I know I haven't written in awhile, as I was set to 'close down' the fundraiser, but I think it's a great idea to have, prior to my transplant which should be soon, a nice fundraiser here in FL. I know that most of my (if not all) fundraising committee is in NY, however, using the wonder's of online access, we can gather up some FL residents to help spread the word
For those who don't know what's going on, please read my blog here. A lot has happened and it's just way too much to get into right here.
I was thinking about having a little barbecue where I'm staying at, Shore's Terrace, and I've got permission from the owner to have a barbecue on the patio.
Please contact if you wish to help and if you've got any suggestions on a fundraiser, please contact me. Thanks
Monday, June 25, 2012
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Canister Campaign Update
For those who did not receive the message, I have canisters with the NFT Campaign label on it, to be placed at convenient locations (your workplace, store's, restaurants, etc.) where it would be convenient for you to pick up the donations twice a month, and that would get noticed (a store with a large counter top would be ideal. High traffic areas, as well. Places that have an employee at the counter at all times to prevent theft).
If you have an ideal location that you think would be a good place to put a canister, please contact me and I will get one out to you. Even if you're not local, the best way to get the funds to the NFT Campaign, is to have all donations put in a money order (it must be a money order, not a personal check, for tax reasons; if a personal check is sent, then it will seem like the funds are coming from you, personally) and send it to:
National Foundation for Transplants
New York Transplant Fund
In Honor of Victoria Santiago
5350 Poplar Avenue, Suite 430
Memphis, TN 38119
For those who have not done so, please send the appeal letter to your family, friends, co-workers and acquaintances. You can download it from here, print it out and mail it to them, or simply email it to all of your contacts. Spreading the word is key to keeping this fundraiser going!
I've been feeling very ill lately, and have not had a chance to post, and for that, I apologize. Keeping everyone informed and active is essential to any fundraiser.
Just to keep everyone up to date on my health status; I'm getting a Right Side Heart Catheterization in 2 weeks to determine my medical clearance for surgery. If I do finally get medically cleared, than potential living donors can get screened, and once a match is found, a surgery date can then be set. I'm hoping that this will be my greatest Christmas present of all! To know that my surgery will go forward, and receive the gift of life from a courageous family member! That is truly priceless.
I would like to close with a great big Thanks to all who have volunteered(ing), and those who have donated already. I will try to keep everyone abreast as to what is going on, and I would appreciate those who have canisters already, to send me the forms that are necessary to be filled out by the place of business where the canister will be at. Also, I've already said that all proceeds from the canister must be sent via money order, however, if there's less than $10 in the canister, then I would suggest holding onto the funds until it reaches and exceeds $10, since the price of a money order is roughly $1, it really doesn't make sense to pay $1 for a money order if there's less than $10 in the canister. Once again, thanks for your help & time!
If you have an ideal location that you think would be a good place to put a canister, please contact me and I will get one out to you. Even if you're not local, the best way to get the funds to the NFT Campaign, is to have all donations put in a money order (it must be a money order, not a personal check, for tax reasons; if a personal check is sent, then it will seem like the funds are coming from you, personally) and send it to:
National Foundation for Transplants
New York Transplant Fund
In Honor of Victoria Santiago
5350 Poplar Avenue, Suite 430
Memphis, TN 38119
I have forms that would need to be filled out, as well as business solicitation letters, and a memorandum that explains what the Canister Campaign is all about. My appeal letter is here also (in English & Spanish). In the event that you don't have any of these forms, or have lost them or need more copies, you can download them from here.
For those who have not done so, please send the appeal letter to your family, friends, co-workers and acquaintances. You can download it from here, print it out and mail it to them, or simply email it to all of your contacts. Spreading the word is key to keeping this fundraiser going!
I've been feeling very ill lately, and have not had a chance to post, and for that, I apologize. Keeping everyone informed and active is essential to any fundraiser.
