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Find out more about how The Heuga Center and its donors impact the MS community below.

People's Stories
Program Participants Stories 

The Heuga Center’s Health and Wellness Resources
The Heuga Center’s Programs 
MS Education 
Ask Our MS Nurse Educator

How Your Dollars Help
Your Impact 
The Heuga Center's Four-star Rating

Donate Online

Program Participants Stories   Michelle and Rick on a cruise
From Rick and Michelle K., living with MS
2007 CAN DO participants

Michelle and Rick have been living with multiple sclerosis (MS) for 27 years of their 28-year marriage. When Michelle decided to advocate for positive change in her life by attending The Heuga Center’s CAN DO program, Rick doubted the program would benefit him. But he attended the program as Michelle’s advocate and support partner to help her redefine herself and deal with her grief from her disease. 

As Michelle learned stress-reduction techniques at one of the program’s lectures, Rick realized the importance of taking care of himself at a support-partner group discussion led by Heuga Center psychologist Dr. Rosalind (Roz) Kalb.

“I must take care of myself first so I’m in shape to take care of Michelle. This seems like a simple idea to understand, but I wasn’t sure it was okay to take care of myself,” Rick commented.  Rick and Michelle

By talking to Dr. Kalb and 24 other support partners, he learned that fear is a natural feeling. The support group helped him accept his fears of the future and reach for courage to communicate his fears. The personal attention from Roz helped Rick understand how to identify and communicate his needs as a person rather than just a caregiver.

Now he can talk with Michelle about their hopeful future in front of other people without feeling embarrassed or ashamed. Rick and Michelle accept and acknowledge that MS is not only her disease. MS is their disease that challenges them every day.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect from the CAN DO program. The program gave me a better appreciation for what Michelle and I are going through. I walked away from the program knowing ways that others deal with their grief so I could use these same techniques to be a better person for Michelle,” Rick explained.

Rick and other support partners are able to count on The Heuga Center for Multiple Sclerosis because of caring friends who give to help them learn techniques to overcome their challenges and fears. We thank you for your past gifts and hope you will again send a donation to help us.

Your support gave support partners like Rick lifestyle tools and strategies that motivate them to live healthy, hopeful quality lives for their loved ones with MS, and most importantly, for themselves.

Debbie's family in the mountains

Debbie's son Nick and daughter

From Debbie M., living with MS since 1999
2003 CAN DO & 2004 CAN DO 2 participant, mother, wife

In December 2006, Debbie M. lost her son Nick in Iraq.  He was 23. 

"I find my strength through my faith, my family and knowledge I've learned from my experience at The Heuga Center's CAN DO and CAN DO 2 programs," Debbie says.

Debbie pushed herself to take control of her life by using the tools and strategies she learned at our CAN DO and CAN DO 2 programs to guide her through this year. 

"I've worked hard to overcome tough times in the past with my MS.  And now, during one of the most difficult times in my life, I've managed to stay on top of this crummy disease and not let it get the best of me," Debbie says.

Debbie and her family discovered a wealth of health and wellness resources from our programs that helped them manage the everyday effects of MS and challenges in their lives.

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• Five-day CAN DO® 

Dates and Locations

August 6-10, 2008 
Tarrytown, Westchester County, New York
Westchester Marriott
Application Deadline: June 18, 2008

• Two-day CAN DO 2®
  No 2008 programs are scheduled.

Our Programs
With our team of MS experts in fields such as neurology, psychology, nutrition, and physical, occupational and speech therapy, our programs provide supportive and nurturing environments where participants learn how to minimize the impact of MS.  By addressing the physical, emotional, intellectual and social aspects of MS, our empowering programs teach people distinct tools and strategies that help them maximize their quality of life, and shift their focus from what they cannot do to what they CAN DO.

Our Impact
Program participants, their support partners and family members gain the following from our workshops, teleconferences and multi-day programs: positive health perception, improved satisfaction with life, improved mood, stress reduction, improved ability to cope, enhanced self-efficacy, and a sense of hope. 

What makes The Heuga Center so effective in helping people deal with MS?

• In 2007, we launched our outcomes-measurement study to scientifically validate the effectiveness of our CAN DO programs. For 23 years The Heuga Center has received feedback from program participants stating that they gained positive health perception, improved satisfaction with life, stress reduction, ability to cope, enhanced self-efficacy, and sense of hope. Our study’s results will quantify our impact on people living with MS.

