| JoyRx | 30 May 2009 |
| This certainly is an exciting time. by Regina |
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I believe the new creativity, pressures and drive we are all feeling will encourage our entire community to collaborate more effectively, reduce duplication of services, spark new ways of doing business and support social partnerships. CCA provides some of the most human needs for families facing medical crisis: comfort, joy, food, financial resource networks, and hope.
Where Are We? Over the last four months, CCA has seen a dramatic rise in our family support, end-of-life support, mentorship during hospital stays, and bedside music for families we serve (a 136% increase in service requests over last year). In addition, our hospital partners are asking for more services from CCA to meet challenges and gaps they face as they adjust to budget and staff cuts. We are the only community organization addressing the non-medical needs of seriously ill children with our programs of joy, and our community needs us more than ever before. In the face of this increasing need, we approach the reality of a 20% overall reduction of corporate and foundation support. We are continuing to take steps to further tighten operations, trim costs, and deliver services even more efficiently than ever before.
What Are We Doing? CCA is strong, healthy and continuing to work hard to sustain all current programming and operations without depleting our cash reserves. In March, we levied an organization wide expense reduction and leveraged untapped in-kind corporate and community support, like our new vendor management services with a local accounting firm and the engagement of 75% more weekly volunteers to help us answer phones, provide administrative and program support, ignite fundraising opportunities, and reach out more to our community. We feel and see good things happening.
For the last 14 years, the Children's Cancer Association has grown and thrived through the good and hard times because of the gifts, time and talents our friends and supporters have shared with us. Now more than ever, the families we serve need your compassionate help to ensure we continue delivering CCA's on-of-a-kind JoyRx every day! We'd love to hear your ideas and we welcome your involvement. It's an exciting and wonderful time to help lead and see our organization grow and weather these economic changes in our local and national community. I believe we will be a stronger organization because of it.
I'd like to hear from you, please email me your ideas and suggestions. Thank you for helping us in every way you can! Good people, help, and compassion - it's what matters in all our lives.
Regina Ellis, Chief Executive Officer & Founder
