Dear John,

Earlier this week, our director of programs shared the story of a recent Live Your Dream Awards recipient named Kristen, who overcame past trauma and is now helping to heal youth in her community.

Kristen’s story stuck with me because it demonstrated a truth so clearly:

When you change one woman’s life, it sets off a ripple effect that transforms the lives of countless others.

Thanks to the Live Your Dream Awards, Kristen is paying that gift forward by bringing hope and healing to fellow survivors. She’s working for juvenile justice to empower youth who have had traumatic childhoods like her own. YOU made that extraordinary impact possible.

The powerful ripple effect of our work shows up everywhere. Just recently, a girl named Aylin who participated in Dream It, Be It in 2019 wrote to us. She told us that Dream It, Be It helped her realize that her calling was to be a teacher. Aylin is now getting her degree in education so she can help students follow their dreams, too.

Women like Kristen and girls like Aylin are the reason we do this work. Their compassion for others is living proof of an old African proverb: “when you educate a woman, you educate a whole nation.”

This idea becomes even more powerful when you realize that nearly 80 percent of our Live Your Dream Award recipients work in helping professions — fields like healthcare, mental health, or education.

With your help, we can support more women and girls like Kristen and Aylin, plus all those whose lives they will touch through their service.

If you find these stories as inspiring as I do, I hope you’ll consider showing your support for our Dream Programs today.

Please make a special end-of-year donation to invest in the dreams of women and girls. Your gift is tax-deductible for 2020 if you give by midnight today, December 31. And remember that under the CARES Act, you can write off up to $300 in charitable donations on your 2020 income tax return.

Thank you, and warm wishes to each of you and to your families for a Happy New Year!

With gratitude,

Karen Rauppius
Manager, LiveYourDream.org

P.S. Consider making your tax-deductible donation by midnight tonight. Your support creates a ripple effect that transforms the lives of women and girls plus the communities they serve.