Going Public

On Tuesday, May 20th, Congressman Kenny Hulshof visited our St. Charles County center. The congressman toured the facility and a visited with Center Manager Myrna Conrad, ThriVe board members Mark Keeven and Joe Ortwerth, and ThriVe President and CEO Mark Dungan before addressing a group of about 30 area constituents gathered outside the center regarding the importance of life-affirming initiatives within our state. Thanks to many of our long-time St. Charles county supporters who attended!

It was a gorgeous morning and as everyone squeezed into the lobby and down the hallway of the SCC center, it was a perfect illustration of how badly we need to expand! The congressman, his attendant staffers, and all who came out in support of his message experienced the critical need for additional space and the importance of the $131,000 Federal appropriations request we have submitted.

We continued this week to aggressively market tax credits. You can help by spreading the word to friends, relatives, co-workers, neighbors, church groups...anyone who pays taxes! The tax credit program provides revenue to ThriVe and a significant tax advantage to the donor. Detailed information is available on our website.

Lots of energy and calculator tape were expended this week preparing our development plan and anticipated revenues for FY2009, to be presented to the Board of Directors on Tuesday, May 27. We have a focused plan and aggressive revenue goals - stay tuned for details!

If you have your radio on bright and early this Sunday morning, you can hear 'Today's Issues' host Kristi Carson visit with Alternatives 2 Abortion Project Administrator and Case Manager Gail Robinson and a current client, Trish about the importance of emotional and financial support in empowering women to make life-affirming decisions. Today’s Issues is a one hour long public affairs program which is broadcast weekly on each of the four EMMIS owned radio stations in St. Louis. Here's the schedule:

KSHE-FM, 94.7, SUNDAY AT 6 AM

KIHT-FM, 96.3, SUNDAY AT 5 AM

KPNT-FM, 105.7, SUNDAY AT 5 AM

KFTK-FM, 97.1, SUNDAY AT 5 AM

Run, Walk and THRIVE!

Saturday, May 10th, could not have been a more beautiful day for the 10th Annual Run&Walk 4 Life, our signature fund raising event held for the first time at our corporate facility in the Central West End.

We're still tallying participation and revenue information, but we already know that several hundred people registered and that we raised in excess of $100,000!

Thanks to the tireless efforts of Development Manager Erin Herwig and her event committee chaired by Rachael and Jason Porter, there was truly something for everyone, making for an inspiring day spent in celebration of human life!

Click here to view hundreds of photos, thanks to Amy Bennett and Sheila Richardson.

Additional information, including lists of participating churches, schools, and organizations is being added daily, so check back for an update.
The event has generated enormous interest and support, and we'll be following all leads during the next several weeks, visiting with sponsors, donors, and key participants who have embraced our mission and our organization. Run&Walk 4 Life 2008 has created powerful momentum and we believe more great results are still to come!

We're Singing in the Rain

We are rejoicing in every drop of rain as this front moves slooooowly through St. Louis, trusting that God's going to give us a glorious day for our 10th Annual Run&Walk 4 Life on Saturday, May 10...wet or dry!

THERE IS STILL TIME to register, volunteer or donate so you don't miss being a part of this energetic celebration of living abundantly! Questions? Call Erin at 314-783-3040 x224.

Amid shopping for last minute supplies, picking up the FABULOUS t-shirts from the printer, assembling goodie bags for all participants, printing check-in lists, counting out incentive tickets, setting up tables and booths and getting signs in place, we're also gearing up for our television appearance this afternoon during the Windows segment of Show Me St. Louis on KSDK NewsChannel 5. As of this morning, we have 420 registrants and have raised over $86,000!

Come to the city on Saturday and experience the Run&Walk - it's a great opportunity to enjoy fellowship, food and fun and to partner with us in our mission to empower life-affirming and healthy decisions about sex, pregnancy and relationships. If you can't be with us in person, please hold all participants in prayer!

One of the key programs through which we deliver our mission is our Best Choice sexual integrity program, a series of participatory classes offered in school and to youth groups throughout the metropolitan area. Best Choice - and our Community Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) grant application for this year - received an enormous affirmation this week when a large, key school district agreed - in writing! - to provide meeting space, adult monitors, and access to announcements to support Best Choice organized and led abstinence clubs in middle and high schools throughout the district. This is part of the Model Program currently under construction and for which we will seek federal funding. We heartened by the district's support and by other elements of the Model which include parent education components and also builds community support structures for young people who choose to remain or return to abstinence. While we believe the Model, strengthened by a recognized curriculum, memorandums of understanding from three school districts, and measurable outcomes based on increased developmental assets presents an attractive package to qualify for funding, we believe that even if not funding through CBAE, the Model does identify the best method for Best Choice programming.

An additional allotment of $100,000 in pregnancy resource center tax credits has lent a boost to our spring major gift solicitation. We're making personal contacts to move credits as quickly as possible in order to secure another allocation before the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2008.

To all mothers and those who have been like mothers, Happy Mother's Day! We also remember mothers and grandmothers who are no longer with us in this life but who wait for us in the Life that is to come. And we thank our friends and supporters who help us empower mothers every day of the year!

Happy Mother's Day!

Turn Your Radio On!

TODAY! 4:15 PM! KSIV 1320 AM!

Harold Hendrick interviews Run&Walk 4 Life chair Rachael Porter and her husband, Jason. Jason is Pastor of the Fellowship of Weldon Springs. Rachael found us through an internet search and became an energetic volunteer last June, after reading about the Run&Walk event. Rachael and Jason have recently adopted a one year old little girl and are very supportive of our organization. The interview will cover the Run&Walk 4 Life and ThriVe St. Louis and its programs. If you miss the airing, check the About Us/Press section of our website - we'll have the file posted as soon as it is available.

Yesterday on 97.1 FM Talk, Jamie Allman and Crane Durham hosted Alternatives 2 Abortion (A2A) case manager Gail Robinson, A2A client Trish and Trish's son, Gavin for an inspiring and insightful discussion of the impact our pregnancy resource programs can have in the lives of clients. As Crane observed, "It's not about holding a position. It's about following through." You can view a picture of Trish and Gavin with Gail, Jamie and Crane and listen to the interview by clicking here. You'll hear Gavin, too!

NEXT WEEK - Tuesday, May 6, 8:45 a.m. - Allman and Crane host Rachael Porter, Run&Walk event chair on 97.1 FM Talk. Pictures and mp3 file will be on our website as soon as they are available, which is generally by the end of the day of the interview.


We're aggressively marketing tax credits for gifts from $2,500 to $100,000 with personal calls and visits with donors, emails and letters. Gifts for tax credits benefit our operating budget and reduce the donor's state tax obligation by 50% of the value of the gift. If you would like to make a gift for credits, please call Terri at 314-783-3040 ext 225. Please pass this opportunity along to anyone you know who may be interested Missouri state income tax credits. Click here for more information.

Enthusiasm for the Run&Walk 4 Life on May 10th continues to build! As of this morning, 325 participants have registered through our website and website contributions alone exceed $18,800!!! Register, volunteer or donate today.

Today is National Day of Prayer