Betsy
12-13-02, 01:18 AM
Dear Friends,
On behalf of the Bodies Like Ours Board of Directors, we would like to thank you for the encouragement and support you have provided to us this year and and wish you a happy, healthy, and peaceful 2003.
As we wrap up this year, we would like to take a moment of your day to ask you for your help.
In January, Bodies Like Ours will be celebrating our 1st anniversary. It's hard to believe how much we have already accomplished!
In less than a year, we have worked hard to make Bodies Like Ours grow and become successful in helping people realize they are not alone in their struggle to overcome the shame, secrecy and isolation associated with having Bodies Like Ours.
For many, the heavy veil of isolation they have felt for so long has been lifted. Through outreach programs, events and our website, we have fostered understanding, tolerance and acceptance for the one in two thousand people that don't easily fit into either the male or female category.
We've enabled people to connect with others, and then provided encouragement for them to speak publicly about their experiences of living in a body that is different.
What some of our web visitors have told us:
• "... I felt you understood the type of isolation I have experienced... "
• "...thank you for your inspirational message."
• "...I thank you again for the information that you have sent me and I also thank-you for your kindness."
Bodies Like Ours has effectively used the internet to educate ourselves and our families. We've also educated the professionals that are responsible for treating and healing us. Physicians, psychologists, educators in both medical and non-medical fields have found themselves immersed in the debate regarding early cosmetic genital surgeries. Our site is continually updated to provide links and information about the issues and research surrounding us.
Other highlights of our first year include our Speakers Bureau which has sent speakers to workshops and presentations around the country. Our workshops are dynamic, informative, and individually tailored to the hosting organization.
Here's what some of the attendees at a recent workshop had to say:
• "I am very thankful for this session, it is important to learn about this so that intersexuals like me can go through life feeling accepted and normal."
• "I want to thank and congratulate the speakers for educating me and finding the strength to break barriers."
• "Great information, simple to know but most people don't know, thanks."
At many conferences, we train other activists about the issues and struggles we face by being born with genitals that don't fit society's expectations. We supply them with information and written material so that they can take our message home and to their organizations. We ask each person we come in contact with to Tell 5 other people they know about the issues we face.
Our handout campaign utilizes talking points so that others can gain the strength to share their own stories and our stories. We make these freely available for others to use and give to their friends and families. So far, over 4,000 of these informational handouts have been distributed, free of charge.
Next year will be busy, with requests for educational outreach and more localized support and outreach already coming from our home grown activists and website visitors. In the early months of 2003 we are scheduled to present at The University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, at the Medical School of NJ, at the University of Buffalo Medical School; many other colleges, universities, and organizations have expressed interest in learning more.
A youth outreach program is under development so that young people with Bodies Like Ours just coming to terms with their sexuality will be able to do so without shame.
We are working on projects that help parents of newborns understand the complexities of their child, providing nurturing, information and support.
You can more about our other programs by visiting our website at www.BodiesLikeOurs.org
Please help us continue this important work by making a generous donation today.
As a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization, we are dependent upon your generous financial support to wrap up this successful inaugural year and to hit the ground running in 2003.
Our second year promises be an exciting one, but... we need your help to get us there.
Your donation, whether large or small, goes a long way in helping us reach our goals of eliminating the shame, secrecy, and isolation felt by the thousands of people born with atypical genitals.
You can make an immediate donation online by visiting our secure donation page at http://bodieslikeours.org/Support_Our_Efforts/donate.html
Credit card donations may also be phoned into our office at 908-832-7755.
If you prefer to mail a check, our mailing address is
Bodies Like Ours
PO Box 416
Oldwick, NJ 08858
Thank you for helping erase the isolation for people born with Bodies Like Ours.
Best Wishes for a wonderful 2003,
Janet Green, Executive Director
Betsy Driver, Outreach Director
And the entire Board of Directors of Bodies Like Ours.
P.S. We are in the process of a major database upgrade. Please take a moment to make sure we have current and correct contact information for you by visiting http://bodieslikeours.org/Contact/addressform.html
****************************************************
Founded in 2002, Bodies Like Ours provides peer support and information for people born with atypical genitalia.
Bodies Like Ours seeks to positively change the way we think about ourselves and the way society and the medical community view us. We believe that through awareness, education, and peer support, our goals of eliminating isolation, shame, and secrecy experienced by people born with bodies like ours will be reached.
Bodies Like Ours is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation based in Hunterdon County, NJ.
INFORMATION FILED WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL CONCERNING THIS CHARITABLE SOLICITATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY BY CALLING (973) 504-6215. REGISTRATION WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT."
