As an additional way to connect, offer encouragement and support, and share resources, Serving Tree offers a monthly Newsletter. With this, to raise awareness
about agencies "doing good, well," each month's Newsletter will feature the agency
Serving Tree is financially supporting that month. Serving Tree shares 20% of her monthly income to support these agencies.  Here's what's planned for 2023-2024 Newsletter:


October 2023
All Creatures Great and Small
It's probably no surprise that having a pet can be good for our emotional health and well-being.

But if you're in doubt, Dr. Fricchione, of Harvard Health, affirms, "When you feel securely attached to a pet, there are biological brain effects that reduce stress response, so it may affect your breathing rate or blood pressure or oxygen consumption or anxiety level."  This month, Serving Tree celebrates the wonder and mystery of  "All Creatures Great and Small" by both lifting up their healing presence and embracing the challenge to care for those animals endangered, neglected, and abused. 20% of Serving Tree's income this month will go to support The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.

The Elephant Sanctuary provides captive elephants with individualized care, the companionship of a herd, and the opportunity to live out their lives in a safe haven dedicated to their well-being and to educate the public of the complex needs of elephants in captivity and the crisis facing elephants in the wild.

November 2023
Gratitude
Diana Butler Bass offers, “Giving thanks, is more than a private practice; ....gratitude is socially beneficial and strengthens communities. Gratitude is about “me” and it is about “we.” This month, Serving Tree will explore what "living gratefully" looks like and how such a practice can transform our lives and make a healing difference in the world. 20% of Serving Tree's income this month will go to support

Heifer International/USA. Heifer USA supports small-scale farmers to deliver fresh, nutritious  food to reliable markets by providing them with training, education and resources needed to sell their products for a fair price.

This work is critical to helping small-scale American farmers lift themselves out of poverty.

December 2023
Light
In a season marked by wonder, mystery, hope, and, for some, some of the darkest and shortest days of the year, this month Serving Tree will contemplate, "What makes for good light?"; "Where do we find light in the midst of so much darkness?"; and "How might we 'Let Our Light Shine?'" 20% of Serving Tree's income this month will go to support Shared Hope International. Shared Hope is dedicated to bringing an end to sex trafficking through a three-pronged approach – prevent, restore, and bring justice.

January 2024
New Beginnings:
With a new year comes the invitation to look again at the practices, rituals, and habits that shape our lives. Perhaps taking on something new, dusting off a forgotten or neglected practice, or celebrating the habits that continue to bring and sustain life is part of the invitation that comes. This month, Serving Tree will ponder what the words New Beginnings stir, offer, and bring. 20% of Serving Tree's income this month will go to support The Potter's Relief Fund in Seagrove, NC. This fund supports potters who are unable to work due to illness or great need. You may learn more about The Potter's Relief Fund by calling Seagrove Creations at: 336-873-7204

February 2024
Those and That Which We Love
Whether it be those we deem as "family", our circle of friends, those we admire from afar, beloved pets, work we care about, rejuvenating hobbies, delicious food, wonderful travel, or those things we hold close to our heart, we have a great capacity to love. Barbara De Angelis offers, "Love's greatest gift is its ability to make everything it touches sacred. "This month Serving Tree will spend some time thinking about love's ability to do just this... "make everything it touches sacred." However the sacredness we find in love can also be challenging. Sometimes love is messy, hard to share, and not always easy. And yet, love by its truest nature and definition invites us to look for what's "sacred"

in all of this as well. 20% of Serving Tree's income this month will go to support St. Jude's.  

St. Jude's mission is to treat and find cures for kids with cancer and other life-threatening diseases, regardless of race, ethnicity, beliefs or a family’s ability to pay.

March 2024
What Breaks Our Hearts
What doesn't break our hearts? A glance at the evening news is enough to remind us that the world will never be without heartbreaking circumstances and need. This month, Serving Tree will explore how such need, while often overwhelming and paralyzing, can also be the catalyst that motivates service, justice, and healing change. 20 % of Serving Tree's income this month will go to support The United Methodist Committee on Relief  UMCOR. comes alongside those who suffer from natural human-caused disaster – famine, hurricane, war, fire or other events—to alleviate suffering and serve as a source

of help and hope for the vulnerable. UMCOR provides relief, response and long-term recovery grants when events overwhelm a community’s ability to recover on their own. UMCOR also provides technical support and training for partners to address emerging and ongoing issues

related to disaster relief, recovery, and long-term health and development.  

April 2024
For the Beauty of the Earth
Jane Goodall offers, "You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make."
This month, Serving Tree will reflect upon the impact and difference we can make in our care of the earth. 20% of Serving Tree's income will go to support charity: water. charity:water teams up with local partners to select the best regions for water projects based on community needs, local economy, and regional geography. They also provide resources for nine types of water implementation solutions, like drilled wells, Bio Sand Filters, or piping systems. In addition to the construction process, they work with the community to teach safe hygiene practices and establish water committees to manage projects.

