Summer Kickoff

   As spring turns into summer, Massage Without Borders is changing seasons as well. We have fundraisers kicking into gear, board members stepping up and stepping down, and wonderful ideas at work within the organization. Here's what we have going on...

Current Fundraisers:
   We have a giveforward.com crowdfund going for Leland Jones, an MT battling a cancerous brain tumor that needs six rounds of chemotherapy. Leland just finished round 4 and his tumor has been shrinking! Since the chemotherapy has been working, this means it is that much more critical we help Leland be able to afford treatment so he can continue getting better. Please consider donating any amount you can, whether its the price of a latte, a lunch, or maybe that jar of coins sitting on your dresser, every amount allows Leland to continue to heal.
   We also have our annual t-shirt fundraiser going on! They come in pink, light blue, or olive green and feature our logo on the front and a list of 2014 sponsors on the back. They cost $20 plus shipping and the funds go toward our Adopt an MT and Adopt a Student campaigns. Interested in ordering? Just email Treasurer Susan Clingman at treasurermwb@gmail.com!
  Stay tuned for details of our first online auction of the year! It's coming soon and you don't want to miss out on the great items to be auctioned!

Board Changes:
   We said goodbye to to wonderful board members recently. President Jennifer Wing and Executive Director Stephanie Block both had to step away from MWB. We will miss their dedication, giving hearts, and passion for our mission and wish them both well on their future endeavors.
   Sabrina Lopez has stepped up from her secretary position to president of Massage Without Borders, and we are happy to continue to work together with her on the Board. Mallory Sly (2nd VP) and Susan Clingman (treasurer) remain in their seats on the Board.
   Our other big announcement about the Board of Directors is that we warmly welcome back past executive director and founder Gloria Coppola back on the Board as 1st Vice President. Gloria will be a great asset to the organization helping us move in a positive direction of growth and prosperity. We are excited to be working together again.
   We do have positions open on the board for Executive Director and Secretary. If you or someone you know are interested in more details of these positions please send your resume and cover letter to President Sabrina Lopez at presidentmwb@gmail.com! We would love to have you on our team.

2014 T-shirt sponsors

   I just wanted to post a quick thank you to all of our 2014 t-shirt sponsors!  You have made creating our new shirt a success, and we can't wait to see it on the backs of our coworkers, families, fans, and supporters. We are deeply grateful that each of you stand by us to support our mission to help therapists in need!
Thank you to...
ABMP
PIVOTAL HEALTH
MOBILE WOUND SOLUTIONS
DIRECT MEDICAL
MASSAGE PRO CE
MASSAGE HEIGHTS
OAKWORKS
HEALTH ENRICHMENT SCHOOL OF MASSAGE
LEARNING LIBRARY
MASSAGE MAGAZINE
MASSAGE MAGAZINE PLUS INSURANCE
MASSAGE GO-USA
ERIK DALTON
IRENE DIAMOND
BON VITAL
MASSAGE NERD
ANN MOSHER SUSA
HARRIET WEBER
NAOMI BAKER
MARLA COHEN
JAMU SPA
KJ BURLEY
LAURA HIGDON
ALVINA QUATRANO
TINA WIRTZ
BELLANINA INSTITUTE
PATRICIA HOLSEY, LMT
BOLERO SALON & SPA
COLLEEN MILLER
STEPHANIE BLOCK
JENNIFER WING
SABRINA LOPEZ
MALLORY SLY
SUSAN CLINGMAN
FELICIA VILLIERS

Updates

   Hello everyone! I know we have been a little quiet lately, but it's because we have great things in the works and can't wait to show you the final result! Our new board is confident that this year is going to be another great one for MWB, and we have wonderful things planned!
   So what are we up to? Well as you know from our last post we were helping Karen Heftman, a reflexologist in Illinois who lost her business in a terrible fire, and we had created an amazon wishlist for her. I am ecstatic to report that thanks to the generosity of our wonderful supporters Karen has received 19 items from her wishlist as well as some cash donations, and said she is beyond happy with what she has been blessed with. In fact, she mentioned to us that the only thing she really needs is a couple throw rugs. I have placed some in the wishlist if anyone feels compelled to continue the cycle of generosity. The link is: http://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/22AM4RXMGLXEE/ref=cm_wl_sb_v?reveal=unpurchased&filter=all&sort=date-added&layout=standard&x=10&y=10. We are so happy that we could help her transition of moving and restoring her business a little easier!
   We are also getting ready to print our 2014 T-shirt! Our facebook slogan contest was a success with our 2014 t-shirt slogan being chosen to be "Have a heart, lend a hand". We have a lot of sponsors this year and are excited to start makimg these shirts available to purchase so you all may wear them proudly and stand with us in our mission to help Therapists in need! Rock your shirt at work, at the gym, at your next CE class, or even just at home! Just know that as a Massage Without Borders supporter you are a part of our team! Stay tuned to our facebook page for announcements on when they will be available! Thank you to our MANY sponsors for your generous support!
   Want to meet us in person AND maybe win a basket of numerous goodies? Come see us at the Florida FSMTA conference in June, booth 610! MWB President Jennifer Wing and Executive Director Stephanie Block will be at the booth and would love to meet you! There will be a raffle going on full of lots of fantastic items, to be announced at a later date...but trust me you'll want to get in on this! Come by and say hi!
   Speaking of our board...we are looking to fill the position of 1st Vice President. Interested, or know someone who would be? Send us a resume and cover letter to Jennifer at presidentmwb@gmail.com! You'll be working alongside the board on day to day operations, and get to really get involved as a core member of our organization. Applicants with fundraising experience a plus!

Thank you ALL for hanging in there as we adjust to the new year and get the ball rolling. We have a lot of good things in store, stay connected with our facebook page for more updates!

Call to Action: Karen Heftman

Karen Heftman is a reflexologist in Illinois who has had to overcome a tragedy most of us could only imagine in a bad dream. She woke up one January morning and found out her business ("FEET by Karen") was on fire. The fire started in the basement of the building her business was housed in, and quickly spread. Although the fire was extinguished in three hours, her business, which was a dream come true, was now a total loss. Karen's liability insurance also would not cover anything she lost in the fire.

   As a massage therapist this story hits close to home. I cannot imagine the thoughts and feelings running through Karen as she watched her business burn to the ground. All that time, energy, and money dedicated to building up her business and all the memories those walls held as she matured it and was able to share her gift of healing...there was more lost than just the material things.

   Massage Without Borders has decided we would help Karen get back on her feet (literally) and we need your help as well. She sent us a list of all the things she lost in the fire that needed to be replaced and we took that list and made her an Amazon Wishlist. Check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/22AM4RXMGLXEE (make sure to sort by Unpurchased). There are items ranging from a couple dollars to a little over $100. If you come across items you would like to purchase for Karen, add them to your cart and at checkout you will see the option to ship directly to her. Choose that and Amazon will make sure Karen gets the items! This is a great way to help her rebuild her relocated business. There are a lot of items on there, everything from furniture to cleaning supplies, from decor to office supplies,  etc. Every little bit helps.

   Want to help but would prefer to send a money donation? No problem. Head over to our website and click the Donate button. You can donate through Paypal that way, just add a note that it's for Karen's fund. Remember donations are tax deductible as well! We really hope you'll feel as inspired as we do to help this lovely woman get back to sharing her gift with others and rebuild her dream. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us...and again thank you so much for supporting MWB and everything we stand for! We're all in this together!