From the Executive Director of Recovery Diaries: A Thank You, With Love (and Anxiety)

by Gabriel Nathan

Listen to Executive Director Gabriel Nathan read this post aloud:

Hi,

Sometimes I sit and think about who’s coming here to Recovery Diaries, and why. What are you going through? Who do you love who is struggling with a mental health challenge? Do you come here because you’re feeling hopeless and helpless, afraid or unstable? Maybe you come here because you’ve lost a loved one to suicide and you’re searching for answers to the unanswerable questions that throb in your head like pumping blood. Maybe you’re here because you wrote an essay for us back in 2015 about living with bipolar disorder and you’re here to quietly cheer on another writer, dipping their toe into the waters of vulnerability, just like you did years before.

Whatever the reason; you’re here. And I’m so, so grateful you’re here, and that this mental health storytelling organization is here; for you. For those you care about. For those you love.

We are here because of you. Because of your support.

We just completed our very first online fundraiser. We’ve never had to ask our community for money before, because from our founding we have relied on one primary funder whose support is scheduled to sunset over the coming years. It doesn’t matter how vital the services provided by a non-profit, asking for funding is always hard, because money is weird; because people and our hang-ups have made it so.

But it doesn’t need to be. Non-profits need community support to keep going. And we exist to tell courageous, important, true, human stories of mental health recovery to help people like you keep going. We need each other to keep. going.

I live with generalized anxiety disorder (among other things) and undertaking this fundraising campaign really revved up my anxiety. What if we don’t raise any money? What if people unsubscribe and turn on us because we’re knocking on their door all-of-a-sudden with a cup in our hand? What if everything just goes to shit? What if we don’t meet our goal?

Well; we didn’t meet our goal; so anxious hand-wringing can now meet reality. Our goal was ambitious for a first-time fundraiser: $100,000. We made significant headway, though, and that is important. We learned important lessons from this very first fundraising venture, and that’s very important, too.

We also learned that you believe in us. That many of you stepped forward to contribute. Some of you became recurring, monthly donors. You showed up. You said, “Recovery Diaries matters; to me. To someone I love.”

And I say, “Thank you.”

Thank you for seeing us, for hearing us, for believing in us.

While this fundraising campaign is over, you can show up for us with a contribution any time. Your support, and you, are always, always welcomed here.

Love,
Gabe

​EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / EDITOR: Gabriel Nathan | DESIGN: Leah Alexandra Goldstein | SITE ORIGINATOR: Bud Clayman