Just to keep everyone up to date on my health status; I'm getting a Right Side Heart Catheterization in 2 weeks to determine my medical clearance for surgery. If I do finally get medically cleared, than potential living donors can get screened, and once a match is found, a surgery date can then be set. I'm hoping that this will be my greatest Christmas present of all! To know that my surgery will go forward, and receive the gift of life from a courageous family member! That is truly priceless.
I would like to close with a great big Thanks to all who have volunteered(ing), and those who have donated already. I will try to keep everyone abreast as to what is going on, and I would appreciate those who have canisters already, to send me the forms that are necessary to be filled out by the place of business where the canister will be at. Also, I've already said that all proceeds from the canister must be sent via money order, however, if there's less than $10 in the canister, then I would suggest holding onto the funds until it reaches and exceeds $10, since the price of a money order is roughly $1, it really doesn't make sense to pay $1 for a money order if there's less than $10 in the canister. Once again, thanks for your help & time!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
What's been going on lately...
First off, I'd like to thank all of my volunteers who've emailed and mailed my Appeal Letters out, and were able to raise substantial funds thus far.
For those who are volunteering, I've sent all of you an email that you can forward to all of your contacts, to help spread the word around. We've made a big improvement and have raised funds, and I'm also happy to say that, thanks to Lowe's for their donation, the quart-sized paint cans have been slit on the lids, so that for our next meeting, we can discuss the 'Canister Campaign' and those who think they can get businesses to put a canister at their establishment, this would be a great campaign. Even if we only get $2.00 in each can per week, with 18 cans in circulation, that's $32.00 a week, so every amount helps.
Of course, choosing a proper business to put a canister at is a major factor. You don't want to place canisters at locations where customers go to and spend a small quantity of money at, or places that just don't have any counter space, or a store where a clerk is rarely at the counter, since this maximizes the threat of theft.
All this, and more, will be discussed at October 18th's meeting. I'm still hoping on getting a new location where these meetings can be held on a weekend, and it's not difficult for the volunteers to get to.
Keep up the good work, everyone! Till next time...
For those who are volunteering, I've sent all of you an email that you can forward to all of your contacts, to help spread the word around. We've made a big improvement and have raised funds, and I'm also happy to say that, thanks to Lowe's for their donation, the quart-sized paint cans have been slit on the lids, so that for our next meeting, we can discuss the 'Canister Campaign' and those who think they can get businesses to put a canister at their establishment, this would be a great campaign. Even if we only get $2.00 in each can per week, with 18 cans in circulation, that's $32.00 a week, so every amount helps.
Of course, choosing a proper business to put a canister at is a major factor. You don't want to place canisters at locations where customers go to and spend a small quantity of money at, or places that just don't have any counter space, or a store where a clerk is rarely at the counter, since this maximizes the threat of theft.
All this, and more, will be discussed at October 18th's meeting. I'm still hoping on getting a new location where these meetings can be held on a weekend, and it's not difficult for the volunteers to get to.
Keep up the good work, everyone! Till next time...
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Our very 1st Committee Meeting...
First off, I'd like to thank those who attended the Committee Meeting tonight, and am proud to announce that I got my very first donation from Lowes today!
For those who could not make the meeting, we watched a video about NFT, who they are, and what their function is. NFT is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization that helps transplant patients raise funds for out of pocket transplant related expenses.
Also, we spoke about the importance of becoming an organ donor, which in NY can be found here. We also discussed the first task at hand, which is the 'Appeal Letter Campaign', and for everyone who is down as a volunteer, received 2 emails from me tonight. The second email is meant to be forwarded to all of your contacts (if there are people who wish to donate, but don't have a computer, please send me an email & I will email you the forms to fill out, or you can print out the email, and give it to them) before the next Committee Meeting, which will be October 18th, 2011 at 6:30PM
I know this time-slot is not the best time slot, so I'm going to keep looking for a location (library branch), that is open on Saturdays, and can spare an hour for use of their community room. I understand that people are very tired after work, and wish to get home, however, the only reason I held this meeting tonight, is because I had a lot of people who are willing to volunteer, and I needed to get the fundraising started asap.
