2009 Fall Appeal Letter
Dear Kripalu Supporter:
The true measure of Kripalu’s mission is the impact we have on the lives of the people who walk through our doors. How do your gifts touch these people and uplift the world?
This year 30,000 people came to Kripalu, and donor support impacted the experience of each and every one. It is donors who made it possible to present a cutting-edge curriculum of life-changing programs. It is donors who enabled Kripalu to upgrade its facility and construct our new all-green building, the Annex. In particular, it is donors who funded nearly a half-million dollars in scholarships this year so that more people could afford to experience Kripalu.
Lauren McDuffie is one such scholarship recipient and a dedicated occupational therapist working with disabled students in the New York City public schools. Lauren wanted to learn approaches to create healthy eating habits and lifestyles. She wanted this not only for herself and her family, but also to have a greater impact on the lives of her students. Lauren sought out one of Kripalu’s Healthy Living programs, Integrative Weight Loss (IWL). In her scholarship application, she wrote, “Our school population includes students with varying levels of obesity, some who present with health and management challenges … many students have issues with extreme food aversions, dietary restrictions, and meal-time behavior challenges.”
After attending IWL, Lauren brought what she had learned back to her family, where she began integrating the Kripalu approach into her daily life. Not only did she feel better, but her husband lost 40 pounds and her children actually enjoyed trying new foods. Tasting this success, Lauren applied these teachings to her work. She developed a walking program for students, started gardening and composting projects, and offered a series of cooking classes. “I even had the courage to bring our most behaviorally challenged 300-pound student to the yoga mat.”
Lauren’s scholarship was only one of hundreds that Kripalu grants each year. Yet as her story reveals, the impact of these scholarships extends far beyond the individual recipients to include family members and whole communities of underserved populations. It’s this “multiplier effect” that makes Kripalu such a force for good in the world.
Please consider making a gift to Kripalu today. And this year, your donation will be matched dollar for dollar by the Peter Alfond 25th Anniversary Challenge Grant of $1 million. We urge you to give generously, knowing that your support has a powerful impact that spreads outward from Kripalu to touch and transform the lives of so many.
Thank you for your support,
Richard Faulds (Shobhan) Garrett Sarley (Dinabandhu)
Chair, Board of Trustees Chief Executive Officer
