We're off to a great start!
Support MSQLP before the end of the year!
Letter from the Board President

Thanks and greetings from Gene Harter - Board President and Founder

 
It's difficult for me to remember when the seed that became MSQLP germinated - sometime in the late 1990s.

But thanks to some key players it did - Dr. Lotte Marcus (& husband Alan) & Dr. Gerald Lehrer (Jerry) and others (Cyndi Nelson, Ron Grubman, me) - and along the way some major contributors like Donna Krasnow and of course Andrea Dowdall to name a few who have made incredible contributions. All of these folks with dedication and a singular goal, to help those with MS & now PD have access to information and programs that empower them and improve quality of life.

And of course our current Director Grant Helm who through his personality, enthusiasm, drive, and training continues our dream of serving our community. 
I am amazed to see how we have grown and continue to grow. Grant is supported by our very involved Board of Directors and some wonderful folks like Osiris Salgado, MSQLP's Case Manager and our CSUMB interns Claudia Flores, Melissa Bowling, and Rachel Bedford.

Special thanks to all of the folks above! 

MSQLP has three main functions:    
1. To assist and guide our clients through case management and support services.
2. To grow and empower a community of individuals and families facing similar challenges.
3. Raise enough money to enable us to continue doing #1 & #2.      
                                                
Simple right! - Well not quite so easy. Funding MSQLP is accomplished with a few different methods. We operate two main annual fundraisers - Walk & Roll and It's in the Bag. The second way is through community grants that we work and apply for. Our total money raised to support our programs and services is split between these two types of funding methods. It's important to note that about 40% of our annual income comes from donors like you

And right now through the end of December, we are participating in a Charity Match program where the Monterey Peninsula Foundation 
adds 20% to every dollar donated!

If we raise $1,000 by December 31st, then we qualify for a potential $50,000 prize awarded to the winning non-profit agency. Wow! All donations to MSQLP will reinforce our programs and services offered in 2015. And with Giving Tuesday (December 2nd) right around the corner, now is the most important time of the year to donate. If you would like to support us before the end of the year you can click here to donate, or scroll further down this newsletter to review the Charity Match program details.

Christmas and Holiday Greetings to everyone! May 2015 be another great year for MSQLP and for our community!

Sincerely,

Gene
Upcoming Events
(click orange text for flyer) 

 

Sponsored by TEVA Neuroscience

Friday, December 05, 2014
12:00 PM-1:00 PM
Elli's Great American Restaurant
1250 South Main Street
Salinas, CA 93901
RSVP for this event: 1-800-887-8100
*Lunch will be served.

Online events sponsored by Biogen Idec.

 

Support Groups

MSQLP's Joint Support Group - Holiday Party!!!
Friday, December 19th
11AM-1PM 
Marina Library- Community Room
Games, Food, and Fun! 

 

MPSG's Parkinson's Support Group
No meeting in December

www.montereyparkinsonssupport.com


Water Aerobics

Mondays & Wednesdays 
12-1PM @ Monterey Sports Center
NO water aerobics on: December 22nd, 24th, and 31st

Giving...Thanks!

By Amy Lamb Heckel RDH - MSQLP Advisor/Community Member


 

OK, you can read the title of this piece as a thanks to those who have already given of their time, talent, and/or treasure. But you can also read it as a thanks to those who will be giving in the future. My intention is both.


I would like to begin with an appreciation of the redesigned MSQLP website. Delightful. Christine Gustafson is the person primarily responsible. What a donation of talent! She will continue working with both Grant Helm and Mimi Wessling to maintain our lovely website. The name, Mary (Mimi) Wessling is familiar to many of you. A former board member, now our technology advisor, she has been volunteering with MSQLP for many years.

Most people reading this newsletter know Grant Helm. He has far surpassed the role of Executive Director for many of us. I believe that his incredible skills at coordinating both people and events are a good portion of the glue that holds MSQLP together. Of course, if I mentioned every person worthy of notice, (Carrieanna Hess, the Swanks etc.) this piece might never end. So....each and every one of you, whether you are an employee/intern, client and/or volunteer, please realize that MSQLP would not exist without you. 

Here's a toast to my favorite non-profit organization!
Monterey Peninsula Foundation's Charity Match program 

  

Help support the only non-profit in the Central Coast that provides free and essential services to families living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson's Disease (PD)! MSQLP recognizes that these disabling chronic illnesses can drastically impact an individual's ability to carry out everyday activities. The goal of MSQLP is to help improve the quality of life of individuals living with MS or PD and their families through individualized services and programs.

Support MSQLP's mission by donating before the end of the year! Donating through the Monterey Peninsula Foundation's Charity Match program gives MSQLP a 20% bonus on every donation!

Want to donate with a check? Checks can be written to: 
Monterey Peninsula Foundation and sent to MSQLP's office at 
519B Hartnell Street   Monterey, CA 93940. Checks written in this format will grant MSQLP a 20% bonus on the donation.

  

Example benefit of the 20% bonus match

If you donate $100 it becomes $120 through this charity match program at no extra cost to you!


Our Mission:     

The Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Project (MSQLP) recognizes that people living with chronic illness have unmet needs. MSQLP is committed to filling these gaps by improving the quality of life of persons with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in the tri-county area of Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito. Our programs serve families living with Parkinson's disease (PD) in Monterey County. We work with clients and their families to create comprehensive individual plans and programs that support client independence. 

All of our services are free.

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MSQLP
519B Hartnell Street
Monterey, California 93940
831.333.9091