Helping Our Pets Cross the Rainbow Bridge at Home

SUGAR’S GIFT™ MATCHING DAY IS ON JULY 10, 2024 ….AND IT IS GETTING CLOSE!  WE HAVE A SPECIAL SUPPORTER WILLING TO MATCH UP TO $10,000, SO IT IS A “DOUBLE” MATCH DAY FOR US!

PLEASE REMEMBER….GIVE EARLY (STARTING AT 9:00 AM EDT) BECAUSE THE MATCHING FUNDS CAN RUN OUT AT SOME POINT….SEE DETAILS BELOW!

JULY BONUS DAY IS COMING!

GOOD NEWS!  We are coming up on a fabulous matching event on July 10, 2024,with GlobalGiving, our fundraising partner!  As some of you know, our biggest fundraising events annually are in July with GlobalGiving’s Bonus Day and toward the end of the year on Giving Tuesday.  We try very hard to raise a lot of funds on those 2 important days of the year.  So, we need your HELP!  We have a special donor and incredible supporter, Monica Seles – the retired professional tennis player - who believes in Sugar’s Gift™ so strongly that she is willing to match $10,000 if we can raise $10,000 this year on July 10!  PLEASE help us do that!!

It is so important that you try to donate some amount on July 10, 2024– ANY AMOUNT FROM $100 OR MORE - as that is the biggest opportunity for us to receive the largest bonuses of the year!    Remember, give early that day…..matching funds will run out at some point during the day!  (Don’t worry – you’ll get another reminder (or 2) as we get closer….)

HOW THE JULY 10, 2024, JULY BONUS DAY WORKS:

We can receive:

• 30% Match on donations from $100 - $499
• 40% Match on donations from $500-$749
• 50% Match on donations from $750 - $1,000

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

Will You Please Help Us on JULY BONUS DAY?

REASONS WE REALLY, REALLY NEED YOUR HELP RIGHT NOW:

1. We have expanded our areas of service again in almost the entire Sarasota/Manatee County areas, including Palmetto/Ellenton south to Port Charlotte, and from Myakka City west to Longboat Key, West Bradenton, Holmes Beach and the surrounding areas again.  With your help, we can help even more Little Angels in those areas.  Please consider a donation to help us keep our expansion permanent!  We really hate to tell anyone that we cannot help them, so please give generously. 
2. Our East Coast of Florida expansion of operations continues!  We have partnered with Safe Passages In Home Euthanasia and Pet Crematory in Indiantown to take our business to new heights on the East Coast and into Orlando!  We are able to service Melbourne/Merritt Island all the way to Broward County, as well as Orlando!  Your generous donations will be used to include that expansion, as well.  Safe Passages schedules our East Coast appointments, performs the cremations and delivers our urns and other items back in person to our pet owners.  They are wonderful and want to continue to grow with them!
3. We still work with Lifetime Veterinary Center and Dr. Dack in our Jupiter area – we love them and will always work with them, as well!  They schedule their own euthanasias in their office and return our urn and other items to each pet owner, as well. 
4. Anyone in our services areas on the West and East Coasts of Florida can call our office at 941-718-5066 and we are happy to discuss their situation with them.

EXCITING NEWS – WE RECEIVED A $25,000 GRANT FROM THE BISHOP PARKER FOUNDATION!

We are so excited because we received our first large grant!  The Bishop Parker Foundation in Bradenton believes in us and granted us $25,000 to help with our mission!  We give special thanks to Keith for all his help, and the Board of Directors hold a special place in our hearts.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!  Their funding will provide us the veterinary costs to help 50 more pets cross the Rainbow Bridge from home.  Wow!  We are still so happy to receive this generous grant and know that so many people will benefit from their funding.

WE DESPERATELY NEED A VEHICLE FOR TRANSPORATIONS AND DELIVERIES

We have tried to reach out to everyone via social media, but so far we have had no luck….we need an SUV or Minivan of some type to help with all the transportations of pets and deliveries of ashes to pet owners, as well as travel to events and back and forth between the East and West Coast of Florida for Sugar’s Gift™.  We hope that sending you this in our newsletter may allow you to share our needs with anyone you know who can help.  If you know of anyone working for or owning car dealerships or auction houses, or if you hear of individuals who need to increase charitable donations for tax purposes and have a good, solid vehicle to donate….remember we are a 501(c)(3) and their donations are tax deductible to us.

This need has increased even more because we have expanded....growing pains!  But we don't want to use donations for this need.  We want to keep 92-96% of all of our donations to go toward our mission, only!  Please spread the word and help us find transportation!

THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR TEAM – AND WE ARE A TEAM!

At Sugar’s Gift™, we have a very special team of people who work so well together in order to help your babies cross the Bridge peacefully from home.  I would like to highlight everyone who makes us the terrific organization we are!

• Cheryl Brady and Vet Care Express – Cheryl and her own team are some of the most compassionate people on the planet….and everyone we have helped agree!  They are always there for us and the pets we help and we appreciate them so much!
• Drs. Wendy and Kyle with Holistic Veterinary House Calls – our cherished veterinarians on the West Coast of Florida are our lifeblood!  Again, everyone we have helped certainly believe that, too.  We couldn’t be here without them!
• Dr. Dack and the Lifetime Veterinary Center in Jupiter, FL – another incredible veterinarian that we are fortunate to have on board!  They help so many babies on the East Coast and we love them, too!
• Belspur Oaks Crematory on the West Coast of Florida is such an important part of our team, as well.  Thank you, Ray and Barbara, for all you do!
• Safe Passages In Home Euthanasia and Pet Crematory on the East and West Coasts of Florida are special partners to us.  They go above and beyond for our pet owners, pets and us.  We are incredibly excited to be a partner with them for our in home euthanasias and their vets on the East Coast, as well as our expansion by using their crematory services on our West Coast.  Thank you, Margo and your team!
• And, a great BIG THANK YOU to Monica Seles for her support and helping us even more with her matching funds on July 10!

