The Feinstein Foundation

(To Help End Hunger In America)

This year, Valley AIDS Network (VAN), will be working against hunger with the Feinstein Foundation in order to provide much-needed food for our families. How? For the past ten years, the Alan Shawn Feinstein Foundation has matched dollar-for-dollar monies raised by non-profit agencies nationwide helping to fight hunger. Why does he do this? Because he believes each of us was put here on earth to do what we can to help those in need. No money is ever used from your donation for fees, administrative expenses, or anything else. Remember, 100% of your charitable donation goes in full to this effort to help provide for some of the neediest in our communities.

The Valley AIDS Network services an area of approximately 4000 square miles and includes the counties of Rockingham, Augusta, Rockbridge, Bath, Highland, the southern half of Shenandoah, and western portion of Page. Valley AIDS Network is classified as a “resource of last resort.” Of VAN’s current 70 clients, about 40% live in Rockingham, 40% in Augusta and the remaining 20% are scatted among the remaining 5 counties. The majority of our clients live below 150% of the federal poverty level. Those we serve cut across all cultural, racial, religious, gender, and socio-economic lines. Our clients range in age from pre-schoolers to senior citizens and about 40% are female. They are single moms, intact families, college students, African Americans, Caucasians, and Hispanic.

The number of reported cases of HIV/AIDS in this area is increasing. The funds to provide those services is ever shrinking and becoming more and more restrictive. Most of the funds we receive are restricted to medication, whereas housing, nourishment and transportation seem to be seldom addressed. As you read this letter you may be saying to yourself, this does not impact my business, my employees, my friends, my children’s friends or more personally, my family. In our prevention efforts we emphasize that the most dangerous thing you can do is to think that “my group’ does not need to be concerned about HIV/AIDS.

We at the Valley AIDS Network need community support (dollars) to continue our efforts at intervention, identification, and prevention. There is no donation too small or too large. Your gift will have immeasurable value to your community and will ultimately contribute to saving lives. If you send your donation during this special campaign (March 1-April 30, 2008), we promise to ear-mark the money you send to fight hunger among our clients. The Feinstein Foundation will match your donation which doubles your good help!

Please mark your check or envelope “Feinstein Matching Grant” and be as generous as you can be. Please return your donation before April 30th. You may also donate online through our website using the NETWORK FOR GOOD link above.  Perhaps, you would like to participate in one of our other fund-raisers as well! I have included a list at the bottom of this letter to help you choose from those as well. Information on these events is also available on our website. Feel free to come up with your own ideas and use VAN as a mission need. Thank you immensely for your time and consideration.

Other Spring Fund-raisers include:
April 26--AIDS Walk for a CURE (in and around Harrisonburg and James Madison University—want to sponsor a team?)
May 17--The Great Family Yard Sale (973 College Avenue—near Eastern Mennonite University—Harrisonburg—come and browse!)

Sincerely yours,

Marilyn S. Heishman, Secretary
VAN Board of Directors