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DonnaReagan
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Posted: Mon Apr 16th, 2007 05:14 pm |
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The mission of the Texas Lyme Disease Association (TxLDA) is...."preventing tick-borne diseases in Texas and improving the healthcare of people with tick-borne diseases through education, advocacy, support, and research. The service area of the TXLDA is the geographic boundaries of the State of Texas and adjoining states...."
A critical consideration in meeting our mission is that:
WE NEED HELP.
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS.
WE NEED YOU!
The Board of Directors for the TxLDA is a working board - which means we are the ones doing the work. When all of our Board positions are filled we have 15 directors working to fulfill that mission.
However, unlike many other non-profits (even ones with working Directors) - our Board members are Lyme patients. We are sick; we are tired; we, TOO, are sick and tired of being sick & tired. BUT we have vision and passion to fulfill our mission, knowing the only way we will be really successful is with the assistance of skilled, and dedicated VOLUNTEERS.
We have TWO main standing committes formed to help us achieve our goals:
The Educational/Outreach Committee is currently looking for 2 or 3 really enthusiastic volunteers.
This committee is in charge of adding continuous facts, info, links, etc. to our website (http://www.txlda.org ); we are also in the process of producing, printing, and then distributing our very first educational brochure about Lyme. We have a wide variety of organizations to which we would like to share our brochure, hoping that by doing so we can fulfill that part of our mission that says "preventing tick-borne disease".
Education is KEY to preventing tick-borne illness!
((If only there had been someone in "our" lives to teach us about the dangers, so we might prevent this disease that has so dramatically wreaked havoc our lives!))
Another goal of the Education/Outreach committee is to complete the development & electronic publication of our demographic questionairre so we may obtain critical information from Texas patients. This questionairre will allow us to LEARN how/where/when patients are becoming ill - determinig the more endemic areas of Texas so we may provide that information as a form of "research" to federal & state organizations (Personal patient info will be protected & anonymous via electronic encryption!) and again, to help prevent further tick-borne illness.
Also, and perhaps more importantly, we hope to gain demographic info (which is really just the fancy name of gaining info by counting heads & finding out how many experience the same/different symptoms, situations, etc.) so we may use that information for advocacy & activism, AND to decide on additional programs we need to develop for the Texas Lyme community.
The Education/Outreach committee is also focused on forming a sub-committee that will work on providing educational & supplemental materials for individuals that want to start SUPPORT GROUPS in numerous areas within Texas.
When we look around the US - it is astonishing there are so many support groups out there in other states - yet the great state of Texas, a state with tick-borne illness within all 11 health regions have, to date, only THREE active support groups (at least to our knowledge!)!!!
We know Lyme patients are all across this great big state and not just living within the DFW metroplex, Austin, or Houston. Therefore, we want to assist those in other cities & communities and their desire to come together with others to provide support to one another, as well as possibly advocate for better recognition for this disease.
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS.
Our 2nd standing committee is our Development Committee. Right now, we need 4 additional (creative & knowledgable) volunteers for this critical committe!
Perhaps the most important goal of this committee is fundraising. As most of you know, it takes money to provide programs, services, printed publications, electronic media, etc. And we need it.
In order to brainstorm fundraising ideas and implement the steps needed to bring those fundraising ideas into fruition - again, we will need...(can you guess?) YOU!
The possibilities of what we can accomplish with fundraising are endless, but we need ideas, energy, committment, and a little bit of experience if you have it! Without additional help -- achieving this goal will be next to impossible.
In addition to fundraising, the Development Commitee is involved with Public Relations, and our PR director is currently working on preparing documentation, with much thanks to additional volunteers (thank you, thank you!) to take to city mayors in order to declare May as Lyme Disease Awareness month.
If you think you might be interested in helping with this endeavor - give us a shout out & do it quickly!
And finally - our Development Committee also deals with Legislative Affairs which means we are watching both the federal & state legal situations surrounding Lyme disease and other tick-borne illness.