OUR MISSION – WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO

Our mission is always worth repeating:  Our mission is to provide euthanasia and end-of-life veterinary services for terminally ill pets in their own homes.  We at Sugar's Gift™ do not charge for any of our services to help your terminally ill baby.  Why?  Our mission from the beginning has been all about the Little Ones, not about how much money someone has.  We don't charge you on a sliding scale.  We don't charge you based on your income.  We believe this:  Every one of you who has a terminally ill pet has something in common with all of us - the love for our pets, our companions, our Little Angels and the need to have them pass in the most comfortable surroundings.  That is something sacred to us.  We share that love and respect you for that love, as well.  That is why we do not charge you for our services.  It is the last Gift you can give your baby, and it is Sugar's Gift to both of you.

KEEP US IN MIND FOR YOUR ESTATE PLANNING GIFTS!

Many people ask us if they can include Sugar’s Gift™ in their estate planning.  We are very appreciative of that gesture.  If you have a Will or a Trust and wish Sugar’s Gift™ to receive funding upon your demise, we thank you for thinking of us.  Your gifs will keep us sustainable for many years to come!  If you need help or have questions regarding this issue, please contact us and we’ll be happy to discuss options for you.

OUR PET OWNERS AND THEIR MESSAGES TO US….

Pet owners across this great country of ours describe Sugar’s Gift™ as “Bringing lasting peace to pets and their owners after a life full of love.”  We offer a life-changing experience...our services extend far beyond the time and scope of the services we provide for you and your pet. We are here as a resource, an ear or a shoulder to cry on, an organization that will always be here for you and your furbabies. Some of our pet owners have described our client care service as unsurpassed. Read some of our testimonials here.  

LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AND FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM AND NEXT DOOR!

Thank you to all of you who have encouraged others to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Threads and Next Door….we have increased our followers to over 1,700 as of today on Facebook.  We want to build even more Facebook Likes, so go here to Like Our Page and share this with your friends!

WHAT WE NEED NOW FROM YOU

1. Please consider helping us at 9:00 am EDT (or later, but please before 11:00 am EDT, if possible) on July 10, 2024, for JULY BONUS DAY!  Log in to our link here to help us with our largest matching event of the year!  Again, we have our wonderful supporter, Monica Seles, pledging to give us $10,000 if we can raise $10,000 that day!  CLICK HERE TO DONATE
2. We are still getting calls in our Sarasota/Bradenton location at the rate of 10-15 pet owners per day to help their beloved pets cross the Rainbow Bridge from home.  And, now that we have opened up more locations, that number is increasing.  It is wonderful that we can help so many, but that takes funding.....so we need more generous souls like you to help us pay for the expenses of each euthanasia and cremation for all these Little Angels.  CLICK HERE TO DONATE
3. If you work for or with a Corporation or Foundation, let us know.  We would love to talk with them to form a partnership and help the Little Angels together.  It would also help to know if they match employees' donations. (We are happy to speak with your Human Resources Department, if you would like us to inquire about this for you)
4. We are looking to add experienced Members to our Board of Directors and to our Advisory Board.  If you are interested, or know of someone who is, please contact Nikki at 941-320-1524 or via email at nikkistewart@sugarsgift.org.  You must have experience on another Board of Directors, preferably with a non-profit organization.  There are other qualifications, but please email or call if you are interested.  We are accepting applications nationwide.

WE ARE COMPILING A BOOK OF STORIES!

The pet owners whose pets Sugar's Gift™ has helped are giving us stories - either written stories, poetry, songs, about their pets' lives.  We want to publish those stories and let others know what wonderful people and pets we have helped, and how we have helped them through their experience with Sugar's Gift™.  If you are one of our terrific pet owners and we don't have your story yet.....get those pencils (or iPads) working overtime!  We want to publish the first volume in late 2024 or early 2025!

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!  OUR EXPANSIONS HAVE INCREASED OUR NEEDS!

In the past, a number of you have told me you were interested in volunteering to help with Sugar’s Gift™.  Until this year, we have not needed a lot of extra help.  However…..things have changed….again, growing pains!  Our needs are growing, so please complete the Volunteer form on the website if you have a special skillset or have extra time on your hands – or email Nikki at nikkistewart@sugarsgift.org.  Our website has a few positions listed and we certainly have a need for administration positions, website help, social media help, phone help, delivery help, transportation help….and much more.  And, if you just want to join us but don’t have anything in particular in mind, that is OK, too!  Remember, though…..all positions are Volunteer, not paid.  That is one reason we can use 92-96% of all your donations directly toward our mission.  We are very cognizant of our costs.  We want your dollars to go to our mission, not our overhead expenses.

AGAIN, CALLING FUNDRAISERS AND GRANT WRITERS!  WE NEED YOUR HELP THIS YEAR AND NEXT!

So, when we say every dollar counts…..EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS.  CLICK HERE TO DONATE

REMEMBER….

Sugar’s Gift™ is the only non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization in the country whose mission is to help terminally ill pets cross over the Rainbow Bridge from home with comfort, dignity and peace. 

Please give generously.....monthly, annually, whatever suits your budget.  All the other Little Angels need us....and we need you.  Thank you.

We apologize, in advance, if you receive a duplicate of this report.  We are sending this through our email server, too, so you may get 2 of the same reports.  Just simply forward one to someone  you feel would like to read it!  Thank you.

Links:

• Our Home Page
• How Do I Know It Is Time?
• The Rainbow Bridge Poem