Send your caregiver HUGS this holiday season!
The Well Spouse Association begins the closing ceremony at each annual National Conference with two circles. During the ceremony, the inner circle of new members is joined together with the outer circle of those who have been WSA members for a while. Friendly hugs of support are exchanged between members who share much in common as spousal caregivers - despite the differences in their spouse's/partner's illness or disability.
The idea of this closing ceremony led us to offer a special opportunity to the family members, friends, co-workers, and neighbors of all well spouses to give their favorite caregiver a special gift this holiday season the gift of
HUGS (Help Us Give Support . . . Help Us Gain Support)
HUGS is our Friends and Family Campaign through which your
-- family member
-- friend
-- co-worker
-- neighbor
can donate to the WSA and send a message to you, the spousal caregiver, here:
Send HUGS and Donate https://secure.stardonor.com/giveto/HHS/36-3651073.html
Please copy and paste the letter below and email it to friends and family.
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Dear Friend or Family of a Caregiver,
In November, we celebrated National Family Caregivers Month. For the past twelve years, NFC Month has been recognized by the president of the United States as time to thank, support, and empower family caregivers. NFC Month is sponsored by many national and local caregiver organizations and supporters, each choosing their own way to participate in this special month.
As the WSA provides peer-to-peer emotional support to our members, we very often hear the need for daily encouragement and hugs during the long caregiver journeys experienced by our members. Why stop at one month to bring awareness to the well spouse? Why not carry the support started by National Family Caregivers Month right through the holidays and into the New Year? The Well Spouse Association invites you to join us in supporting our members - your family, friends, neighbors, and/or co-workers.
Our Friends and Family HUGS Campaign (Help Us Give Support . . . Help Us Gain Support) is your unique opportunity to honor your caregiver by sending an encouraging, uplifting message which will be printed in our next issues of the Mainstay newsletter. Imagine how surprised and empowered your family member or friend will feel when opening up that issue of Mainstay to read your message and the messages others have sent!
The Well Spouse Association recently celebrated our 20th Anniversary where four of our founders spoke eloquently about the need for such an organization, their struggles in starting a non-profit with this mission, and their hopes for what they could accomplish. There are millions of spousal caregivers and the need is even greater in 2009 than it was in 1988.
Non-profits, like WSA, are funded primarily through membership dues and donations. You can help support the well spouse community to which your loved one belongs by including your tax-deductible donation along with your message. Your donation will help offset the costs of this expanded issue of Mainstay and provide HUGS to our national organization to continue its mission. If you wish to make a one-time donation, please let us know. We will honor all requests regarding your contact preferences.
To participate, you can SEND YOUR MESSAGE NOW through our secure website
https://secure.stardonor.com/giveto/HHS/36-3651073.html
Please include your message in the special comments section or print this letter and send in your message with your donation to our office at:
Friends & Family
c/o Well Spouse Association
63 West Main Street, Suite H
Freehold, NJ 07728
Should you wish to receive more information about the Well Spouse Association, would like to donate by phone, or have further questions, please contact us at (800) 838-0879 or (732) 577-8899.
PS - Our next issue of Mainstay will be coming out by January 31, 2009, so send your message soon to meet this deadline! Feel free to send in your donation prior to December 31st to receive a tax deduction in 2008!
Sincerely,
Richard Anderson
President, Well Spouse Association
