Click Here to Read Our Newsletter Online!

As we continue to broaden our exposure and develop our website, the Winter issue of our Connections newsletter is now online and will be distributed beginning this weekend to nearly 8,000 current and prospective volunteers, donors, employees, businesses, youth ministers, life teams, churches, supporting organizations, collaborative partners, event participants, sponsors, prospective mission partners and board members...just to name a few!

This represents a 3,000 copy increase over previous issues in addition to those who will read it online! (You can view it online right now by clicking on the title of this post.)

We have a limited number of extras copies for your use. Please call our Development Administrative Assistant, Chris Blassingame, at 314-783-3040 ext 227 or email her at cblassingame@thrivestlouis.org to request additional copies.

If you have ideas or suggestions for newsletter content, Erin would love your feedback at eherwig@thrivestlouis.org. You may also reach Erin by phone at 314-783-3040 ext 224 or by cell, 471-3444.

And so you have all Development contact information in one post, my email address is thunter@thrivestlouis.org. You may reach me by phone at 314-783-3040 ext 225 or by cell, 314-740-9857.

ThriVe in the Morning - on 97.1 FM Talk

A few weeks ago, we welcomed radio personality Jamie Allman to a Lunch and Learn at our City location. Although Jamie had been supportive of our cause and had even interviewed Best Choice program manager Emily Limbaugh Pagan and President/CEO Mark Dungan on his radio program, he had not visited a Center or heard the full scope of our mission.

As a result of that visit, beginning Wednesday, February 20, Jamie Allman will be the radio voice of ThriVe St. Louis! We were able to secure 97.1 FM Talk as a media partner for our upcoming Run & Walk 4 Life and Jamie as an Honorary Chairman. In addition to on-air promotion and web-based fund raising, Jamie is planning a live broadcast from the Event site on May 10!

If you have the opportunity, please tune to "Allman and Crane in the Morning" - 97.1 FM Talk, Monday through Friday, between 6 and 9 a.m.

If you like what you hear - or if you don't like what you hear - please send me an email - thunter@thrivestlouis.org. I will appreciate your feedback.

Run & Walk 4 Life – May 10, 2008

With the addition of online registration this year, the event is off to a great start!

If you have not yet set up a web page and offered your friends and family the opportunity to support our mission, please follow the link from our home page to see how easy it is!

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Erin Herwig by phone at 314-783-3040 ext 224 by via email to eherwig@thrivestlouis.org.

Federal Appropriations Request

As we endeavor to broaden our revenue streams, we’ll be pursing several grants and other funding opportunities.

For example, last week we submitted a request through Senator Bond’s office for $340,000 to fund a Sexual Health and Wellness Initiative focused within the City of St. Louis.

Please hold this, and all our fund development activities, in your prayers.

Spring Fling '08 - Save the Date!

On March 27, the spring banquet returns to Windows on Washington, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of Tom Klein!

This “dressy casual” affair with music, volunteer and client testimonies, and awards aims to net over $35,000 for our operating budget and introduce at least 40 new people to the ThriVe message while honoring, celebrating and uniting our stakeholders.

Watch your mailbox for an invitation – volunteers are in our conference room preparing invitations as I type!

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday

Our January goal was to involve 50 churches in the distribution of 5,000 ThriVe St. Louis bulletin inserts and to activate ThriVe St. Louis’ current volunteers and staff as speakers on the organization’s behalf.

Thanks to the hard work of at least 24 volunteers and staff members, 15 speakers delivered the ThriVe message at 14 church services while two organizations and 57 churches included ThriVe St. Louis in their SOHL activities, distributing nearly 10,000 of our bulletin inserts!

If you are interested in speaking on behalf of ThriVe at local organizations and churches, send an email to thunter@thrivestlouis.org. We'd love to visit with you about our Speakers' Bureau.

And, if you know of an organization that might enjoy hearing the ThriVe message, please let me know. We're always interested in opportunities to spread our message.

Guardians of the Tree

Over the past few months, we have begun a system to recognize the generosity of our donors, particularly those who have supported our organization through the years.

Drawing of the concept of the Tree of Life, we decided to establish a giving society known as "Guardians of the Tree." You'll be hearing much more about "Guardians" during 2008. As a preview, here's a the rendering for the donor appreciation signage to be installed on the mezzanine. What do you think?