January 2023
Happy New Year!
MESSAGE FROM MARY DAVIDSON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Happy 2023!
I hope you had a great end to 2022. Thank you for all of your kindness and generosity this holiday season. We met our fall campaign goals! A huge shoutout to our staff, program partners, board of directors and our community for making this happen! You have made it a great first year for me as Executive Director and I am so excited about the potential for growth for our organization.
In the last 12 years, STLF has served 1048 families and provided $6.4M in support ($12M with program partner support). These numbers are amazing and show the dedication of our community as well as emphasize that the need for support is real. In the last 6 months we have served 25% more families than previous years. We are setting ourselves up to continue to grow and support the increasing need for mental health services for families in crisis.
In 2022 alone, we hired a new Executive Director, a Grant Writer and added another family coach. We attended and presented at conferences and on panels where we shared our knowledge and experience and networked with industry professionals. We participated in conversations about the direction of the industry and brainstormed on ways that Sky’s the Limit Fund can contribute by sharing the positive stories that we are so often a part of. We held several fundraising events across the country, made some new friends and had the opportunity to thank many of you in person.
This is just the beginning. Stay tuned, it’s going to be a fun year!
Warmly,
Mary
TOGETHER WE'RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Our major fundraiser, the Fall Giving Campaign, began in November and concluded on December 31st. We faced an especially tough fundraising climate during this campaign but the entire STLF community came together to successfully raise the vital funds needed to support youth and young adults in crisis and their families in need through the transformative experience of wilderness therapy and the STLF Coaching Service. Highlights from this campaign included incentive gifts from our corporate sponsors to meet a donation goal on Giving Tuesday and stories from families who received support from STLF.
This work cannot be done without the kindness and compassion from individual donors and our corporate and foundation partners. We are deeply grateful to the STLF community. We would also like to thank our featured families for their strength and courage in sharing their stories and messages of gratitude and hope.
NATSAP CONFERENCE
OBH WILDERNESS THERAPY SYMPOSIUM
Conferences are important because they help us grow through networking with industry professionals and learning the latest about wilderness therapy. STLF is honored to present at the upcoming NATSAP Annual Conference on February 6-9 in Fort Worth, Texas and we will attend the OBH Regional Symposium on March 29-31 in Asheville, North Carolina. We look forward to sharing, learning, and connecting.
STLF SPEAKER SERIES PODCAST
The STLF Speaker Series podcast is an educational resource for parents seeking information about topics close to wilderness therapy.
Featured interviews this month:
Responding vs. Reacting: You Don’t Have to be Calm All of the Time with Lindsay Myrick, LCPC, Primary Therapist, Assistant Clinical Director at blueFire Wilderness Therapy.
Part 1 & 2 panel discussions about the transition to home with our STLF Family Coaches and Young Adult Coach.
Find all of our podcast episodes on Apple, Google, and Spotify.
WELCOME TO THE STLF TEAM!
NAKIA MAGAZINE
Grant Writer
WAYS TO SUPPORT
Corporate Sponsorships
We are very grateful for the support of our Corporate Partners. Through their sponsorships, we continue to break the barrier of cost for wildnerness therapy and transitional support.
Donate
Sky’s the Limit Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (tax ID 27-2592172). Your tax-deductible donation supports youth in crisis through wilderness therapy and STLF Coaching Service.
Does your company match your contribution? Company matching is an easy way to increase your giving and support to youth and families we serve. Consider making a recurring gift with a monthly or quarterly donation. For information on donating stock or mutual funds, or assistance with your company match, please contact info@stlfgives.org.
Birthday Fundraiser
very day more than 45 million people give birthday wishes on Facebook. Here’s an opportunity to make your birthday more meaningful by creating a fundraiser on behalf of STLF. Start your Facebook birthday fundraiser: 1) go to your Facebook home page, 2) on your news feed, scroll to Fundraisers, 3) select Sky’s the Limit Fund, 4) personalize your story, and 5) share your fundraiser.
Get Involved
Join the STLF community through volunteering. Contact info@stlfgives.org
- Become a Parent Support volunteer and provide much needed support to parents who are beginning their journey.
- Host an event to raise awareness about the benefits of wilderness therapy and STLF’s role in the industry.
- Use your skills to help our organization with marketing, fundraising, outreach, editing and more!
