Friday, September 30, 2011

"They made me feel like somebody."

September 26, 2011

Dear Friends of A Giving Spirit Foundation,

“What do you say to a mother battling life-threatening cancer when she says ‘We will be homeless, me and my kids’ as she shares the journey of her darkest hour. With eviction looming overhead and not a resource in sight, my patient thought the situation was hopeless. She was ready to give up. Until A Giving Spirit Foundation stepped in to shine their light. To say thank you to what I consider a group of angels on Earth is not enough and I wish I could capture the tears of joy and expression of gratitude that patients share upon receiving news they have been blessed by a grant from A Giving Spirit. It’s like having the front row to watch a miracle take place. One particular mom exclaimed ‘they made me feel like somebody.’ What can you say to that? To all the angels of A Giving Spirit Foundation, my deepest gratitude for shining your light, making miracles happen and giving my patients the precious gift of hope.” Mellisa Wheeler, Blumenthal Cancer Center

Mellisa Wheeler understands all too well the stress that families feel when the mother has been diagnosed with a debilitating disease and the family does not have the financial resources to pay for healthcare and choices need to be made between the mother’s health and the basics like rent and groceries. As the American Cancer Society Patient Resource Navigator for the Blumenthal Cancer Center in Charlotte, NC, she sees this pain and struggle every day. Fortunately, A Giving Spirit has been able to ease the burden for three of her patients this year and the gratitude that these mothers have expressed make it clear that there is a need for A Giving Spirit Foundation in the greater Charlotte community.

Every person receiving this letter deserves some of this gratitude. Without your support, AGSF would have been unable to bring relief to the many families that have received grants over the last three years. In the past year, AGSF has awarded over $13,000 in grants to these deserving families.

Operating under the vision of Laura Woodall, A Giving Spirit Foundation strives to lend a helping hand to deserving mothers in the Davidson and greater Charlotte, NC communities suffering from a debilitating disease or other unforeseen major health challenges. Of equal importance is supporting research organizations who are searching for a cure for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Organizations like Project

ALS, The ALS Association and the ALS division of MDA do fantastic work and are making advances every day. AGSF is proud to support them. AGSF donated $1500 to these organizations over the past year to go directly toward ALS research.

Laura says it best: “It was the invitation from friends and my opportunity to give back that embarked a journey which has proven worthy. A Giving Spirit Foundation (just three years young) has given to individuals who needed assistance, has given to research, has created a board to guide the mission, and has successfully hosted three fundraisers. It is my and my family's hope that this foundation continues to give back. My vision is that A Giving Spirit Foundation will persevere for years to come. Your support will drive that vision. If you find yourself in a position, when you can give or want to give... I strongly encourage you to give to A Giving Spirit Foundation. My wish is that you become a giving spirit.”

For the past several years, AGSF has raised the majority of our funds through the annual Autumn Fest event. Last year’s event raised over $12,000 from attendees, silent auction bidding and donations from supporters unable to attend the event. Again, we thank you all for your contributions last year! A big special thank you goes to Kelly and Steve Gentry, who hosted the event at their beautiful home, local bands Sunday Union and Billy Jones who kept everyone entertained, and especially to the many wonderful women and men on the AGSF volunteer committee (led by Kim Fleming and Melissa Reddick). These people spent countless hours organizing this phenomenal event and it could not have gone more smoothly.

So, we’re giving our volunteers a year off this year from planning the big event. Instead, we’re going to treat this as a building year. We’re working on strengthening relationships in the community and learn how to build a stronger organization that can raise money year round and not be dependent on one large annual event. We’re here for the long haul so that we can realize Laura Woodall’s vision by continuing to make the lives of deserving mothers in the community facing a health challenge a little bit easier.

If you have fundraising ideas or experience and would like to become more involved, please email us at agsf@agivingspirit.org.

“They made me feel like somebody.” And that, my friends, is why we do this.


Sincerely,


The AGSF Board of Trustees

Sunday, September 18, 2011

It's a good day to support AGSF!

Approximately 14 cases of ALS are diagnosed each day. Most who develop the disease are between 40 and 70 yrs of age. The average expected survival time for those suffering from ALS is 3 to 5 yrs.

Any day is a good day to give a donation to A Giving Spirit Foundation.  You can donate by credit card using our secure site by clicking the Donate button in the upper right corner of this site.  


Or, mail a check made out to A Giving Spirit Foundation to:
A Giving Spirit Foundation

PO Box 815 
Davidson, NC  28036


Matching Gift Program
Many corporations allow their employees to increase the value of their donations to charitable and other organizations through a matching gift from the company.  Please consider checking with your employer to see if they have a matching gift program when making your gift to A Giving Spirit Foundation.


A Giving Spirit Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.