Attendance was poor, there were some people who said that they were coming, who did not make it, for whatever reason, & that's fine, however, important materials were handed out tonight, and it's pertinent that all of my volunteers have these materials.
I do have most of these materials on my computer, some of them I scanned & my scanner's quality isn't good.
To those who couldn't make tonight's meeting, please email me for the documents that I handed out, or, better yet, I will send them to all who were unable to attend & you can print them out at your convenience.
For all volunteers, I am looking for another venue that can accommodate a meeting on a Saturday, possibly in the afternoon, which is a more desirable time, since most people are not working on Saturdays.
Thanks for your support!
For those who could not make the meeting, we watched a video about NFT, who they are, and what their function is. NFT is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization that helps transplant patients raise funds for out of pocket transplant related expenses.
Also, we spoke about the importance of becoming an organ donor, which in NY can be found here. We also discussed the first task at hand, which is the 'Appeal Letter Campaign', and for everyone who is down as a volunteer, received 2 emails from me tonight. The second email is meant to be forwarded to all of your contacts (if there are people who wish to donate, but don't have a computer, please send me an email & I will email you the forms to fill out, or you can print out the email, and give it to them) before the next Committee Meeting, which will be October 18th, 2011 at 6:30PM
I know this time-slot is not the best time slot, so I'm going to keep looking for a location (library branch), that is open on Saturdays, and can spare an hour for use of their community room. I understand that people are very tired after work, and wish to get home, however, the only reason I held this meeting tonight, is because I had a lot of people who are willing to volunteer, and I needed to get the fundraising started asap.
Attendance was poor, there were some people who said that they were coming, who did not make it, for whatever reason, & that's fine, however, important materials were handed out tonight, and it's pertinent that all of my volunteers have these materials.
I do have most of these materials on my computer, some of them I scanned & my scanner's quality isn't good.
To those who couldn't make tonight's meeting, please email me for the documents that I handed out, or, better yet, I will send them to all who were unable to attend & you can print them out at your convenience.
For all volunteers, I am looking for another venue that can accommodate a meeting on a Saturday, possibly in the afternoon, which is a more desirable time, since most people are not working on Saturdays.
Thanks for your support!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
October 4th at 6:30 PM is our First Committee Meeting!!
I just got off the telephone with the Supervisor of Sunset Park Brooklyn Public Library. We have been approved to hold our meetings, every other Tuesday, at 6:30PM, starting October 4th. I was a bit hesitant on the dates to meet, whether to have the first meeting on October 4th, or on October 11th.
Since October 4th is 5 days from now, I think that's sufficient notice for the first meeting. The meeting will take place at: 5108 4th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11220 at 6:30PM sharp!
I would ask everyone to aim to get there by 6:15PM, since the meeting will start at 6:30PM, plus, as the library closes at 8:00PM, we must wrap up the meeting at exactly 7:30PM.
The agreement with this facility is determined every 3 months to have our meetings there. I really would have preferred a Saturday, however, I've been on the phone all week and Saturdays are pretty much taken on most of locations.
I did meet a very nice woman, but she was the supervisor of the Walt Whitman branch, which is very far, also, they're not open on Saturdays.
I realize that this may be a hardship for volunteers to get there, which is why I'm not holding meetings every week, they are being held twice a month. Here is the calendar of our first meetings:
Please bring a friends with you to this first meeting, as the first meeting is very important, and will cover the basics of being a volunteer, and paperwork, and important information will be shared.
As luck would have it, we can start the 'Canister Campaign' very soon, since Lowes is generously making a donation of quart-sized paint cans on October 3rd, the day before our first meeting. However, I don't want everyone to feel overwhelmed, so perhaps I will cover that the following meeting.
