Dear Potential Donor,

Thank you for your interest in supporting the Mitchell's Journey Foundation.  

While we’re grateful for donations of any kind, here are some programs we are specifically looking to support.  We are happy to share photos and videos that demonstrate the impact your donation made through our philanthropy portal.

Mitchell's Journey continues to be recognized as a beacon of hope, insight and courage for people and families all across the world.  We hope you'll join us in our effort to raise the tide of hope for this generation and those that follow.

With gratitude,

Christopher M. Jones

801.856.1822  |  cjones@mitchellsjourney.org

On September 7, 2019, PTC Theraputics announced a $30,000 grant to Mitchell’s Journey in support of our hope kits. Their funds will support the development and production of Hope Kits and have been earmarked for the DMD community specifically. We seek additional funds to produce more so we can distribute them to the wider public.

General Programs

$2,500 – Assists in a December event for DMD Families

$6,500 – Supports 2019 Christmas Program

$10,000 - Helps us purchase and license media for various inspirational videos we produce.

$40,000 – Helps us develop, print and publish hope kits for people who struggle.  These kits are given to people/families in duress.  The kit includes:

• A book of Mitchell's Journey essays that inspire hope and courage.

• A guided journal that helps people find gratitude and connect the dots between good fortune/blessings.  This journal is patterned after the Mitchell's Journey Tender Mercies project.

• Custom items recommended by a close friend or family member that might bring added comfort

Family Programs

$5,000 – Helps us build a wheelchair ramp for a family. (We currently have 4 qualified candidates)

$8,000 – Empowers us to make a needed bathroom modification for a DMD family in need.  (Lindquist Family)

$15,000 – Helps us support a DMD family in need of home modifications to support their 3 children with DMD.  (Christiansen Family)

On September 7, 2019, PTC Theraputics announced a $30,000 grant to Mitchell’s Journey in support of our hope kits. Their funds will support the development and production of Hope Kits and have been earmarked for the DMD community specifically.

We seek additional funds to produce more so we can distribute these hope kits to the wider public.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Despite the growing number of medical and physical tools available to help families with a DMD diagnosis, patients, parents, and caregivers are left with little guidance on ways to cope with the bewildering emotional and social consequences of that diagnosis. 

Through our interactions with the global DMD community, we’ve observed first-hand the impact emotional wellness (and the lack thereof) has on the patient and caregiver’s quality of life. 

We receive messages almost daily from families across the world who struggle to make sense of their circumstance and are anxious for a glimmer of hope and perspective. Most often, parents & caregivers already have the tools within them, we just need to be reminded and nudged in a more constructive direction.

UNMET NEED

Both patients and caregivers experience the inevitable emotional rollercoaster of progressive loss, facing the unknown, and growing feelings of discouragement and isolation.  Virtually no attention is given to this aspect of the DMD community.  It is greatly needed.

VISION & GOALS

In response to our ongoing conversations with DMD families, we’ve begun designing Hope Kits with a goal to provide useful tools to help re-frame how we see our challenges, offer stories that lift, encourage, and empower its readers, and share helpful tips on managing emotions & relationships in times of crisis.  Our goal is to deliver at least 500 hope kits to DMD families with the intent to serve their emotional needs, then build momentum to continue this effort for years to come.  As readers and supporters of this project see the impact Hope Kits are making in the lives of DMD families, we’re confident we’ll gain additional financial support from other sponsors and within our community. 

PROJECT SPECIFICS

Our vision for hope kits include:

• A Guided Journal: A 90-page (3 month) guided journal that provides thoughtful prompts on the journey of self-discovery and seeing the world with new eyes.

• A Book on Hope: Unpublished photo essays from Mitchell's Journey with a focus on hope, healing, and the pursuit of meaning & purpose.

• 12 Part Podcast: Interviews with experts on wellness, conversations with families who demonstrate courage in coping with struggle, and narrated stories from the Mitchell's Journey story library.

• Something Sweet: Included in the hope kit, a rescue box of chocolate. 

• We’re also developing a paper-back children’s book (target age 5-10) that addresses similar topics but at their general level of understanding.  We have a separate donor who is contributing to this effort.

METRICS

Although we can track material success by the units we ship, our greater measure of success will be discovered in surveys.  Within 6 months of receiving hope kits, we will reach out to recipients to determine impact. As appropriate, we’ll gather and publish impact statements from recipients.  As impact statements are gathered and shared within the community, we expect it to create greater support and demand.

ACTION PLAN

Producing high quality digital media & print material is second nature to us.  Over the years, we’ve developed strong working relationships with print facilities across the nation and have options to source production at competitive discounts.

PHASE 1: BUILD PROTOTYPES [IN PROGRESS]

Design prototypes and circulate among families and wellness experts for feedback and course correction.

PHASE 2: PRODUCE FINAL CONTENT [EST 2-3 MONTHS]
Implement feedback, then convert prototypes into print-ready files.  We’ll also begin producing our 12-part podcast series.

PHASE 3: SEND TO PRINT [EST 1.5 - 2 MONTHS]
Send print files for production.

PHASE 4: ASSEMBLE & FULFILL ORDERS
Once we receive our print files, our volunteers will assemble and mail requested hope kits.

BUDGET

The following is our Hope Kit budget.  We’re happy to provide digital prototypes of any/all items so you can get a sense of the quality of our workmanship and target deliverables.