Message and Important Announcements
From Suzy

Next week is my 56th birthday and that makes 60 a little too close for comfort. 🙂 This decade has been one of my favorite thus far, even with all of the uncertainties in the world, so many beautiful things have taken place and much of it has to do with our HealingStrong community.  This is where I will focus my message today and invite you to take a few minutes to see why this year is so important. 

I thought it appropriate to send THIS important message on Valentine’s Day.  The world celebrates it as a day of love….and as I consider this 10th year of HealingStrong, along with the first year in 2013, and all of those in between, I am filled with great love and appreciation to all of you. Ten years ago, this week, we made the decision to setup HealingStrong as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Our desire was to serve the public and to empower community where people with cancer and other illnesses need healing. We created a network of community groups online and in person, and equipped them with HealingStrong curriculum and resources that help to address the needs of body, soul and spirit in order to focus on three pillars of wholeness. The story of our humble beginnings of HealingStrong is very personal to me.

HealingStrong has beat great odds and we thank God for all He has done. Below, the stats of the typical non-profit show how very different we are and we celebrate the goodness of God in His guiding and providing for HealingStrong.

Longevity and support stats for the “typical non-profit”:

• According to a quote from Dr. Ben Carson, 90% of non-profits fail in the first 10 years. Another statistic put only 1/3 of all non-profits still operating beyond year 10. [According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics]
• In the workforce of non-profits, 70% of the staff are paid workers, while 29% are volunteers.
• For the typical non-profit that does make it long-term, only about 10% of overall nonprofit total revenue comes from individual donations. Alternatively, 80 cents of every dollar of nonprofit revenue in the United States comes from government grants or contracts.

Contrast those stats to HealingStrong reality:

• We have made it to the 10 year mark and with the support of all of you, we are thriving.  Praise be to God!
• Our HealingStrong Workforce is 97% volunteers and only 3% are paid staff!
• For those non-profits that seem to make it long term, it looks like government funding is important to that success. We have always stated that we will never accept funds from the government, and we don’t rely heavily on industry funds. Instead, 78% of all of our revenue comes from individual donors who make up our community: our group leaders, our Board members, our Advisors, and individuals who believe in our mission, and support us because they want to see it succeed and spread far and wide! Here is a breakdown of our own funding sources.  Look closely at individual donations! (See image below.)

Together, We Win

After reviewing those stats, I just have to sit back and thank God because His ways are way better than our own.  As many of you know, it’s not easy swimming upstream and going against the typical….but TOGETHER, we are different and we are making a difference, fulfilling His great purposes and plans.

One of our Bible verses for our organization from the very beginning has been: Ephesians 3:20: “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…”

Looking ahead this year, we have incredible opportunities to share HOPE with many people who believe their odds are stacked against them.  With HealingStrong at their side, winning is our goal and our collective community is wise, strong, and full of faith, and love.  Here are a few opportunities to join HealingStrong this next month:

•  HEALING JOURNEY JUMPSTART:  We will be offering a LIVE online event to Square One Participants starting March 8-17, 2023 in conjunction with Chris Wark, Square One.  This program is 10 days, of 2 a day live sessions with Q&A, covering important topics that will support anyone on a journey.  Join the Square One Program to gain access.
• NEW GROUPS:  Our groups are growing exponentially.  This year alone, we have had 26 new group start ups since January.  Interested in being part of the new group leader team? We have ongoing training, support, a dedicated team member, a dedicated portal with curriculum and marketing tools, along with mentor program to help get you going.  JOIN TODAY! 
• A GROUP IS WAITING FOR YOU:  Can you imagine the collective wisdom in a group meeting of those who have or are walking out their own healing?  I can’t tell you how much community matters.  Science agrees, and so does God’s Word.  Go to: healingstrong.org/groups and find a group for you.  Check out the calendar also for online groups.
• JOIN US AT A WELLNESS CONFERENCE:  MARCH 31-APRIL 2 IN ALPHARETTA, GEORGIA.  Join HealingStrong team as we will be setup in the lobby and enjoying the event:  Dr. Zach Bush, Dr. Joel Robbins, Dr. Rhett Bergeron, and Elle McPherson are just a handful of the incredible speakers.

A conference and night of worship is what publically kicked off HealingStrong in 2013, and it will be the framework for our very public celebration on September 29, 30.  Mark your calendars now.  We have a beautiful, very large church in Houston, Texas that has opened their doors and hearts to our event. More information to come. Make sure you and your friends have signed up for updates.  Go to healingstrong.org and scroll to the bottom. We will have speakers, a cancer thriver panel, messages from some of our favorite people over the years, great food, and a Night of Worship. Our dear friend, Chris Wark, is our Emcee….and everyone who has been to any of our events in the past knows, it’s truly a special event to be part. All glory to God….it’s the HealingStrong way, and we can’t wait to meet you in person!  Mark your calendars and join us in Houston, Texas, September 29 and 30th. 

To HealingStrong, one of the most important things we can do is to support our Group Leaders. This celebration is so much about them and we want as many of our Group Leaders be able to be part of this upcoming 2023 HealingStrong Conference and Celebration. So many have been serving their community faithfully, giving time, their resources and walked alongside individuals in their day of trouble, and triumph…..Group Leaders are the reason we are able to reach beyond our office doors.  With groups, local folks get connected, feel supported, and healing and wholeness happens.  Please go to this page and learn more about how you can give any amount to support the Group Leader scholarship fund.  Please feel free to share this link to your friends, family and fellow group participants.

Link: https://www.pledge.to/healingstrong-fundraiser