SOUL RYEDERS 2021 Annual Report

LETTER TO OUR SOUL RYEDERS COMMUNITY

Dear Friends,

As we continued to navigate through the challenging circumstances of the global pandemic, our mission of staying connected to those we serve was even more vital than ever. During our fiscal year 2021-2022, our creative and agile team did not waiver and remained keenly focused on being there for our SOUL RYEDERS communities: clients, caregivers, volunteers and donors. Alongside managing through another year of unpredictability, we were thrilled to be able to toast some milestones: celebrating 15 years of this extraordinary organization and finally honoring our founder Sandy Samberg who transitioned from her role as Executive Director last year. We have included some highlights of both!

Balancing our clients’ needs and working toward in-person interactions invited many thought-provoking conversations for our team. We found that our clients, in active treatment or unable to leave their homes due to physical, immune compromised or geographical constraints, were relieved to find support from our newly formed, robust virtual programming. We continue to evaluate and build on all we have learned for current and future opportunities.

As we reflect on the 2021/2022 fiscal year, we are proud to share in this report how our impact, made possible with your help, impacted those we serve and here are a few highlights:

• Clients finding strength: Your support has enabled us to form new targeted supported groups that connect clients with similar cancer journeys. You will read about two of our young survivor clients who found strength and comfort from being part of our unique programming and sought new personal paths after their cancer treatments.

• Caregiver resources: Providing resources and strategies to be an effective and impactful caregiver while paying attention to your own health and wellbeing can be a challenging prospect. We highlight a caregiver who found our oneon-one support an anchor during the emotional demands of caring for a terminally ill adult child.

• Altruistic support: The unique endeavors of volunteers and donors in our community are heartwarming. Our care packages have become a meaningful way to let our clients know we are thinking of them and often give them a moment of joy when they are delivered to their doorstep. We were grateful to receive some very special donations as well as grants to help augment these packages.

As we create our strategic plan for the next five years, the Leadership Team and Board of Directors are working collaboratively and emboldened by the fundamental support of our community. We are committed to building on our successful foundation and will remain keenly focused on deepening our connections with all those we serve. We look forward to sharing more of our plans with you in the coming months and are excited to let you know that we recently made steps toward some in-person volunteer opportunities in the fall of 2022 and will be announcing an incredible new event coming in the Spring of 2023!

Our hearts remain filled with deep appreciation for your commitment to supporting our mission and investing in the future of SOUL RYEDERS. Together we are making a difference in the lives of those impacted by cancer.

With gratitude,

Billy Miller, President, Board of Directorys

Heidi Kitlas, Executive Director