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Spring is off to a great start here at Ladybug House! In this issue, we have exciting news to share about our new operations base in downtown Seattle,
our first family outreach program, our latest media successes, and upcoming ways you can join our efforts. Finally, don't miss William Harper's story, "What Childhood Cancer Can't Take from Us."
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JANUARY 2016
NEW LADYBUG HOUSE HEADQUARTERS
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Hainline gives LBH a home base!
Our operations team finally has a place to call "home." In early 2016,
Hainline offered to sublet a large room in their downtown Seattle office for $1 per year. In addition, they donated beautiful office furniture and put our name on the front door. Their generosity has surpassed all expectations and we are so grateful for this gift of space for productivity and collaboration. You can now find us in Suite 1200 at 1215 4th Ave, Seattle, WA. Thank you, Hainline!
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APRIL 2016
INTRODUCING: LBH OUTREACH PROGRAM
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LBH Launches Family Support Program
We're proud to introduce the Ladybug House Community Outreach Program, coming soon! The goal of the program is to provide children with life-limiting illnesses and their families with a day of rest and rejuvenation. We hope to offer support to the caregiving community by providing "Ladybug Love" in advance of opening our physical location, Ladybug House. The program will aim to serve 12 - 18 families per year and will operate through the use of community donations and funds from
The KidStarter Project
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APRIL 2016
WENATCHEE HIGH SCHOOLER'S CIRCUS FUNDRAISER
$1,500 raised + 100 new supporters
Abby Phipps, a young supporter in Wenatchee, took incredible initiative by organizing a fundraiser for Ladybug House, featuring live performances by the
Wenatchee Youth Circus, face painting, and a silent auction. We are so inspired by Abby's creativity and generosity that drove her to host this event, 150 miles away!
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MARCH 2016
"LITTLE BLACK DRESS PARTY" FUNDRAISING EVENT
Gained over 200 new supporters
The
Little Black Dress Party company hosted a fun-filled masquerade event featuring a live date auction to benefit Ladybug House! They proved it is fun to raise funds! Click
here for more photos from the event!
[Final total pending]
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MARCH 2016
CREATE THE GOOD DREAMBUILDERS VIDEO CONTEST
Ladybug House wins $500 as a finalist
In a video contest hosted by AARP, participants submitted 60-second videos to introduce a project that could make a real, lasting difference in the community. The entries represented communities across the country and were voted on by viewers. Thank you to those of you who voted!
Click here to watch our short video.
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FEBRUARY 2016
DIY PODCAST
Getting People Talking
Thank you to Bennett Harris, Tim Gray, and AV Nation for featuring Ladybug House in your "DIY" podcast all the way from Illinois. Click
here to view the discussion!
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JANUARY 2016
MONEY CLOUDS PARTNERSHIP & FUNDRAISER
$1,725 raised + 21 NEW supporters
We're grateful to
Money Clouds,
Carlson PR, and all of the individual donors who contributed to our online fundraising campaign. Be sure to check out the amazing Money Clouds app for all of your personal and social savings needs!
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DECEMBER 2015
COSENTINO SIP & SEE FUNDRAISING EVENT
$4,400 raised + 150 new supporters
Cosentino Center Seattle hosted a beautiful Sip and See event with an impressive 40-item silent auction, a DJ and delicious food. Thanks to everyone involved with the event and for showing strong support for our mission!
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DECEMBER 2015
LIKA LOVE FUNDRAISING EVENT
$400 raised + 50 new supporters
We had so much fun at
Lika Love West Seattle's fun shop-for-a-cause. Lika Love donated a portion of the proceeds from the event as well as $1 for each photo taken in the selfie booth. Such a wonderful day connecting with the community - and to top it all off, the food from
The Bridge was delicious!
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"Nurse hopes to start first children's hospice in Seattle"
After 18 years, Suzanne Gwynn quit her full-time job as a night shift pediatric oncology nurse at Seattle Children's to work as a day-shift nurse at Swedish Cancer Clinic in order to pursue a passion and fulfill a need that she says Seattle has been lacking for a long time. Gwynn hopes to start a children's hospice in the city that provides around the clock care and gives the chance for families to be together at all times during their darkest hours. For the full King5 News article and video, click here.
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"New video by Ladybug House in Seattle"
"This is not just a good idea; it's a necessity. It is our social responsibility to support these families." View the stories that inspired Suzanne to found Ladybug House here.
