AWB Newsletter Spring 2009 |
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MAKE A PROGRAM CONTRIBUTION!
Make a special donation now to AWB's Military Stress Recovery Project (formerly the Veterans Project).
OR
Help AWB create a Disaster Ready Fund
so that we can continue to train and provide materials for
acupuncturists to respond promptly to emergencies. $100 will allow 10
survivors or emergency responders in a disaster to receive crucial and
timely acupuncture treatments that may help save their lives or help
them save the lives of others.
Be sure to make a note in the online donation process that you would like your contribution earmarked for a specific program.
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HOLD A COMMUNITY EVENT IN OCTOBER
For
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Day, October 24, 2009, we invite
acupuncturists to hold Community Events or house parties (A Party With
a Point!) to help support AWB and promote your practice at the same
time!
We will provide an event kit with posters, documents, event
planning info, and more. It is not too early to start thinking about
holding an event! Email AWB if you are interested
info@acuwithoutborders.org
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THANKS TO OUR DONORS!
A tremendous thank you to those who donated in response to our Emergency Request.
We raised $3115.00.
We are still in urgent need of funds and appreciate your dedication to keeping the important work of AWB possible.
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WISH LIST
· Frequent Flier miles for field volunteers. We need enough miles for a full ticket, not partial miles.
· Digital Camera
· Treasurer for our Board
· Office Supplies (post it notes, pens, paper, etc.)
· Laminating machine
· Printing services
· Paper cutter
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GET EXPOSURE VIA AWB
Hits
to the AWB website now average about 80,000 per month! Now is a great
time to become a sponsor or a member and be listed on the AWB site.
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 Join AWB in Nepal
AWB is beginning an international program called World Healing Exchange.
The vision for this program is that we will travel as healers to places
around the globe where we will provide service and training and we will
also learn from indigenous healers in those locations about their
healing practices. We expect that future ongoing clinics may evolve out
of the relationships we develop. An important part of these journeys is
also for us to renew and refresh. We invite you to join us!
This
fall our first international program is a two week journey
to Nepal. Each day of the trip will weave inner practice with outer
practice, service to the spirit with service to others. The program
will culminate in a trek to Chiwong Monastery and the Mani Rimdu
festival. The festival is an extraordinary sacred few days with a
focus on transformation of society toward wisdom, compassion and
service.
During this special program we will offer free
acupuncture clinics in Kathmandu and local monasteries, meet with
traditional healers, provide training to local people, trek in one of
the most profoundly moving mountain ranges in the world and have the
opportunity to experience sacred places throughout the Kathmandu
Valley. AWB's first international program will combine healing,
service, practice and culture in a way that we hope will leave you
inspired, renewed and committed to the vision of a better world.
We hope you will come along for the journey.
Trip Dates: October 23 - November 7, 2009
Cost (does not include international airfare):
Early Bird (by September 1) - $3500/ $3300 AWB Members
Regular Rate -
$3700/ $3500 AWB Members
Maximum 15 participants
More information will be forthcoming about this program. Please email info@acuwithoutborders.org
to be put on the mailing list for the Nepal program and future
international programs. We look forward to hearing from you.
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 On the Road for AWB
By Darcy Wolfe, volunteer extraordinaire
I
had just sold my house in NC and bought a 26 ft RV with the intention
of traveling when I took the AWB Healing Community Trauma Training in
Orlando. Having been in Florida when three hurricanes hit back to back,
the desire to be of service in a larger capacity resonated with me, and
the class helped to set me in that direction. AWB has done most of the
footwork required to set up community grass-root clinics that are
simple and transportable. What I was most attracted to was that AWB was
building a nationwide network of acupuncturists trained to respond to
trauma and disaster by teaching them how to serve our returning
military personnel with a small donation of their time. What I was most
surprised by was how much growth has happened since 2005 with such a
small staff trying to help us help our own communities.
After
the class training, I asked Diana if she needed any help in New Mexico
because I was pretty portable myself at the time. I am not sure she
believed me when I said I'd be out there as soon as I could get my
taxes done, but she said she could use all the help I could give. I am
now an official office volunteer doing anything I can to support this
work and ensure we are able to respond wherever the disaster occurs.
[Editor's Note: And we love Darcy!]
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Mark Your Calendar!
Visit BluePoppy.com on June 10th and 10% of your purchase goes to support AWB!
Thank you Blue Poppy for your support!
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 AWB Veterans Project Gets a Name Change
Due to a number of people expressing their concern that the name
"Veterans Project" might be keeping away active duty military,
reservists and family members, we have decided to change the name of
the Veterans Project to the Military Stress Recovery Project (MSRP). We
invite clinics to consider changing their names accordingly. If this
is not possible, be sure to include a subheading in your clinic
information that the clinic is open to active duty, reservists and
family members if this is the case. We are excited about this change
and feel it will better reflect the important scope of this program.
Interest in the Military Stress Recovery Project is booming! AWB
regularly receives emails from people who want to start or participate
in clinics.
