Donor Spotlight

We are very grateful for the many ways that donors choose to support us.

A Little Bit of String Goes a Long Way

A college graduation surf trip to Costa Rica launched a successful business for two California friends. After meeting men peddling handmade string bracelets on the street, Griffin Thall and Paul Goodman brought some bracelets home to sell at local shops. Before long, they sold out, demand for the bracelets quickly grew, and Pura Vida [1]took off.

These days Griffin and Paul provide the two peddlers with enough business to live comfortably, as well as employ 30 others. Every bracelet purchased through Pura Vida [2]helps provide jobs for local artisans in Costa Rica.
[3]
They also decided that their company could do more.
As they've done for other organizations, Pura Vida created a custom bracelet for ADAA. So when you shop in the Charity Collection, look for Anxiety Disorders Awareness. [3] We’ll receive a portion of your purchase. 

“Pura vida,” Spanish for pure life, represents enjoying life slowly, celebrating good fortune, and not taking anything for granted. ADAA celebrates Pura Vida’s contributions to the bracelet artisans in Costa Rica—and to our organization.

Do you have a fundraising idea for ADAA? Contact us [4] and let us know.

Wrapping Wrists for Awareness

For her senior project, Sam Lane thought about what had made an impact on her life and what she’d like to do about it. Her anxiety disorder came to mind, especially because she knows a lot of people who have such disorders. To raise awareness, as well as funds for ADAA, she decided to make bracelets to sell at basketball games at her high school in Penacook, New Hampshire.
 
The bracelets, one dollar each, feature beads with uplifting sayings: laugh, hope, love life, you're amazing, have faith. “I thought of bracelets,” she says, “because I wanted people to look at them and think that they [the people] are worth something.” She sold her original supply very quickly and has requests from many more classmates. Says Sam, “I think they understand how important anxiety disorders really are.”

Sam tells us that she’s really happy to be raising money for ADAA, and she thanks us for supporting her. And in turn, we thank Sam very much for supporting ADAA.

ADAA appreciates all the ideas and efforts of our donors, whether small-scale like Sam's or larger. Let us know what you have in mind. Contact us; [4] we'll talk.

Volunteering Goes a Long Way

After overcoming panic and anxiety, Michael Timmermann contacted ADAA to see if he could help others who were struggling with anxiety disorders. While working full time, he also volunteered at ADAA, providing invaluable social media and editorial support. And he continued to help our staff when he moved many hundreds of miles away to take a new job.

Fortunately for all, his new employer offers small grants to organizations where their employees volunteer. The grants can be used for specific projects, general operating expenses, and capital campaigns. Michael submitted an application for ADAA, and we’re happy to report that we were approved. We're looking forward to putting the grant to good use.

Want to find out about Michael's triumph over anxiety? Read Ending the Nightmare [5]to discover how he found the power to change his life and keep his anxiety at bay.

Thank you, Michael, for all your help and for taking the extra step to complete the grant application on our behalf.

Contact us [4] if you have an idea to raise funds for ADAA, which will help us continue to provide free resources for everyone who needs them.

"The Play's the Thing"

The Actors Workout Studio in North Hollywood, California, was the venue for the West Coast premiere of The View From Here, an original comedy by Margaret Dulaney and directed by Inger Tudor.

ADAA gratefully accepted the offer of actor and producer Debbie Jaffe (left) to donate all proceeds from the May 29 performance!

The play is set in the mid-1980s in a small Kentucky town, and hair, aerobics, and microwaves are all big. The plot revolves around high-spirited Fern, who has agoraphobia and hasn’t left home in six years. A colorful cast of friends and family, all of whom suffer from dysfunctional beliefs and behaviors, confront their own idiosyncrasies as circumstances force Fern to confront hers.

Following the play was a live discussion with two long-time supporters of ADAA who have overcome agoraphobia and psychologist Dennis Greenberger, PhD, of the Anxiety and Depression Center. Dr. Greenberger, a member of ADAA, is the author of Mind Over Mood: Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think.

Thank you, Debbie, the other actors—Katherine Browning, Sasha Carrera, Derek Houck—and everyone else associated with this production for your generous support of ADAA.

Got an idea for raising money for ADAA? Contact us [4] and we’ll talk.

Running in Memory of Her Mother

Sarah Hunt ran the ING New York City Marathon in 2009 in memory of her mother, Robin, who suffered from debilitating anxiety and depression.

And she raised nearly $8,000 for ADAA.

"She hated living with anxiety and depression," Sarah says about her mother, who passed away last April. "On most days the simple acts of daily living were too much for her to handle. Her disease kept her alone, sad, and scared. No one should feel that way."

Sarah chose to support ADAA because she believes in our mission to educate the public, work to reduce the stigma surrounding anxiety disorders, and our dedication to the prevention, treatment, and cure of these disorders.

With friends and family cheering her on, Sarah finished the marathon in 5 hours 40 minutes.

“I’m so happy that together we were able to make a difference in the lives of people who suffer as my mother did,” she wrote later on her blog.

“I may have physically run alone, but all your donations, love, and support carried me over that finish line, and for that I will be forever grateful.”

You, too, can raise money for ADAA while participating in a marathon, 10K, or 5K! Contact us [4] for details.