The Shelley A. Marshall Foundation

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The Shelley A. Marshall Foundation is coordinating an effort to host tea parties in nursing homes in every state of the Union on the weekend of September 11th, 2005; we're calling this effort: Tea Across America. To date, as part of our regular programs, the Foundation has sponsored 50+ tea parties for more than 2,500 seniors and high school students. Confronted with the evil of September 11th, we choose to respond with programs like the tea parties, that inspire and enrich the human spirit; we choose creativity and compassion as a means to encourage the better angels of our nature... we choose, simply, to fight evil with goodness. We are looking for groups of individuals or organizations in each of the 50 states that will be willing to sponsor and/or host a tea party in a nursing home for the seniors there. These tea parties should be as inclusive as possible, and for as many seniors as possible. Unfortunately, given the potential size of this effort, it's unlikely that the Shelley A. Marshall Foundation will be able to offer financial support for the tea parties; we will, however, provide you with the lessons we have learned in planning and hosting tea parties in nursing homes, and we will provide whatever support we can to enlist sponsorship or participation of local tea shops and caterers.

We'd be thrilled if you would like to be a part of Tea Across America, and look forward to corresponding with you over the summer as plans turn into reality. We'll do our best to offer advice and a listening ear. In addition, we can mail you a letter you can present to the nursing home, civic groups, high school students, caterers, etc., that will bear our letterhead and will explain Tea Across America and your role in this endeavor. As we get closer to September, we can also send you a template of a press release that you can send to your local media to draw attention to the way we will respond to the evil perpetrated on September 11th. As an organization that has thrown more than fifty tea parties at nursing homes, we can assure you that your participation in a tea party will enrich the lives of many, many seniors, and will be a memory you will always cherish. September 11, 2001, was a day when evil reared its ugly head; with your help, we will answer evil's challenge with compassion, we will give the victims of September 11th the last word, and that word will be Love.

Thank You for Your Help,

Donn Marshall