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Greetings ,
"Thank you for being a Friend" (lyrics borrowed from Andrew Gold). Yes, if you are reading this, then you are a Friend.
I want to thank you ALL . . . everyone reading this newsletter, everyone who has become a member or donor to this organization, and everyone who has come to us for help with their medical care, for technical assistance in their clinic or in their laboratory, for help writing their newspaper article or their homework. Your support, however you express it, is what gives meaning to our work, and keeps us doing what we do.
This month, November, is when most non-profit organizations are preparing for Giving Tuesday . . . the time of year which sees a considerable rise in giving, and a considerable rise in charity requests. (Honestly, some of my favorite charities request donations every month!). This is also the season for thanksgiving, and I feel it is much more important - and much more comfortable - for me to use this time to express my appreciation for all of you. I am most grateful for the privilege of leading the BTER Foundation these past 20 years.
Currently, I am preparing the December newsletter and our 2022 year-end report. When the newsletter is published next month, you will be able to read about some of our accomplishments during this past year. But for now, my pride is all about You, for none of it would have been possible if it were not for your support and your expressions of need.
These past 3 years have been difficult for all of us. I honestly thought the worst was over in 2021, given the advancements we had made on the COVID front. But the financial consequences were only beginning, and as more and more people finally ended their isolation, several more epidemics attacked our world . . . keeping me and most other health care providers overworked, still.
The BTER Foundation has not been spared from the impacts of our current affairs. We lost our subleased space, and we lost several of our volunteers due to illness or other family issues. All the while, the demand for our services, consultations and grant support has increased.
This is where you all come in . . . for YOU have supported us in our mission. Many of you opened your hearts - some even your homes - and demonstrated how important the BTER Foundation's work is in your lives. I am writing this newsletter in our new office (formerly someone's bedroom), and soon I will finish work on a table-top broadcast studio, from which we will be able to resume our monthly webinars and video consulting. We are also busy establishing new collaborations through which to continue our clinical and translational research program.
Whether you are a current or past volunteer, whether you are a patient, therapist or institution who has benefited from our consultations, whether you are a donor or a member, whether you are a long-time supporter or reading this newsletter for the first time on our website . . . . we thank you for your support, your suggestions, your critiques, your challenging requests.
Be sure to take a look at next month's newsletter, so you can review with me some of our recent achievements. Truly, our accomplishments are your accomplishments; our pride should be your pride. This charity - like most of life - is a team effort; the success of the team is due to the contributions of all of its supporters. Thank you for your support.
With best wishes this Holiday Season, and always,
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