A Year End Thank You

As the year ends and we celebrate the holidays – I wish each of you a joyous and healthy holiday and a happy new year. And, on behalf of The Dale Association and all charitable organizations in our community thank you for your kindness and seemingly endless generosity this past year. The end of the year is a good time to look back and reflect on those things we are thankful for. I’d like to say thank you to all of the people who have donated time, money, and/or items that support our fundraising efforts – those fundraising efforts help pay for the things we do, and therefore help us fulfill our mission in this community. Our mission statement… “To provide comprehensive services and coordinate connections for Adults in Niagara and neighboring counties with enhance their health and Wellness and empower them to strengthen bridges to their communities.” … it serves as a reminder of the reason The Dale Association exists in this community. And therefore, the reason we do the things we do – it may be supporting older individuals with our senior services… it may be assisting seriously and persistently mentally ill adults achieve mental wellness and to stabilize their emotions… it may be enriching the lives of people through our educational classes and volunteering programs… or it may be supporting caregivers by providing resources that help them be better caregivers …or it may be assisting older adults with vision and/or hearing impairments maintain their independence. Whatever the service, all focus on believing each person has value and we hope to enhance their potential to live their life to the fullest. Regardless what your charity of choice is, it is probably their mission and what they do that you believe in. Almost certainly, I can speak for all charitable organizations when I say that we are so grateful for the generosity of this community, our community, when it comes to delivering each of our missions. All fundraising activities support programs of charities and as I said above, it is what is accomplished with the money and donation of time that really defines each of our purposes. The purpose of fundraising is more than about the money – it’s about the results accomplished by our use of the money. It is through our donors and volunteer supporters and what they give that enables us to make a difference. Fundraising is at its best when we can match our need for donations with your desire to support organizations that have made a difference in your life or the lives of family and friends. Many non-profit charitable organizations all across the nation rely more and more on fundraising as a means to support their mission and the Dale Association is no different. You may be astonished to know that we need to raise over $300,000 to continue to serve the adults of this community. This past year, many of you have supported Dale Association fundraising efforts by making a gift to the Annual Giving Campaign, by pledging at our Dale Hearts and Caring People fund, through general donations, by attending events, by becoming a sponsor, or by making a charitable gift through you estate planning. The money raised helps us sustain our mission in this community. To all of you – THANK YOU! And thank you on behalf of all the charities you support all year long.