Posted on 09/09/2004 2:45:29 PM PDT by Lizavetta
Statement by Dr. Laura Regarding The Dr. Laura Schlessinger Foundation Closing
"It is with equal pride and regret that I share the decision of the Board of Directors to close the Dr. Laura Schlessinger Foundation on December 31 of this year. As you can imagine, we reached this decision most reluctantly after months of soul searching.
Because it was you – my listeners and sponsors – who so lovingly participated in the distribution of My StuffTM Bags to 250,000 children in crisis over the past six years, I want you to hear this news directly from me.
You have been extremely generous in donating items for the bags and in donating your time, as well. But the Foundation also requires significant ongoing underwriting which is becoming more difficult to find and, as we continue to grow, will require ever increasing amounts of money, despite our staff’s admirably consistent record of keeping expenses under 10% of revenues. Most of the underwriting for the past six years has come from my husband Lew and me.
We have thought long and hard about whether or not we want to continue to commit the bulk of our charitable contributions to this one cause – dear as it is to us. When we first started the foundation we had a three-fold mission: abused children, adoption and abstinence. The instant success of our first initiative for abused children caused us to put the other two goals on the shelf.
It is time to take them down. While we still care deeply about the children, we want to be free to devote our energies and our resources to other pressing needs in the future. Thus our decision, to close the Foundation at a high point. We will continue to pack and ship bags through the end of the year and ask that no more donations be made past October 15th. Rest assured that every item in our inventory will go into the hands of abused children.
Since the enthusiasm and commitment to My StuffTM Bags has been so pervasive throughout the country, I urge those of you who have been involved to start local community efforts to continue to provide bags to children in crisis. Much of the growing cost involved in the national effort has been maintaining inventory and shipping the bags. These costs would be minimal on a local level. Additionally, it would involve local people in the important work of relieving the suffering of these children and raise awareness of the needs of children in your own backyards.
We are extremely grateful to have partnered with all of you and with our wonderful staff in bringing love and light to hundreds of thousands of children who have experienced very little of either in their short lives. Thank you for always being there for me, for the Foundation and for the children. We eagerly await news of your local efforts on their behalf."
I wouldn't corporate with anyone who wanted to partner with me.
What a dopey phrase, right off the psychiatrist's couch. Right up there with "share" and "appropriate"
During the amazingly brief life of the Dr. Laura TV show, I had a friend who had just moved to LA and was doing temp jobs. One of those jobs was to be in the audience for the TV show.
Yep, it was such a disaster they couldn't get an audience letting people in for free. They had to hire one.
All I hear when she speaks is:
BITCH BITCH BITCH, GRIPE GRIPE GRIPE, and ITS YOU FAULT.
Good God, put a sock in it please..
Yeah, she's talking to all those women who vote in people like CLINTON!!!!
Shame on the both of you. You won't partner, you won't give, just sit around and bitch.
And we ALL know what a great life partner he is...
All I hear when she speaks is: BITCH BITCH BITCH, GRIPE GRIPE GRIPE, and ITS YOU FAULT. Good God, put a sock in it please..
What do either of these comments have to do with her foundation to help abused and neglected kids shutting down?
ahhh.. nothing...why?
I'm truely stuned by your criticism.
It's actually unclear to me EXACTLY what her foundation did to help abused children. All I can get from her "statement" is something about "stuff"
that was being distributed. What "stuff," exactly? Most of what this lady does seems geared mostly to self-promotion. I'd sure want to see ALL the financial statements before I made any donations to anything she promoted.
This is sad for the kids who benefitted from this kind program.
The foundation distributed bags to social service agencies and children rescue organizations to be given to children removed from abusive and/or neglectful parents. Many of these children leave their homes with the clothes on their backs and little more, so the 'stuff' in the bags was things like toothbrushes, blankies, crayons, teddy bears, etc.
Most of what this lady does seems geared mostly to self-promotion. I'd sure want to see ALL the financial statements before I made any donations to anything she promoted.
Most of what any talk show host does is geared toward self-promotion. Of all the articles and hit jobs done on Dr. Laura over the years I wonder how many of them even mention her foundation. Probably very few, as they can't get past their dislike of her.
Oooooh, does this mean that the set of pictures Bill Ballance took are going to be available on eBay?
Wow...this is a tough crowd. Those who are being critical of the "stuff" she gives to children in shelters (like blankets, books, teddy-bears) and/or to Dr. Laura herself, should listen to the show for awhile.
As Rush says about new listeners to his show, it takes about six weeks.
Are you really this simple minded?
No, I'm an engineer.
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