[HeartStrongList] Important August Update from HeartStrong

[heartstrong at heartstrong.org]

Dear HeartStrong Friends,

Somewhere in Wisconsin this pat summer, the HeartStrong Outreach Team
passed driving 387,000 miles since 1998 in our efforts to reach students
and educate the public.

We are now working hard to finalize our plans for the 37th
outreach/educational trip together.

This trip will take us through Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New
York, Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC, and Connecticut.

We are excited about all of the outreach and educational work that we will
be able to do during this time.  This trip begins on September 9 and goes
until October 14th.  When everything is said and done we will have done
around 17 HeartStrong Forums.

We are so grateful to so many of you who are helping to keep HeartStrong
alive and working.  In this desperate economy this organization is
struggling just to stay afloat HeartStrong is still struggling to stay
open after losing more than 60% of our monthly financial support so far
this year.

As it is, HeartStrong has never once in nearly 14 years received enough
funding for one year’s budget.  HeartStrong typically operates on 1/3 of
our expected budget.  To lose 60% of that 1/3 is devastating.

Hope is free but there is a financial cost to delivering that hope.  And
here we are almost 3/4 of the way through 2009 and we are faced with very
difficult decisions.   We have already been forced to put all new outreach
efforts to students on hold.  There simply isn’t any money in the
HeartStrong bank account for HeartStrong to do anything more than the very
bare minimum.

HeartStrong is about to enter the 2009/2010 school year financially crippled.

With so many people losing their jobs, their  homes and their livelihood
it’s hard to think about asking for more money.  But in the toughest
times, our faith in our HeartStrong friends does not waver.

For those of you who are blessed enough to continue to support our work,
we are extremely grateful.

If you are able, a special extra gift to HeartStrong at this time would be
appreciated.

Many of you reading this are not monthly donors.  We could really use your
commitment to giving to HeartStrong to help us continue this work.

Please think about what it is that you can do to help HeartStrong
financially.

Every amount helps!

It's easy to make a tax deductible gift to HeartStrong.  Just click on
this link  http://heartstrong.org/HeartStrong/125012100.html and make a
secure donation.

If you would like to make a monthly pledge and have your credit or debit
card automatically charged each month (saving you time & stamps!) please
email me at heartstrong at heartstrong.org or call 206-388-3894.

Whichever you choose, please take a moment and do it today.  Your support
is greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,
Shelley Craig, PhD, LCSW
President, HeartStrong, Inc.

PS:  Please feel free to add our executive director, Marc Adams as your
friend on Facebook and join HeartStrong as a cause on Facebook.  You can
also follow the HeartStrong Outreach Team at
http://www.twitter.com/heartstronginc