September 30, 2012
"A small group of thoughtful
people could change the world.
Indeed, it's the only thing that
ever has." Margaret Mead
A Giving Spirit
Foundation (AGSF) is a small group of people with two big goals: make the lives
of women suffering from debilitating diseases a little easier; and participate
in the larger, longer fight against ALS.
Who are some of the
women we’ve helped this past year? Women
who were all employed mothers providing for their families until an illness
forced them to the sidelines. Women who have exhausted all other resources and
may be on the brink of losing their home or worse. AGSF finds itself playing a critical role in
supporting families and allowing them to heal with dignity and get themselves
back to work and into society.
·
Ms. Y.:
Breast cancer, double mastectomy, hysterectomy. A single mother of
4 children, Ms. Y was physically unable to work for 8 weeks during her
treatment and fell behind in her rent and utility payments. AGSF paid her
rent and utilities until she was able to return to work.
·
Ms. S:
Stage 4 breast cancer. A single mother of a 17 year old son, Ms. S
was forced to choose between making her rent payments and maintaining the
insurance which was paying for her medication and treatments. AGSF paid
her rent until her social security benefits kicked in.
·
Ms. G:
Breast cancer, mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
Ms. G was physically unable to work during her treatments and her short term
disability benefits expired before she could return to work. AGSF covered
her rent and utilities until she was able to work again.
·
Ms. J:
Stage 4 breast cancer. A single mother of a 12 year old daughter,
Ms. J was in danger of being evicted while she waited for her disability
benefits to start. AGSF paid her back rent and allowed the family to stay
in their apartment until she started receiving her full SS benefits.
It is because of you
that these women were able to stay in their home, pay for medical treatments
and get back to work and continue to provide for their family.
In 2012, we decided
to forgo our typical “one big event” fundraising method and instead went
grassroots. And how exciting it was to
see individuals and local businesses step up and say to all of their friends
and customers that “A Giving Spirit Foundation is an important organization and
I want to lend my time and give my money to it.”
At the end of 2011 we
unexpectedly received a $2500 grant from Stuart Levine & Associates. As a result of this grant, we received a
matching grant from Broadridge Financial Solutions. Both companies are located
in the Northeast but Laura Somerville Woodall’s story and her dreams for AGSF
reached the right people. Many, many thanks to Larry Tarica who made this gift
of $5000 possible.
In early 2012, Robyn
Kilby Smith approached board member Lisa Bynum about running the South Park
Racefest half marathon with her to raise funds for AGSF. Through their CrowdRise fundraising pages,
they raised over $4700 by the time they crossed the finish line in April.
2012 marked the start
of our first AGSF Awareness Month! We chose May as
AGSF Awareness month to coincide with three meaningful events: May
is ALS Awareness month; May 5th is Laura Somerville Woodall's birthday and Mother’s
Day is celebrated in May. These three
events are at the heart of AGSF so there was no better month in which to spread
the word of what we do and who we help.
Special thanks go to
these supporters and businesses:
·
Susan
Perry Yarber of www.simpliSPY.com offered to host an
info-cocktail party at FABO Café in Charlotte.
Attendees learned about AGSF and 10% of sales that evening from FABO
went to AGSF.
·
Sabi Restaurant of Davidson extended their “Chow
Down For Charity” from one day to three days and 10% of sales to AGSF
supporters went to AGSF.
·
Main Street Books in Davidson gave a portion of
their sales from Davidson Town Day to AGSF.
·
Ben & Jerry’s of Davidson hosted an ice cream
social one evening and not only donated a percentage of sales but also donated
all tips to AGSF.
·
Pam Hansen led a yoga “karma” class at GottaYoga
Lake Norman and all participants donated their class fee to AGSF.
And these entrepreneurial kids prove
it’s never too early to show their giving spirit:
·
Caroline and
Michael Swartz hosted a lemonade and brownie stand in their neighborhood to
benefit AGSF.
·
Mayella Strodel,
Alli Fleming and Kylie Skovira created the “m.a.k. kandy kave” candy booth at
Davidson Town Day and donated all their proceeds to AGSF.
We wish we had the
space to acknowledge all of our generous donors. Your gifts are deeply
appreciated by the AGSF Board and the families and ALS research institutions
who ultimately receive them.
In June, local
magazine Lake Norman Currents decided to feature Laura Woodall and AGSF in that
month’s issue. The headline gets it right:
Light in the Face of Adversity; Laura Woodall’s courage fuels A Giving Spirit
Foundation. If you did not have the opportunity to pick up a copy, you can
view it online. You can find the link
posted on our website and Facebook page (links in left margin).
All of this leads to AGSF fulfilling
the mission of helping deserving area mothers who are facing a debilitating
disease. Each research discovery that Project A.L.S. or the ALS Association
makes is also a result of these efforts.
The
goals for 2013 are simple:
raise enough money to continue funding the grants that have proven vital to
many area mothers; continue to support research institutions searching for a
cure for ALS; and spread the word about this organization so that it can make a
greater impact on the community and secure its legacy for years to come.
That’s the hope of Laura Woodall and those
that believe in A Giving Spirit.
Margaret Mead is
right, and this small group is indeed making progress. But if 2012 has shown us anything, it will
only happen with the continued support of each of you.
Sincerely,
A Giving Spirit Foundation Board of
Trustees
