nothing’s going to get better, it’s not.”
~Dr. Seuss
Dear YuMMies,
What a month! Per the quote above, you have shown in spectacular fashion that you care a whole lot. As a result, a whole lot of You Matter Magic has been unleashed in the world. And the ripples of your generosity, courage and kindness will live on in the hearts of those you have touched.
Our Community
The YMM now has 52,544 total participants – more than three times as many as last year! And we have 273 Ambassador organizations from all 50 states, and 28 countries. Some recent Ambassadors include: California School for the Deaf Riverside, Complexions Spa, and College Park High School Library. We are still adding the total # of cards shared but a conservative estimate is over a quarter million!
Good news! We have 210 more card packs that we can mail domestically. So invite a friend or family member to sign-up at: www.youmattermarathon.org.
A Few Moments of You Matter Magic:
“Finishing up our family Thanksgiving service project of decorating & stuffing Together We Rise duffel bags for foster kids and adding a You Matter card to each one!”(See photo on right).
-Donna Bianco-Ingolia
“I got approval to make this a company-wide campaign! It’s been such a nice way for our staff engage with their community and for us to bond as a company. To date we’ve shared- 5700 cards. Yes that is right – 5700!
For me, I have been giving the cards out to so many different people – I handed them out at my single mothers group as a reminder to everyone that even though times are difficult they matter. These cards have allowed me to connect with people in such a deeper way and have made this once cold Vancouver city seem a lot warmer!”
-Michelle Reid, Sustainability Czar, Mills Office Productivity
“I have loved watching people’s faces light up when I give them a card and tell them how much they make a difference. My favorite story so far happened on Thanksgiving. My father and I went out for dinner and our waiter couldn’t have been nicer or more accommodating, though it was clear he was incredibly busy. I left the card in the check folder and wrote on the back, “Thank you so much for taking care of us this Thanksgiving. You really made a difference.” He was so moved by the message and the card! It really made his day.”
-Brooke Ferris
Next Steps
- Please click here to take this 3-minute survey about your YMM experience. We will share the results with you in a few weeks.
- To continue sharing You Matter cards, click here to purchase them (use discount code THANKS20), or print your own cards using this template.
- The YMM Facebook page will stay as active as you wish it to be. I’ll post there from time to time.
As for my next steps, the You Matter Marathon has been a 2 year endeavor and I am both exhausted and exhilarated from the effort. I will take December to savor this experience and consider what’s next, including finding sustainable funding and administrative partners so the YMM may live on in some form.To stay in touch you are welcome to email me any time and/or subscribe to my “On Life and Leadership Blog.”
You Matter Gratitude
The You Matter Marathon flourished with the professional support of the following people:
- Executive Assistant: Melody Bridgewater, White River Virtual Solutions
- Social Media: Christy Vaupel
- Business Consulting: The Paula G Company
- Communication Consulting: Anne Dubuisson
- You Matter Production Elves: Jaime Cundy, Helen Travis, Lizzy Anderson, Elena Christen , Katherine Christen, Caroline Horn, William Horn, Susan McGarvey, Janine Pultorek
- PR: Becky Robinson, Mike Driehorst, Sierra Hernandez of Weaving Influence
- Video Production: John Johnson, National Creative Group
- Our Fiscal Sponsor: Urban Affairs Coalition
And we are very grateful to all of the wonderful media partners who helped get the word out about the Marathon. A complete list can be found here.Big thanks to our informal You Matter champions including Tina Raspanti, Anne Dubuisson, Leslie Mayer, Jane Anderson, Vicki O’Grady of the You Matter Compassion Project, Dennis Pitocco of BizCatalyst 360, Howard Rice, and Alan Wohlstetter.
None of this would have happened were it not for our generous Corporate Sponsors: Penn Medicine, Global Coaching Alliance, H. Martin Consulting, and Your Voice Your Vision plus the many YuMMies who made individual contributions.
In Closing
Thanks to each and every one of you for enriching my life…changing my life…
You Matter and I am forever grateful.
Cheryl