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"Making a Difference: Residents and Businesses Helping Ladybug House"
"There are many people with ambitious dreams and innovative ideas, yet very few act on those dreams and ideas with a determined effort to turn them into a reality." LBH was featured in two neighborhood magazines in March! Read Plateau Living Magazine's full story here and learn how Ladybug House is connected to the community of the Sammamish Plateau, just outside of Seattle. Madison Park Living's issue coming online soon.
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"A talk with the Founder of Ladybug House, Suzanne"
Here Suzanne's interview with Seattle's Hot 103.7 radio program on our media page here.
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May 3, 2016
GIVE BIG IS ALMOST HERE!
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Seattle Foundation hosts sixth annual city-wide campaign
Less than two weeks until the online charitable event, GiveBIG. Help us get one step closer to building a pediatric palliative care home in Seattle! Our goal is to raise $10,000 and a portion of those funds will be matched with Seattle Foundation's stretch pool. This year they are opening the donation pages early, so you can donate now or be sure to head to our
GiveBIG profile on May 3rd!
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May 9 - 10, 2016
HMC Palliative Care Conference
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LBH will be networking with local members of the palliative care community
We will be hosting a booth at the two-day conference hosted by Harborview Medical Center and University of Washington's Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence on May 9 and 10. The event's keynote speaker is Betty Ferrell, PhD, RN. To register or to learn more, click here. Big thanks to UW Cambia PCCE for donating the vendor space to Ladybug House!
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"What Childhood Cancer Can't Take from Us"
Most people who have experienced cancer would probably tell you that the worst day of their life was the day they found out they had it. Because it happens to other people - and you're too healthy and you're too young and your future is too promising for it to happen to you. Surely you heard wrong, surely that wasn't a tear that you felt fall onto your hand from your mother's face while she sat beside you and heard exactly what you did. Yes, it's cancer. And you're about to find out what you're really made of.
Read William's full story here.
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I moved to Seattle in June 2016 after spending eight years between D.C., Milwaukee and Chicago. I found my volunteer niche with Ladybug House as I was looking for a professional position as a grant writer. The Ladybug House mission touched my heart and the business plan made me cry. I knew I had to help! I am committed to helping Ladybug find and administer grant
funding. The best part about volunteering with Ladybug House is the good vibes that come from being part of a team working to advance a truly worthy organization.
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Pediatric palliative care is an obvious need when considering what children and their families experience when they go through something like cancer. I learned about the mission of Ladybug House from my husband, who is training to be a pediatric oncologist at Seattle Children's. It turned out that my background as a practicing attorney could be used to further the goals of LBH. My role at LBH is to manage the various legal and public policy components of what LBH hopes to achieve through the home and its voice in the community. The combination of advocating on behalf of children in a rarely discussed area of healthcare policy and working with a multidisciplinary team of community members has made this a meaningful and exciting opportunity for me to help kids and families get the assistance they need during a challenging time in their lives.
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In addition to those mentioned above, we would like to thank the following individuals and organizations for supporting Ladybug House in various ways:
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SpeedPro of Kirkland
Thanks to
SpeedPro's generous donation of time, services, and a vibrant car wrap, Suzanne is able to be a driving billboard for Ladybug House! Honk if you see her!
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Cecilia Smith
Shoutout to Cecilia for requesting donations to Ladybug House in lieu of gifts on her
13th birthday. Thanks to her kind heart and selflessness, Cecilia raised
$225
!
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Kiwanis Clubs of Kirkland and Kent
Two local Kiwanis Clubs invited us to speak at their meetings, allowing for more community connections to be made. We are especially grateful for the
$100 donation made by the
Meridian Kent Club!
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We are grateful for the continued support of Ville Magazine and the full-page ad space that has been donated in each issue. Every opportunity to share the Ladybug House mission is a valuable one.
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Sturgeon saved the day!
Our new office space was perfect with one minor setback: no power outlets! The wonderful people of
Sturgeon Electric came to the rescue and installed new receptacles in addition to providing the electrical permit and inspection for the City of Seattle. What an amazing gift!
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Special thanks to the friends and families of Jeff Bouton and Trish Murphy for directing donations to LBH in memory of their loved ones.
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Help families and children celebrate every day by supporting Ladybug House. To learn how you can contribute to the mission, email
info@ladybughouse.org
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See what's happening on our social sites:
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