for help.  Don't worry...we come from some very strong stock and can handle this situation.  We are not asking for any help.  We got this.....even though we haven't sold enough for camp because of the expense of the tiles and vinyl.  We will have to come up with the money from our own pockets.  The pockets of a family with one small income because REMEMBER....my husband isn't working right now.  I hope you spent that money on something that was of value. Maybe you bought a set of scriptures that you really needed.  Maybe you donated it to a really good cause.  Maybe someone in your family is really sick and you really needed the money.  I hope you realize that taking that money was a sacrifice on our behalf.  It didn't just affect my son.  It affected ME.  Someone who is running from the time I wake up until I go to bed....not really having much time to do anything else but the necessary things to take care of my family and better our circumstances.  I am really putting myself out here by writing this letter.  Most people don't know about our situation.  And it might be better that way but I couldn't help but really wish I could give this letter to you.  Someone that has probably already spent that $120.  Not your $120 but my sons.  It also affected all of my children because they could NOT believe that the money that was left at CHURCH would be gone.  My husband already feels extreme amounts of guilt for not being able to work and take care of this family.  You have affected many people by being dishonest.  I honestly hope you needed that money more than my son. 

From,

a family who is strong enough to fight this on our own but a family who could have used that money to send our son to scout camp.  But don't worry. He will still be going.