We are approaching our one-year anniversary! The vision of this organization was put on my heart in June of 2010. On July 13, 2010 I pitched the vision to three other amazing women and they jumped into this journey with me. In September of 2010, we were officially incorporated by the state of Indiana. We had started the process of becoming a 501(c)3 non-profit organization around that time too. Now as of May 14th, all of our paperwork has been sent to The Foundation Group (the company that is helping through the process) and we are waiting for their review and council. They will be the liaison between us and the IRS, This process may take 2-5 months...or more if we are randomly selected for further review/questioning. A nice benefit to this process is that it is retroactive. If you donate to our organization today, it is still tax-deductible even though we are not yet a fully tax-deductible entity yet.
Now beyond just the business of getting our org. up and running, we are currently sponsoring our first family!!!
This is the most exciting part, because just under a year of the birth of the idea, we are living out the core of the organization already. The family that inspired the idea of the organization is currently being sponsored. We are helping this family eliminate medical debt that they have accumulated while trying to find a cause for their girls constantly getting sick. They have not been able to find a definitive diagnosis, but they are getting pieces to the puzzle with each passing test and trial of meds. You can imagine that this course of action can run medical costs up quickly. We are helping to relieve some of the burden of the past in order for them to point their resources toward the future.
Here is the link to our website where you can view their video. It gives you a glimpse into what they have gone through. There is also a more detailed article if you want to get into the "nitty gritty" of their journey.
http://www.igivefromtheheart.org/Our_Heart_Beats.html
You also have the option to donate on their page as well.
Thank you to those who have followed our organization's journey and are now seeing us help our first family. We are grateful for all the prayers and monetary support that has helped us get where we are today. We hope to help many more families in the coming years.
~Written by Ashley Ferris
One of four board members
