Save H.E.L.P.
HELP Intl. is a volunteer organization that does humanitarian projects throughout Central America.
I worked with HELP as a country dir. and later an assistant programs dir. It is a great organization but needs the help of gernerous people to keep it going. I know that it has impacted my life in a major way and many other young people
Please Help HELP. This is a letter sent out to volunteer alumni from the Executive Dir.
Please do what you can.
Hey guys,
I have very mixed emotions as I send you this email. After seven wonderful years, HELP may have to permanently close its doors. This is not a decision that we are taking lightly nor is it made without fully looking at all the options. As it now stands, HELP cannot financially continue the way we have been running.
As you know, our financial model is based on part of our funds coming from volunteer program fees and the rest from board fundraising. Between the large-scale disasters of the Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, small organizations like HELP International are feeling a huge crunch. While most people are aware of the immediate crisis when a disaster is hot news, HELP knows from experience that long after the conflict has subsided, or the floodwaters have receded, there is still a need for assistance in building long-term economic recovery. HELP is committed to our partner organizations and communities in crisis countries long after the media has moved on to other news events.
We appreciate those of you who have recently donated to help our partners and friends in Guatemala and El Salvador after the devastation of Hurricane Stan. We have raised almost $3000 for the victims. We will continue to work to get those funds to our partners and help them as much as we can.
Believe me when I say that I really do not want this to be the end of HELP, but as of now, we have few other options. We are currently making one last major fundraising effort to allow HELP to continue. Your parents will be receiving letters informing them of our situation and asking for their financial assistance. Please encourage your parents to donate, donate yourself, and if you know someone who may be interested in becoming a supporter of HELP, please send them our way.
While HELP’s future is precarious, programmatically we are stronger than ever. We need funding for 2006 to continue our large-group work in Central America. In addition, due to HELP’s unique reputation and our training and support structure for our volunteers, we are now receiving requests for small teams of 3 to 5 well-prepared social entrepreneurial students to do targeted projects in other countries. So while we’re in a financial crisis, there is greater demand than ever for our skills. We would very much like to respond to these requests from countries where such great need also exists. We have received requests from:
Schools in Uganda
Microcredit groups in Panama
Cooperatives in Ivory Coast
Women entrepreneurs in India
LDS members in Madagascar
Community groups in the Gulf Coast
Local Craftsman in Ghana
To respond to these pleas for assistance, we need significant new sources of funding. As it now stands, HELP may have to discontinue all of its programs due to lack of funds.
I am asking you, as a past volunteer who knows and cares about HELP, to join us in this effort to rebuild and boost HELP into the next year. Continue telling your friends and family about your experiences. Tell them the stories and the small things that you did to make a huge difference in the lives of the people we serve. If you are interested in getting involved, we have lots of ideas and ways that you can help us bring in the funds to continue to make a difference. We have discussion booklets that describe who we are and what we have done. You can add your own pictures to this to tell your own experiences. We have several volunteers already setting up individual fundraising meetings, dances and concerts in their own area. Your efforts can make a difference!
Thank you for your participation in our program and for your support of HELP. We hope that you will recall the impact that your HELP experience had on your life and understand the importance of being able to continue offering this in years to come. Think of the people that you served and the excitement they have when we return every year. We really need your help! Please feel free to call me if you have questions or want to chat about this. 801-374-0556
Thanks again,
Jen
Jennifer Boehme
Executive Director
HELP International
phone (801) 374-0556
fax (801) 374-0457
www.help-international.org
I worked with HELP as a country dir. and later an assistant programs dir. It is a great organization but needs the help of gernerous people to keep it going. I know that it has impacted my life in a major way and many other young people
Please Help HELP. This is a letter sent out to volunteer alumni from the Executive Dir.
Please do what you can.
Hey guys,
I have very mixed emotions as I send you this email. After seven wonderful years, HELP may have to permanently close its doors. This is not a decision that we are taking lightly nor is it made without fully looking at all the options. As it now stands, HELP cannot financially continue the way we have been running.
As you know, our financial model is based on part of our funds coming from volunteer program fees and the rest from board fundraising. Between the large-scale disasters of the Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, small organizations like HELP International are feeling a huge crunch. While most people are aware of the immediate crisis when a disaster is hot news, HELP knows from experience that long after the conflict has subsided, or the floodwaters have receded, there is still a need for assistance in building long-term economic recovery. HELP is committed to our partner organizations and communities in crisis countries long after the media has moved on to other news events.
We appreciate those of you who have recently donated to help our partners and friends in Guatemala and El Salvador after the devastation of Hurricane Stan. We have raised almost $3000 for the victims. We will continue to work to get those funds to our partners and help them as much as we can.
Believe me when I say that I really do not want this to be the end of HELP, but as of now, we have few other options. We are currently making one last major fundraising effort to allow HELP to continue. Your parents will be receiving letters informing them of our situation and asking for their financial assistance. Please encourage your parents to donate, donate yourself, and if you know someone who may be interested in becoming a supporter of HELP, please send them our way.
While HELP’s future is precarious, programmatically we are stronger than ever. We need funding for 2006 to continue our large-group work in Central America. In addition, due to HELP’s unique reputation and our training and support structure for our volunteers, we are now receiving requests for small teams of 3 to 5 well-prepared social entrepreneurial students to do targeted projects in other countries. So while we’re in a financial crisis, there is greater demand than ever for our skills. We would very much like to respond to these requests from countries where such great need also exists. We have received requests from:
Schools in Uganda
Microcredit groups in Panama
Cooperatives in Ivory Coast
Women entrepreneurs in India
LDS members in Madagascar
Community groups in the Gulf Coast
Local Craftsman in Ghana
To respond to these pleas for assistance, we need significant new sources of funding. As it now stands, HELP may have to discontinue all of its programs due to lack of funds.
I am asking you, as a past volunteer who knows and cares about HELP, to join us in this effort to rebuild and boost HELP into the next year. Continue telling your friends and family about your experiences. Tell them the stories and the small things that you did to make a huge difference in the lives of the people we serve. If you are interested in getting involved, we have lots of ideas and ways that you can help us bring in the funds to continue to make a difference. We have discussion booklets that describe who we are and what we have done. You can add your own pictures to this to tell your own experiences. We have several volunteers already setting up individual fundraising meetings, dances and concerts in their own area. Your efforts can make a difference!
Thank you for your participation in our program and for your support of HELP. We hope that you will recall the impact that your HELP experience had on your life and understand the importance of being able to continue offering this in years to come. Think of the people that you served and the excitement they have when we return every year. We really need your help! Please feel free to call me if you have questions or want to chat about this. 801-374-0556
Thanks again,
Jen
Jennifer Boehme
Executive Director
HELP International
phone (801) 374-0556
fax (801) 374-0457
www.help-international.org
posted by Brooks Dame at 12:03 PM
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