May 2024
Service and Sacrifice
The gifts we offer by way of service and sacrifice may seem insignificant when placed before the world's great need, but Sydney Smith's words encourage us to think differently: “It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do little – do what you can.” Likewise, Mother Teresa reminds us to:“Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you.” This month, Serving Tree will spend some time thinking about our relationship with service and sacrifice. Is it something we gravitate toward joyfully or approach grudgingly, wary that our gifts make little difference? Does the world's overwhelming need paralyze us making it difficult to even know how or where to begin, or are we wired to jump in whenever and however we can? What, if anything is our human responsibility to the "need that we didn't cause or bring about?" And just what is the best way to serve that leads to abundant life for all?  20 % of Serving Tree's income this month will go to support Music Therapy of the Rockies.  Music Therapy of the Rockies

helps heal those who have experienced trauma. They accomplish this through life-changing music therapy retreats by incorporating evidence-based music therapy techniques, engaging talented songwriters in this process, providing ongoing education and training to music therapists,and expanding research in music therapy. Their work with veterans is especially life-changing.

June 2024
 Rest and Recreation
The philosopher, Ovid reminds us to: "Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop." ....

Which is great advice until we find that rest is hard to come by. In an Information Age where distractions abound, rest is no longer common place or something that is assumed and expected. Vacation Days, while a gracious luxury for many, often add up for those who never get around to taking them. In the myriad of distractions that capture our attention, how do we not only find time to rest but make it a priority for our lives? This month, Serving Tree will explore the impact of

Rest and Recreation for our lives and what we lose when it's not a priority. 20% of Serving Tree's income this month will go to support Mount Shepherd Retreat and Summer Camp. Mount Shepherd

is a community that restores souls, strengthens hearts and transforms lives. This mission is achieved through our summer camps and retreat programs. Donations go toward scholarships for children and youth to attend summer camp.

July 2024

Mission
If you go nosing around in a dictionary for a word like "mission", you're likely to find..."an important assignment carried out for very specific purposes or the vocation or calling, often of a religious organization, to go beyond its community in service with others." But if you're looking for something you can get your heart around, Maya Angelou suggests that mission, "......is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style." Or perhaps Mahatma Gandhi's, " A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history," can help. But however it's defined, there seems to be a lot of ideas about how best to be in "mission." It's why Serving Tree will take this month to keep looking for how best to understand  a faithful sense and practice of "mission." 20% of Serving Tree's income this month will go to support the Appalachia Service Project. ASP is a Christian ministry, open to all people, that inspires hope and service through volunteer home repair and replacement in Central Appalachia. ASP envisions the eradication of substandard housing in Central Appalachia and the transformation of everyone who comes in contact with this ministry.

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August 2024
Food

Guy Fieri has said, "....Food is maybe the only universal thing that really has the power to bring everyone together. No matter what culture, everywhere around the world, people eat together.” Who doesn't resonate with Mr. Fieri's words? Some of our best moments in this life are spent in the company of  dear people around good food. And yet, we can't help be mindful of all those who struggle to have any food at all, let alone sharing it with anyone. This month, Serving Tree will explore the bounty and goodness food brings and the insecurity and hunger it can also present to those with limited means and who have little access to food. 20 % of Serving Tree's income this month will go to support Kids in Need Foundation. kinf helps create equitable learning spaces through the distribution of supplies and resources, investing in teachers and students in under served schools. Promoting equity in schools is an invaluable social investment that gives children a deeper perspective and knowledge about the world around them and empowers them to make wise decisions for their future.

September 2024
Back to School -Life-Long Learning 
Lea Winerman, of The American Psychological Association reports that 87% of  personal learners say "that learning helped them feel more capable and well rounded. 69 percent say it opened up new perspectives about their lives, 64 percent say it helped them make new friends and 58 percent say it made them feel more connected to their local community." This month, Serving Tree celebrates going "back to school" by lifting up the benefits and blessings of being "life-long learners." This month's issue will offer resources and faithful practices that can encourage and support an abundant life. 20% of Serving Tree's income this month will go to support The Playmaker Project. The Playmaker Project is a non-profit, fueled by an annual donation of 10% of net profits from the Life is Good T-Shirt Company. Playmakers believe in the power of play to help kids heal. Their vision is a world where kids who’ve endured the most devastating circumstances have the relationships and experiences they need to heal, grow, and thrive.


To learn more about how to  freely subscribe to Serving Tree's Newsletter, write a column

for it, offer information and suggestions about agencies "doing good, well", or advertise your

services, or an upcoming event, please contact Serving Tree's founder, Leslee Wray at:  welcometoservingtree@gmail.com