As there are situations where we need your voice to send a message to federal or state legislators - we have, and will continue to ask for your assistance, and we ask that you do you best to keep a good attitude, resisting the urge to become weary with participating in your civil right to demand fair, competent, and accessible health care! PLEASE remember with Calls to Actions - we need ALL of our voices to be heard.
In closing - I thank those of you whom have actually read this entire post. No doubt - YOU are interested.
Perhaps you have time each day to assist the state organization that is trying to help you? Perhaps you have just a bit of energy to donate to our common cause? And perhaps you have just a bit of a burning desire to be a part of something larger than yourself - a desire to make a difference?
If so - then we need all those little bits! We seriously need volunteers; and we, most likely, NEED YOU!
Thank you all for your consideration in this most urgent request!
Best,
Donna
PS - Oh yeah, and by the way..."the TXLDA is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation under the laws of the State of Texas. Any donations made to support the TXLDA are tax-deductable."
Therefore, if you're not able to donate any time, energy, or burning desire to make a difference -- feel free to write a really big check. We need that too!
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Teresa Jones Mom on a mission
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Posted: Tue Apr 17th, 2007 06:29 am |
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I can help in fund raising, the Development Committee fund raising, the Development Committee.
Let me know what it is I need to do. Give me a task.
Austin Lyme support group
Teresa Jones
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DonnaReagan
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Posted: Tue Apr 17th, 2007 02:38 pm |
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Well, Mom on a Mission -- BLESS YOUR HEART!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
The chairman of that committee is Susan, and her UserName on here is TickedOffAtLyme. I know she will be thrilled to have someone with whom to bounce around ideas and to start making some real plans!
I will contact her, and then she can contact you.
Now See? That wasn't so hard - was it? I'm so pleased & I KNOW Susan will be too.
Let's hear from more people with time, energy & burning desire! OR let's see some of your check coming our way and then we won't have to fundraise quite so hard! lol!
Thanks again, Teresa!
DR
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trolls
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Posted: Wed Apr 18th, 2007 04:02 am |
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Donna,
Hi. I am interested in assiting with the Education/Outreach Committee.
I was finally diagnosed 18 months ago and it has been a rough journey as all of you know! I have been watching the email forums and trying to get up the steam to attend the Austin Support group meeting --I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can attend this months.
I believe I am ready to jump out into the fray and bring awareness and education to Texans and beyond. I am very open about my Lyme disease at work -- I work at UT Austin -- I have already opened many eyes but more, more, more is needed.
Please contact me if you are interested in my assistance with this committee.
Best, Lee Loden
____________________
Lee Loden
Austin, Texas
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DonnaReagan
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Posted: Thu Apr 26th, 2007 04:44 am |
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Trolls -
THANK YOU so much for willing to jump in feet first! My apologies for not responding sooner.
Currently, the TxLDA doesn't have a VP (chairman) for the Education/Outreach committee, so I guess I need to be directly in charge of these volunteers until a qualified candidate drops in our lap.
I'm excited you are willing to volunteer your time & talent, and looking forward to working with you. We have much to do - as education is basically our primary mission!
I will PM (private message) so I can give you my phone number and you will hold it sacred no matter how much people want to bribe you so they can call & wake me up in the middle of the night just for the grins n giggles!
Talk soon!
Best,
Donna
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annietxlda
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Posted: Mon Jun 4th, 2007 07:40 am |
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Hey, we seriously need help in TXLDA. Many of our committee chairs are sick right now and things are slowing down. We need to keep on pushing to get this org to keep on moving in the right direction.
Please volunteer your assistance to the TXLDA.
Eve - if you are that lonely, then the best thing you can do is help. We'll keep you busy! Promise!
If you can help contact David ...... david@txlda.org or susan@txlda.org
Donna is under the weather right now and needs your prayers.
She's not doing too well.
AM
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