I don't believe that I can bring my coffee pot :-(, but, I can get the large box of brewed coffee from Dunkin Donuts for all who attend.
Please send me an email and let me know if you are attending this meeting, and if you are bringing any friends with you, so I can get an idea of how many people will be attending.
Thank you all so much, and I really hope to see you there!
Since October 4th is 5 days from now, I think that's sufficient notice for the first meeting. The meeting will take place at: 5108 4th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11220 at 6:30PM sharp!
I would ask everyone to aim to get there by 6:15PM, since the meeting will start at 6:30PM, plus, as the library closes at 8:00PM, we must wrap up the meeting at exactly 7:30PM.
The agreement with this facility is determined every 3 months to have our meetings there. I really would have preferred a Saturday, however, I've been on the phone all week and Saturdays are pretty much taken on most of locations.
I did meet a very nice woman, but she was the supervisor of the Walt Whitman branch, which is very far, also, they're not open on Saturdays.
I realize that this may be a hardship for volunteers to get there, which is why I'm not holding meetings every week, they are being held twice a month. Here is the calendar of our first meetings:
- October 4th, 2011, 6:30PM
- October 18th, 2011, 6:30PM
- November 1st, 2011, 6:30PM
- November 15th, 2011, 6:30PM
- November 29th, 2011, 6:30PM
Please bring a friends with you to this first meeting, as the first meeting is very important, and will cover the basics of being a volunteer, and paperwork, and important information will be shared.
As luck would have it, we can start the 'Canister Campaign' very soon, since Lowes is generously making a donation of quart-sized paint cans on October 3rd, the day before our first meeting. However, I don't want everyone to feel overwhelmed, so perhaps I will cover that the following meeting.
I don't believe that I can bring my coffee pot :-(, but, I can get the large box of brewed coffee from Dunkin Donuts for all who attend.
Please send me an email and let me know if you are attending this meeting, and if you are bringing any friends with you, so I can get an idea of how many people will be attending.
Thank you all so much, and I really hope to see you there!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Got a Location! But...
Ok, as the title says, I've finally got a location, however, Saturdays were full. This is at the Brooklyn Public Library in Sunset Park on 51st & 4 ave.
They're open on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 8PM though. Unfortunately, the latest time I could book was for 6:30PM (since we have to be cleared out by 7:30PM and this is a one hour meeting).
Will this be a hardship for you to get to? Remember, this is only 2 days of the month, it's every other week.
I've been trying really hard to find a location at a church, with no luck. One priest actually said "He's not interested, and doesn't have the room" to me in an email. When he said that, all of my 'kindness' flew out of the window! I replied "You're not interested? Or you don't have the room? You're not interested in a Catholic woman who is dying of liver disease with a 10 year old son to raise? If you don't have the room, then do you know of a location that perhaps can help me?" What a jerk! And this is from a priest!
Anyways, please let me know ASAP if this time & location works for you (it's right off the N & R trains on 53rd Street & 4th Avenue).
Also, at the library, it's an 'open door' policy, so I'm pretty sure that there will be more volunteers, since the meetings will be posted on the library community board & cycled throughout the library. I hope that this time & location works for everyone. I will know before Friday if the day will be Tuesday or Thursday, but it will be at that date and location. Thanks...
They're open on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 8PM though. Unfortunately, the latest time I could book was for 6:30PM (since we have to be cleared out by 7:30PM and this is a one hour meeting).
Will this be a hardship for you to get to? Remember, this is only 2 days of the month, it's every other week.
I've been trying really hard to find a location at a church, with no luck. One priest actually said "He's not interested, and doesn't have the room" to me in an email. When he said that, all of my 'kindness' flew out of the window! I replied "You're not interested? Or you don't have the room? You're not interested in a Catholic woman who is dying of liver disease with a 10 year old son to raise? If you don't have the room, then do you know of a location that perhaps can help me?" What a jerk! And this is from a priest!