On behalf of the Bodies Like Ours Board of Directors, we would like to thank you for the encouragement and support you have provided to us this year and and wish you a happy, healthy, and peaceful 2003.
As we wrap up this year, we would like to take a moment of your day to ask you for your help.
In January, Bodies Like Ours will be celebrating our 1st anniversary. It's hard to believe how much we have already accomplished!
In less than a year, we have worked hard to make Bodies Like Ours grow and become successful in helping people realize they are not alone in their struggle to overcome the shame, secrecy and isolation associated with having Bodies Like Ours.
For many, the heavy veil of isolation they have felt for so long has been lifted. Through outreach programs, events and our website, we have fostered understanding, tolerance and acceptance for the one in two thousand people that don't easily fit into either the male or female category.
We've enabled people to connect with others, and then provided encouragement for them to speak publicly about their experiences of living in a body that is different.
What some of our web visitors have told us:
• "... I felt you understood the type of isolation I have experienced... "
• "...thank you for your inspirational message."
• "...I thank you again for the information that you have sent me and I also thank-you for your kindness."
Bodies Like Ours has effectively used the internet to educate ourselves and our families. We've also educated the professionals that are responsible for treating and healing us. Physicians, psychologists, educators in both medical and non-medical fields have found themselves immersed in the debate regarding early cosmetic genital surgeries. Our site is continually updated to provide links and information about the issues and research surrounding us.
Other highlights of our first year include our Speakers Bureau which has sent speakers to workshops and presentations around the country. Our workshops are dynamic, informative, and individually tailored to the hosting organization.
Here's what some of the attendees at a recent workshop had to say:
• "I am very thankful for this session, it is important to learn about this so that intersexuals like me can go through life feeling accepted and normal."
• "I want to thank and congratulate the speakers for educating me and finding the strength to break barriers."
• "Great information, simple to know but most people don't know, thanks."
At many conferences, we train other activists about the issues and struggles we face by being born with genitals that don't fit society's expectations. We supply them with information and written material so that they can take our message home and to their organizations. We ask each person we come in contact with to Tell 5 other people they know about the issues we face.
Our handout campaign utilizes talking points so that others can gain the strength to share their own stories and our stories. We make these freely available for others to use and give to their friends and families. So far, over 4,000 of these informational handouts have been distributed, free of charge.
Next year will be busy, with requests for educational outreach and more localized support and outreach already coming from our home grown activists and website visitors. In the early months of 2003 we are scheduled to present at The University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, at the Medical School of NJ, at the University of Buffalo Medical School; many other colleges, universities, and organizations have expressed interest in learning more.
A youth outreach program is under development so that young people with Bodies Like Ours just coming to terms with their sexuality will be able to do so without shame.
We are working on projects that help parents of newborns understand the complexities of their child, providing nurturing, information and support.
You can more about our other programs by visiting our website at www.BodiesLikeOurs.org
Please help us continue this important work by making a generous donation today.
As a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization, we are dependent upon your generous financial support to wrap up this successful inaugural year and to hit the ground running in 2003.
Our second year promises be an exciting one, but... we need your help to get us there.
Your donation, whether large or small, goes a long way in helping us reach our goals of eliminating the shame, secrecy, and isolation felt by the thousands of people born with atypical genitals.
You can make an immediate donation online by visiting our secure donation page at http://bodieslikeours.org/Support_Our_Efforts/donate.html
Credit card donations may also be phoned into our office at 908-832-7755.
If you prefer to mail a check, our mailing address is
Bodies Like Ours
PO Box 416
Oldwick, NJ 08858
Thank you for helping erase the isolation for people born with Bodies Like Ours.
Best Wishes for a wonderful 2003,
Janet Green, Executive Director
Betsy Driver, Outreach Director
And the entire Board of Directors of Bodies Like Ours.
P.S. We are in the process of a major database upgrade. Please take a moment to make sure we have current and correct contact information for you by visiting http://bodieslikeours.org/Contact/addressform.html
****************************************************
Founded in 2002, Bodies Like Ours provides peer support and information for people born with atypical genitalia.
Bodies Like Ours seeks to positively change the way we think about ourselves and the way society and the medical community view us. We believe that through awareness, education, and peer support, our goals of eliminating isolation, shame, and secrecy experienced by people born with bodies like ours will be reached.
Bodies Like Ours is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation based in Hunterdon County, NJ.
INFORMATION FILED WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL CONCERNING THIS CHARITABLE SOLICITATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY BY CALLING (973) 504-6215. REGISTRATION WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT."