A Letter from a Special Young Lady

     Greetings to all of our loyal readers of Nathan's Voice! I ask you to read a fundraising letter that I received from a special young lady whom is trying to acquire a service dog. Please check out the links then decide if and how you could make a difference in her life. 
Thank you for your time!                                                                        
                                                                                                                                           Lorrie


Hello, my name is Melissa Franklin. I am 20 years old, and I have autism. Autism is a disorder involving a spectrum of symptoms causing impaired and delayed learning, difficulties with impulse control and inhibited social skills.

I am raising funds to obtain a service dog from Autism Service Dogs of America (ASDA), a non-profit organization in Lake Oswego, Oregon. You can learn more about autism service dogs and Autism Service Dogs of America by visiting their website. Having a service dog will help me in many ways. It will help control my anxiety in new social situations, reduce my depression by always being there for me, and encourage me to get out in the community and exercise more. Having a dog will improve my mood, require me to socialize, and increase my learning, general psychological and sociological development. A service dog will also be a good companion for me since I live in an assisted living facility where all of the other residents are elderly.


I need to raise $6,500 in donations to obtain my service dog. I am looking for merchandise, service certificates and/or gift cards that I can use for a raffle, which is one event that I have planned for fundraising. ASDA’s Federal tax identification number is 71-0888906 and I have a copy of their 501(c)(3) letter if you would like to see it. I would be so grateful for your generosity and if you call my mom, she would be happy to pick up any items that you might have for me. Her name is Jeri Henderson and her phone number is 910-742-7911.

Another option to help me is by making a monetary contribution in the form of a tax-deductible donation. If you are interested in doing this, please make your checks payable to ASDA and mail 
it directly to them at 5232 N Interstate Ave, Portland, OR 97217. Please write my name, Melissa Franklin, in the memo section of your check so your donation will be credited to me. I also have 
an electronic giving site which can be used to submit your donation online.

Thank you in advance for your generosity and support in my fundraising effort, and I hope to see you at my raffle on Saturday, July 28, 2012. Hopefully, I’ll even have my new service dog for you 
to see!

Sincerely,

Melissa Franklin