MarleneTST

Hello GALS everywhere! The check from the convention arrived in the mail today! Your help is ensuring that women, children, and their pets are safe and on a healing journey. Since GALS found The Shade Tree and began supporting our work, more than 10,000 women and children have arrived searching for hope and help. More than 67% of the 309 in shelter today are there because of domestic violence. It is impossible to do this work alone. Thank you to every single person that contributed to The Shade Tree. Your support, friendship, compassion, volunteer work, and synergy lift up everyone in th

Dayna, The video is phenomenal, inspiring, and a perfect reflection of how you live your life - filled with love and infinite possibilities. Marlene

Dear Mr. Butler, Your compassionate gift to match the funds raised by GALS is incredible and a blessing too astonishing for words. I was speechless when your words were spoken at the convention and remain completely thankful and without adequate words to convey how overwhelming grateful I am. Your gift will change the lives of women and children yearning, hoping, and dreaming of a better future. As the humble leader of The Shade Tree, I thank you for beleiving in empowering women and their children on their journey of healing and hope. Marlene Richter

To all the GALS: I feel so blessed to have your support for the women and children in shelter right now. I read all the posts and it is just so incredible to feel this compassion pouring toward our guests. I humbly thank you for your kindness and will tell everyone at The Shade Tree tomorrow morning about your generosity that is woven into a hug reaching out to each of them. The domestic violence prevention message is a perfect match for your compassion. Whenever a young person is empowered to build confidence, they will be equipped with a voice to protect themselves and their friends.

My Oh My! I am speechless! The current bid is our monthly milk bill at The Shade Tree! Imagine all our pregnant moms, 92 babies and children, 36 senior citizens, and about 200 more women eating their meals for an entire month accompanied by nutritious milk. Thank you for your kindness and generous spirit. You are just so amazing! Marlene

To All The GALS, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and what a poignant way to end the month! Thank you for standing with the women and children that made it out. It has been particularly difficult to see the injuries the women endured recently. I have been working with abused women and children for many years and so don't usually respond with tears but there have been some victims whose injuries and stories have been so profound, it took my breath away. One of the sweetest women with us went to court this week and faced her attacker. When she returned, I gently touched her

To all of you who won, tried to win, and to all of you that contributed, your joyous participation in the auction or raffle in June is today helping so many women and children. Tonight I got to meet our youngest guest in the building. She is seven weeks old and her big blue eyes were taking in all the colors of the shelter around her while her mommy pushed her in the stroller. In the parade coming through our doors behind them were teens excited to start school Monday and toddlers buzzing around in circles. Tonight 307 women, grandmothers, children, and newborn babies sleep safely surround

Dearest Vegas and Virtual Con GB GALS: I have told and retold the experiences of the weekend to the staff of The Shade Tree today. With each sharing of the destiny that brought all of us to the moment of welcoming the GB GALS into a day at The Shade Tree, I was filled again with overwhelming gratitude for the open hearts of the guests. I knew that all of you were deeply touched by the women and children and their pets that were staying with us but at the same time I was keenly aware that there were so many other ways you all could have spent your morning in Vegas. We have music and arts,