Anyways, please let me know ASAP if this time & location works for you (it's right off the N & R trains on 53rd Street & 4th Avenue).
Also, at the library, it's an 'open door' policy, so I'm pretty sure that there will be more volunteers, since the meetings will be posted on the library community board & cycled throughout the library. I hope that this time & location works for everyone. I will know before Friday if the day will be Tuesday or Thursday, but it will be at that date and location. Thanks...
Thursday, September 22, 2011
CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!!
I have been looking for a venue to hold the bi-weekly (2 times per month) Committee Meetings for those who have signed up as Volunteers, in the Brooklyn area, and I'm hitting a little snag in that department.
If anyone knows of any venue's that would be willing to allow us use of a room for 1 hour, on a Saturday, between the hours of 4-6pm, then contact me immediately.
These meetings are vital in getting the Volunteers together on 'the same page'. I was considering in holding a meeting in the park, but the weather is a bit too cold now for that. However, if need be, then that's where our first meeting will be held, in Owls Head Park, in Bay Ridge Brooklyn.
I don't want to resort to that, and am making every effort to find a more suitable venue (even a classroom, if it's allowed), I will do that. So, I am still sending out emails and making phone calls, however, if anyone knows of a place where we can gather (whether it's at your office, or of a local community center that you may know), please pass on that information to me.
Either way, the first meeting will be held on October 1, 2011, Saturday, at 5pm. The location is to be determined. But if we don't get our first meeting underway, then the Committee will fall apart.
I will post a new blog as soon as the venue is determined, but it will be in Brooklyn, and I'm looking at the Sunset Park, Bay Ridge, Boro Park areas.
This is also the site where recaps of the Committee meeting highlights will be posted. However, at these meetings, flyers and other important items will be distributed. So, if you can't make a meeting, and view this blog for information on key points to the meeting, there will be documents that you may not have that were distributed. If that's the case, than we would either have to meet for me to give you these documents, or you can pay for a shipping label for me to mail them to you. It's very important that these meetings are attended, to keep the unity & to keep everybody focused on what's going on in the Committee. Thanks for your time!
PS-For those who have signed up as Volunteers already, please 'join this site' by clicking the blue button on the right that says "Join this Site" via google friend connect, so you can stay up to date on when blogs are posted that are Committee related. Thanks!
If anyone knows of any venue's that would be willing to allow us use of a room for 1 hour, on a Saturday, between the hours of 4-6pm, then contact me immediately.
These meetings are vital in getting the Volunteers together on 'the same page'. I was considering in holding a meeting in the park, but the weather is a bit too cold now for that. However, if need be, then that's where our first meeting will be held, in Owls Head Park, in Bay Ridge Brooklyn.
I don't want to resort to that, and am making every effort to find a more suitable venue (even a classroom, if it's allowed), I will do that. So, I am still sending out emails and making phone calls, however, if anyone knows of a place where we can gather (whether it's at your office, or of a local community center that you may know), please pass on that information to me.
Either way, the first meeting will be held on October 1, 2011, Saturday, at 5pm. The location is to be determined. But if we don't get our first meeting underway, then the Committee will fall apart.
I will post a new blog as soon as the venue is determined, but it will be in Brooklyn, and I'm looking at the Sunset Park, Bay Ridge, Boro Park areas.
This is also the site where recaps of the Committee meeting highlights will be posted. However, at these meetings, flyers and other important items will be distributed. So, if you can't make a meeting, and view this blog for information on key points to the meeting, there will be documents that you may not have that were distributed. If that's the case, than we would either have to meet for me to give you these documents, or you can pay for a shipping label for me to mail them to you. It's very important that these meetings are attended, to keep the unity & to keep everybody focused on what's going on in the Committee. Thanks for your time!
PS-For those who have signed up as Volunteers already, please 'join this site' by clicking the blue button on the right that says "Join this Site" via google friend connect, so you can stay up to date on when blogs are posted that are Committee related. Thanks!
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