Dear friends, family, and supporters: In December 2023—at the age of 34 and just three months after the birth of her daughter—Katie DeGregorio Silvestri was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, aka Lou Gehrig's Disease). ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease causing muscle weakness, paralysis, and eventual respiratory system failure. Despite being known for over a century, it remains severely underfunded, and approved treatments only slow progression and extend survival by a few months. Although ALS has no known cure, the last few years have brought significant growth in research on ALS, including its underlying mechanisms and potential early-stage therapies.

Hi, my name is Cara Alyssa Wiggins, and I truly appreciate you taking a moment to read my story. I am a 26-year-old ambitious, determined, and creative young lady whose life has come to a sudden standstill. It all began when I was traveling for vacation in July of this year, when I started to experience some unusual, sudden changes to my body. I became extremely concerned when my motor skills started to diminish at an increasing rate, and something as simple as walking became almost impossible to do on my own. I decided to go to the emergency room for a checkup and did a series of tests, scans, and MRIs, which showed abnormal findings in the brain. They performed an emergency brain surgery (status biopsy and laser interstitial thermal therapy) otherwise known as LITT. This revealed terrible news of a terminal diagnosis. I was diagnosed with Glioblastoma (GBM), which is a high-grade 3 or 4 tumor that is an aggressive, rare form of a brain tumor.

We are with one of our compatriots, Leila Ahmadi, and her husband, Milad, who immigrated a year ago. Despite their best efforts, they are now facing the most painful moments of their lives. Leila, a young and kind woman, is currently battling stage 4 cancer. She is enduring the pain and suffering caused by this invasive disease, along with the severe side effects of surgery and radiation affecting her stomach. Doctors in America have given up hope for further treatment, and Leila has been unable to eat anything for almost eight months. In these difficult times, Leila’s only wish is to return to our homeland and reunite with her family.

We are with one of our compatriots, Leila Ahmadi, and her husband, Milad, who immigrated a year ago. Despite their best efforts, they are now facing the most painful moments of their lives. Leila, a young and kind woman, is currently battling stage 4 cancer.

On June 19th, 2024, I thought I was going to the hospital to be treated for kidney stones, but little did I know I would be told that I have an Advanced Stage 4 B High Grade Carcinoma cancer and blood clots in my leg. I did have kidney stones, but they were the least of my doctors' concerns. Since then, I have spent many days in UAB undergoing tests and procedures. Some to help protect me from the blood clots, and the others to track down what type it is, where it all is, and where it has originated from in my body. Also, the doctors are helping me with the terrible swelling and pain from the ascites and cancer. As of right now, we know that the cancer is in my abdomen lining, intestinal wall, bowel, diaphragm, colon, (possibly) pancreas, and more… The GI Oncologists at UAB are trying to narrow down if it started in my pancreas or my colon.

Constantin Leahu and his beautiful boy Andrei were lost at sea when the fishing boat they were on capsized on July 13, 2024. They leave behind Constantine’s wife Elena Venera and their four young daughters, Anamaria, Daria, Elizabeth and Melanie. Their loss and grief are insurmountable. We are collecting funds to help secure the family’s immediate and future needs, medical bills, and other expenses. Constantin’s sense of humor, selfless nature, and unwavering faith in the goodness of God make him one of the most generous, loving, and wholehearted friends any of us will ever know. Deeply committed to his faith, always willing to go above and beyond for anyone, a loving father and husband, he leaves behind not only a heartbroken family but an entire community that will never recover from such a loss. His greatest pride and joy were his five children, and the beautiful life he built alongside his wife Venera.

My name is Cathy, owner of Cathy’s House of Chickens. This morning at 1:10am the bridal trail that boarders our backyard collapsed from the torrential downpours at Southbury had suffered yesterday. There is a pond in the back of the bridal trail and the drain pipe got clogged the water on the other side of the bridal trail, rose and went over to the other side towards my house, which caused the bridal trail to collapse and cause a mudslide..

Dear Friends, Animal Lovers, and Compassionate Community Members, We urgently need your support following a devastating water damage event at Commack Veterinary Center and The Pet Salon on August 19th. Our facility has suffered severe damage, rendering our hospital and pet salon temporarily inoperable and leaving many animals without the critical care they need. The Situation Our infrastructure, including essential medical equipment and supplies, have been extensively damaged beyond repair. We are temporarily closed, creating a void in our community where countless animals depend on us..

Hi Everyone, My name is Christina, and I’m reaching out with a heartfelt request for support on behalf of my father, Jimmy, who owns and operates Jimmy’s On The River. As many of you know, the restaurant has faced some incredible challenges over the past two years. In 2022, Jimmy’s On The River was hit by a car overnight. Thankfully, no customers were present at the time, and no one was hurt. Since then, my dad has been working tirelessly to keep the restaurant open while managing extensive repairs and renovations..

Hello fellow believers. I’m asking for help as I have been fired and currently have no job for putting God first and wanting to go to church. I plan to use this money to start my own business. May God bless each one of you accordingly...

Your generosity of $1 can do more than you can imagine. This morning I was feeling very discouraged. God called me out of Corporate America and into a season of caring for my daughter. I'm in a place where I cannot fund the Purpose Doesn't Pause Movement that He has given me to steward. I have been carrying the weight of this on my own and I felt God lead me to invite YOU into this. The need of our community continues to grow:

We wanted to share an exciting project that Shoqata Ulqini has been asked to take the lead together with Diaspora Ulqinit Chicago, from a prominent organization in Montenegro located in Ulqin (Bashksia Islame of Ulqin). Since our organization’s inception, we have successfully completed several projects with them as Shoqata Ulqini and one project together with Diaspora Ulqinit Chicago, and now President Imam Blerim Bajraktari, a respected businessman, has invited us to contribute to another initiative that aims to benefit our city of Ulqin and the Albanian community.

Estimados amigos de nuestra misión: Espero que todos se encuentren muy bien. Por medio de este correo quería agradecerles a todos los que han colaborado con dinero para la construcción de la sacristía de nuestra parroquia de Kangeme, en Tanzania. Por gracia de Dios ya pudimos utilizar el dinero que nos donaron, y hemos podido realizar los siguientes trabajos: 1) Cimientos; 2) columnas; 3) muros; y 4) colocar los marcos de las puertas.

I'm James Eifert and I am raising money for leadership college so I can grow in my faith and get life long friends and also learn life skills.

Dear Friends, Family, and Compassionate Supporters, We are heartbroken to share the story of Tenzin Choedon, a sweet and vibrant 12-year-old girl from Prior Lake, Minnesota. On August 15, 2024, Tenzin’s life was forever changed when she was involved in a devastating car accident on the Ohio Turnpike near Toledo. In this tragic incident, she lost her beloved father, Tenzin Drukgyal, 46, a US Postal Service employee and her little brother, Dawa Norbu, just 9 years old. Tenzin is currently in critical condition, in the hospital. Her mother, who survived the accident, is by her side, shattered by the loss of her husband and son and now facing the unimaginable pain of watching her daughter endure this struggle.