• 81 percent of funds raised is spent on our health and wellness programs and services for people and families living with MS.  The Better Business Bureau’s standard is 65 percent. 

• From funds raised, more than 90 percent of all program participants received full or partial scholarships.

Outcomes Measurement Study
The Heuga Center is committed to measuring the short-term and long-term effects of its programs and services to demonstrate the importance of its programs.  The Heuga Center will achieve this goal by launching a formal outcomes measurement program to examine self efficacy, general health and physical activity in people living with MS who attend The Heuga Center’s programs. 

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MS Education
The Heuga Center and its interdisciplinary MS specialists are leading authorities on comprehensive health and wellness management in MS.  The Heuga Center works with other MS organizations, centers and healthcare facilities to help us fulfill our mission through collaborative MS education and health promotion. 

• View The Heuga Center's program staff list
• Read articles written by The Heuga Center's interdisciplinary MS specialists.

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Ask Our MS Nurse Educator – Pat Kennedy, RN, CNP, MSCN
Ask Pat Kennedy questions that you’re reluctant to ask other healthcare professionals.  One of her many strengths is answering difficult questions in an empathetic way. 

To help others like you, we’ll publish the most frequently-asked questions in future newsletter issues.   Sign up for our e-newsletter here.

E-mail Pat Kennedy

About Pat Kennedy

• Bio
• Newsletter article about Pat Kennedy
• A Few of Pat’s Achievements include:
  • One of the first nurse practitioners to specialize in the MS field
  • Worked as the Nurse Practitioner/Director of Education for the Rocky Mountain MS Center
  • Received the 2007 June Halper Award for Excellence in Nursing in MS from the International Organization of MS Nurses
  • Member of the Hall of Fame National MS Society
  • Served as a Heuga Center program staff member and board member

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Your Impact Donate online.

Your gift will:

• Allow The Heuga Center to offer our JUMPSTART programs at no charge to anyone.
• Underwrite two-thirds of the costs of CAN DO programs for every participant.
• Provide scholarships for participants to attend our CAN DO and CAN DO 2 programs.

Because of generous donors like you, more than 90 percent of The Heuga Center's program participants, like Debbie and her family, received full or partial scholarships in 2007.

Following are some of the ways donations to The Heuga Center have made a difference in the lives of people and families living with MS in 2007. 

• 29 MS events in the U.S. and Canada 
• 25 Health care professionals symposiums in 13 states and one Canadian province
• 10 One-day JUMPSTART Programs in seven states
• 8 Patient seminars in five states
• 3 Five-day CAN DO Programs in two states
• 1 two-day CAN DO 2 Program
• 6,700 people directly touched by our programs and services. An additional 3,675 attended MS events for a total of more than 10,000 people served by the Center in 2007.

Plus: Continuing collaboration with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers, MS care centers and support groups in order to further MS awareness, education and management.

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The Heuga Center Earns Coveted Rating for Fiscal Responsibility

The Heuga Center for Multiple Sclerosis earned four stars, the highest rating possible, from nonprofit evaluator Charity Navigator this month for its ability to efficiently manage and grow its finances.  Charity Navigator is the nation’s largest and most-utilized, independent evaluator of nonprofit organizations. 

“We are extremely proud to be awarded Charity Navigator’s highest rating,” said Brian Hutchinson, CEO and president of The Heuga Center.  “Our donors can be confident that their dollars are used efficiently to help people and families living with MS.  Charity Navigator’s recognition of our accomplishments proves that we are worthy of our donors’ trust.”

Charity Navigator’s rating system is based on multiple components including service delivery, organizational and financial health.  Charity Navigator’s evaluations are based on the nonprofit organization’s annual tax return.  Each year Charity Navigator’s team of professional analysts examines tens of thousands of nonprofit financial documents to help donors give wisely.  Donors rely on the star-rating system to guide their dollars to the most responsible charities.

• For full news release
• View The Heuga Center's rating

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Help Promote Us

• Promote our programs by downloading information and sending it to your friends and support groups. 
• Send www.heuga.org to a friend or family member.
• Sign up for the e-newsletter.
• Forward our e-newsletters to your friends and family.
• Tell people that we're a four-star charity.
• Visit The Heuga Center on MYSPACE.COM and become our "friend."

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