Military Stress Recovery Project clinics are currently operating in:
· Albuquerque, New Mexico
· Boston, MA
· Chicago, Illinois
· Fort Myers, Florida
· Framingham, Massachusetts
· Grants Pass, Oregon
· Ithaca, New York
· Madison, Wisconsin
· Orlando, FL
· Philadelphia, PA
· Portland, Maine
· Portland, Oregon
· Racine, WI
· Rochester, New York
· Rockland, Maine
· Pojoaque (Santa Fe area), New Mexico
· Seattle, Washington
· St. Petersburg, Florida
· Times Square, New York, NY
· Warm Mineral Springs, Florida
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The Nitty-Gritty of AWB
By Gretchen Lorenson, Program Coordinator
Welcome
to the AWB office. I want to give you a brief idea of how things are
in the day to day office world of AWB. For the first few years of its
life the "AWB office" consisted of a few people working from their
laptops at whatever internet connection they could find at any given
time; day or night! Back in May of 2008, we finally moved (mostly) out
of our virtual office and into a real, solid, four walled room. For
the first 10 months we squeezed into a tiny room with our small staff
working on top of and around each other depending on the configuration
of individuals scheduled in the office that day. Then, in February of
this year we found a comparably priced office in a space that allowed
us to seat all of our small staff without bumping into each other every
time we moved our chairs. Yay!
Click here to continue reading.
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New Orleans Program: Post Treatment Survey Results
October 2005 through November 2007
By Sarah Tewhey, AWB Special Projects
Acupuncturists
Without Borders (AWB) responded to Hurricane Katrina by coordinating
over 80 volunteer acupuncturists from around the nation to travel to
Greater New Orleans. These volunteers administered free
community-style acupuncture treatments for stress and trauma in a wide
variety of communities around the city and outlying areas.
Over 25 separate teams of AWB acupuncturists were sent to New
Orleans from October 2005 through February 2006 and from June through
November of 2006. It is estimated that 8000 free community-style
treatments were given at over 40 locations. Treatments were given to
residents, evacuees, first responders, civil servants, government
officials and volunteer relief workers.
Whenever possible those who received
treatment were asked to fill out a brief post-treatment survey about
their experience. The following is a summary of the approximately 2755
surveys collected during AWB's time in New Orleans.
Click Here to continue reading.
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 A Delicious Fundraiser!
One
look at the menu for this incredible AWB fundraising event and we were
nearly drooling. A tremendous thank you to Susan Griffin L.Ac and Blake
of Prossage Muscle Therapy in Hartford, CT who held this classy and
creative event. We wanted to share the menu with you and encourage you
to hold such an event if you are so moved. We love the addition of
local and organic food. Get inspired to have some fun, support your
community and raise funds for AWB!
Appetizers
Goat Cheese, Spinach and Caramelized onion Quesadilla
and
Salmon, Basil, and Brown Rice Sushi
Followed by Farfalle with Watercress, Cherry Tomatoes and Feta cheese salad
and
Locally grown Spring Salad and vegetables
Entree
Glazed and Confused Chicken
(Grilled chicken with apricot, cumin, vodka glaze)
with a side of Papaya & Black Olive Brown Rice
Vegetarian Choice
Shrooms and Spears Fettuccine
(Mushrooms and asparagus sauteed in a vegetable garlic cream sauce)
Featured Spirits
Pierre Chermette 2006 Beaujolais (organic red wine)
Crop Harvest Earth Organic Vodka
Woolavers Organic Beer20
Served Family Style
$45.00 per person, gratuity and beverages not included
Proceeds to benefit Acupuncturist Without Borders
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Voices from the Field......
"I think the variety and depth of services offered was wonderful, even greater than I was able to take in that day."
- From Diane Eggleston, organizer of the Arizona Veterans Acupuncture
Support event at the February StandDown in Phoenix. The StandDown was
an outreach event for homeless veterans in the Phoenix area.
At this event:
· 114 treatments given in 2 sessions over 4.5 hours
· 25 surveys completed, showing that 18 of those treated had never had acupuncture before.
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All were "very likely" or "definitely" wanting acupuncture treatment
again, with all but 1 noticing moderate to definite decrease in stress
levels during treatment.
· Many noted specific assistance with symptoms of poor sleep, anxiety, depression, and pain.
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 Healing Community Trauma Trainings in 2009
Houston, Texas
June 27-28, 2009 at the American College of Acupuncture and
Oriental Medicine, Houston, TX
To Register and for more information
CLICK HERE.
Newton, Massachusetts (Boston)
December 12-13, 2009 at the New England School of Acupuncture,
Newton, MA
To Register and for more information
CLICK HERE.
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AWB is Turning Four This September!
Please consider a birthday gift to AWB this fall.
Your
donation or membership dues are an investment in a cause, and we treat
it as such. When you put your money into AWB, we become the trustees of
that money, and you can be assured that your investment will have
long-term effects on healing individuals, communities and, ultimately,
the planet on which we live. Although technically we are called a
nonprofit, your money is allocated for social profit; a term we feel
better describes what we do. The "profit" that comes from this work,
from the impact of one dollar spent, lasts a long, long time. When you
change one person's life, you change all the lives affected and on and
on.
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In the spirit of service,
Diana Fried, Executive Director
and the AWB team
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Become an AWB Member Today!
Jing Level - $100 for one year, $50 for students
The root and foundation of our membership
Qi Level - Recurring monthly payment equal to one hour of your services ($40, $60, $80 or $100) for the duration of 6 or 12 months
Sustaining, ongoing nourishment for the organization
Shen Level
- Corporate sponsorship of minimum of $500 for one year. With
sponsorship of $1,000 or more your organization will receive a hotlink
on the AWB website for one year
The transformative level allowing expansion into the wider community
See the website
for more information or to join AWB in its mission to bring acupuncture
relief and recovery services to global communities in need!
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