FULL 4-PAGE APPEAL LETTER | Ghostwritten by Autumn Kelley

Dear [First Name],

Right now, individuals like Sammy, Chi, Alex, and Chris face challenges that no one should have to overcome alone. Their futures are uncertain without the help of friends like you—and today, I’m asking you to take action to ensure they have the support they need.

Hope Services has been providing life-changing support to individuals with developmental disabilities for over 70 years. We offer essential services like early intervention, job coaching, mental health counseling, and independent living assistance, helping over 4,000 individuals across nine counties every year.

The reality is, there are 49,000 people with developmental disabilities in the Bay Area alone, many of whom are still waiting for the help they desperately need. No one belongs on a waitlist when time is of the essence—early intervention is critical for children showing signs of developmental delay, and prolonged isolation can pose challenges for adults with special needs.

Hope Services is doing everything we can to meet the growing demand for services, but we cannot do it without you.

Today, we are counting on your generosity more than ever before. The need is urgent, and the stakes are high.

That’s why I’m reaching out to ask if you’ll make a special gift of $300 today to help us light the way for those who are still waiting for the care and resources they need.

With Giving Tuesday fast approaching on December 3rd, people around the world will come together on this global day of giving to support causes that make a difference. For Hope Services, it’s a critical moment when we rely on donors like you to step forward and help meet the urgent and growing needs of individuals in our community.

This year, thanks to a generous matching pledge from Jeanne Gobalet and Garth Norton, every dollar you give on or before Giving Tuesday will be doubled, up to $72,000. This means your gift of $300 instantly becomes $600, allowing us to get closer to our $250,000 year-end goal. But, without your help, we may fall short.

The challenges facing the individuals we serve are real and pressing. Will you act today to ensure they have the support they need to overcome these challenges?

For children like Sammy, the path forward is filled with uncertainty. When Sammy’s family came to Hope Services, they had more questions than answers. Sammy, a bright young boy with developmental delays, lacked a diagnosis, and his parents were at a loss. It was only through the intervention of Hope’s Occupational Therapist, Melanie, that Sammy was finally diagnosed with Autism—a diagnosis that unlocked the door to the support he desperately needed. But without early intervention, Sammy’s future could have looked very different. He might still be waiting for help, struggling in silence.

Your gift today can provide the early intervention services needed to give children like Sammy a chance to thrive. Will you help us provide critical care and comfort for more families facing uncertainty?

Chi’s story is a another reminder of just how much is at stake for individuals in our community. Born in Vietnam with cerebral palsy, Chi has faced immense challenges throughout her life—barriers of disability, language, and poverty. After immigrating to the U.S., her dream of higher education seemed distant, but with the guidance and support of Hope’s Tailored Day Services, she was able to break through those barriers. With the support of Shelley, her life coach, Chi graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design earlier this year, using adaptive technology to communicate and create.

But even with this remarkable achievement, Chi still faces ongoing challenges. The road ahead is filled with both opportunity and uncertainty, and she continues to rely on Hope’s support to navigate her next steps. Without the support from donors like you, her journey would be far more difficult.

Your donation can help individuals like Chi continue to pursue their education, independence, and personal goals—without your help, they risk being left behind. And when dreams as bold as Chi’s aren’t realized, we all lose.

But it’s not just children and students who benefit from your generosity. Your gift also provides vital mental health services to single mothers like Alex, who was facing the darkest moments of her life when she came to Hope. This year, depression and increasing panic attacks forced Alex to leave her job, and she came dangerously close to homelessness. With a young daughter to care for, the stakes couldn’t have been higher.

With the compassionate support of our mental health team, Alex was able to access therapy, financial planning, and emergency housing assistance. Today, Alex has regained stability and is working as a Beauty Artist at a local boutique, proud to provide for her family once again.

But there are others still struggling, and Hope is one of the only organizations around that is equipped to support individuals with dual diagnoses—both a developmental disability and a mental health condition.

Your gift can provide mental health support and emergency assistance to those who need it most—shining a light that can ignite Hope in the midst of someone’s darkest hour.

For individuals like Chris who rely on others for daily living support, every passing day can feel dreadfully restrictive. After years in an intensive group home—unable to decide how he spends his time, even what he eats—Chris was connected with Hope Services, and was finally able to experience the freedom of independent living through our Supported Living Services (SLS) program.

For every success story like Chris’s, there are more individuals still living in restrictive environments, waiting for the chance to live with greater independence. But these services are costly. Even now, Chris’s independence relies on Hope’s continued care and guidance. Without ongoing support, individuals like Chris would not be able to enjoy this newfound autonomy; the freedom to make choices and to live life on their own terms.

Your contribution today would ensure that individuals like Chris continue to receive the personalized support they need to live independently, and that others can experience the same life-changing opportunity.

Will you champion these efforts with us by making a gift today?

The generosity of donors like you is essential to ensuring that individuals continue to have access to the life-changing services they rely on—early intervention, mental health support, job coaching, independent living services, and so much more. Meeting our $72,000 match goal by December 3rd is highly ambitious, but is vital to expanding our reach and meeting the rising demand for these critical programs.

We can’t get there without your help.

On Giving Tuesday, your gift will be doubled, meaning your impact is greater than ever.

Please consider making a special gift of $300 today to help us reach our goal and continue to provide these essential services. Whether you contribute today or on Giving Tuesday (12/3), your gift will be earmarked with our Giving Tuesday campaign, ensuring it is matched to double your impact.

You can give online at hopeservices.org/givingtuesday or by using the enclosed envelope. Without your support, we would not be able to do the work we do year after year.

Together, we can light the way to a brighter future—for Sammy, for Chi, for Alex, for Chris, and for the thousands of individuals who are counting on us.

Thank you for stepping forward when we need you most.

With immense gratitude,

Katie Sandoval-Clark

VP of Development, Hope Services

P.S. Don’t forget—your gift will be doubled if made by 11:59 PM on December 3rd in honor of Giving Tuesday, up to $72,000. Please give today to ensure that we can meet this urgent need and continue to provide life-changing support to individuals like Sammy, Chi, Alex, and Chris.