Dear Friends:

As you may or may not know, I have been an early childhood special educator for the past 50 years. I work with special needs children, ages 3-5, and their families. While I truly love this work, I have started to feel that my body is struggling with the continued physical demands of traveling to multiple schools each day via mass transit while also dealing with extreme weather conditions. Realistically, I know I cannot keep up with the intense physical travel demands of the job I love, so I have come to a crossroad.

In addition, I am an independent contractor and because of this classification, receive no benefits or pension. Although I am at retirement age, I remain passionate about learning. Moreover, I feel I still have much to give to help others.

After some serious contemplation and soul-searching, I feel excited and hopeful to tell you that I have started a course of study which would allow me to advance my career skills. It is a yearlong therapy training program where I will graduate with a coach/therapist certification. I feel fortunate and excited that at this time in my life I have found this course of study. With it, I can continue to learn, and, secondly, I can be of service to special needs children and their families.

The training includes weekly study groups, colloquiums with the head of the program, and opportunities to learn from skilled therapists.

I am excited that I am learning how to help families of special needs children manage behavioral issues by giving them practical tools they can implement. With this training, I feel I can serve families more effectively. I plan to lead multi-family groups. I feel there is a need for this approach and that it will result in more positive therapeutic results.

What is my problem, then, you may ask? My current caseload is small, and I am finding it difficult to meet the expense of the program. I looked into a payment plan and/or a scholarship, and, unfortunately, these options were not available to me. I feel passionate about this program and cannot remain in it without asking for financial assistance. Therefore, I am reaching out to you for help. My goal is to raise $2500 to cover the cost of the program and to fulfill my dream. I am most grateful for your consideration.

A heartfelt thanks for any assistance you might be able to provide.

Gayle Weintraub