Canine Connections (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6) not only obey commands but think independently when needed. A dog with the right temperament, skills, size, and innate desire to help. In April of this year, Joy and Anna selected some dogs they thought could fill the bill. Looking at the smaller, younger dogs, their similarities stood out. Then I saw the huge yellow dog who would steal my heart. I looked at his face with its deep brown eyes and slobbery jowls. As he put his
head in my hands, we locked eyes, and I thought, This is it. This is him. The end of May found me and one other person/dog combo in the training class. I was so grateful that I had brought my son, Jared. Adding his ears, eyes, and brain was a huge help. I was able to lean on his shoulder and make it through the week. We would have only one week instead of two, but while the duration was shortened, content and training were not. It was great fun, though, as we had to pass a tough out-in-the-world test. The week
went by so quickly, like someone said, “POOF!” and the next thing we knew we were driving home on I-5 with a dog in the back seat. JLAD takes the next six months to make absolutely certain that dogs and people made the right decision. It’s basically a “Take Home Test.” I am resting easy knowing I have found a kindred spirit, a beautiful old spirit, all in a huge yellow dog. Want to learn more about JLAD? Website is www.joydogs.org
Monthly Giving Makes It Easy For You and for PRO Want to check off a very easy win early in this new year? Become a monthly donor! Monthly giving, also known as recurring giving, is when our supporters commit to making a contribution of a fixed amount to us on a monthly basis, instead of just a one-time donation. This approach to charitable giving offers multiple benefits for both you (the donor) and PRO: Flexibility for you as a donor: Monthly giving allows you to contribute an amount that fits comfortably within your budget, and enables you to spread your support out over the course of the whole year, making giving even more manageable. For example, $50 per month for 12 months might be easier to manage than coming up with $600 all at once. Easy, automatic giving, or “set it and forget it:” Automated payments
make it effortless for you, the donor, to set up and manage your monthly contribution. This simplicity also benefits PRO because it reduces administrative overhead/staff time. After a very simple one-time set up, your credit card or your bank account is debited automatically—you never have to think about it again (although you’ll want to, as you pat yourself on the back for making a difference)! Reduced fundraising costs for PRO: Monthly givers help us spend less staff time trying to acquire new donors and more time supporting folks living with Parkinson’s. When you give monthly, you let us shift some of our focus to cultivating and maintaining our relationships with you and other existing supporters. Smoother sailing ahead for folks with PD and for PRO programs: Your monthly giving allows PRO to allocate our resources better and
MORE INFO! (800) 426-6806 - WWW.PARKINSONSRESOURCES.ORG
PRO-Newsletter-2024-Q1.indd 7
more strategically for our extensive list of programs, because your consistent gift is part of a steady, predictable stream of income. Knowing we can count on you to be by our side month after month also helps us address long-term initiatives and goals, and does even more to make sure everyone can access resources. Why not start 2024 knowing you’ve just made things easier for yourself—and that you’re already helping folks in our PRO family have a better year, too? That’s what we call “win-win!” Contact our office today online at www. parkinsonsresources.org or at (800) 426-6806 to get set up in less than two minutes, and enjoy the feeling of checking off a new year’s goal. Cheers to a great—and easier—new year!
FIRST QUARTER, 2024 • 7
12/12/23 12:18 PM
