LETTER FROM THE FOUNDER
My sisters, Iâm the first to admit that I was an odd child. In addition to being the youngest, the shyest, and the most socially awkward (having started first grade when I was barely 5); I was also incredibly sensitive. I was the girl who cried about everything that was wrong in the world, as I wondered why people had to struggle with illness, or poverty, or abuse. The one who bawled as I read Little Women and Helen Keller â and as I watched those 70s commercials showing kids who didnât have access to fresh food and water. The one who pushed my mom to buy random things off the street corner that we didnât need, because I was convinced it made a difference to someoneâs life. As I said, I was odd. :) So, it should come as no shock that I thought I could personally heal the world. Each week Iâd come up with new ideas that Iâd beg my mom to consider. What if we all just gave one dollar? If we all gave, wouldnât everyone have enough to eat? I donât remember how my mom explained that it wasnât that simple. But whatever words she lacked were covered by life lessons that made me stop believing as I grew older. We couldnât solve world hunger with a dollar per person. And, I â well, I started to believe that I couldnât do much of anything to really make a difference. Then one day, I planted this little seed with a book called You Are Not Alone. And then I watered that seed with my first womenâs retreat. And, over time, the little seed started to grow until one woman turned into more than 20,000 yanasisters. I wasnât solving world hunger, but in my own little way I started to believe just maybe my âlittleâ wasnât so off base with thinking âsheâ could make 4