December 2, 2008 Dear Friends of Extra Hands, It is with profound sadness that I write to inform you that Extra Hands has ceased operations and will be dissolved. The downturn in the economy has made fundraising so difficult that the other members of the Board of Directors and I have concluded that this is the best answer to the problems we have encountered. To those of you who have supported Extra Hands with your very generous donations, I would like to express my deepest thanks and assure you that your contributions have been put to very good use. I am very proud of what we were able to accomplish as a result of your generosity, and equally proud of how tight a ship we sailed. You can rest assured that every penny you gave us was applied with due care and consideration. To those of you who participated in our program as volunteers, I'd like to add my thanks to the many others you deserve. Your service has been selfless, tireless, extraordinary, and as deeply moving for me as it was for the many people you helped. When I founded Extra Hands in the Spring of 2002 I had no idea how powerfully it would impact so many lives. There have been more than 1,200 students who participated in the Extra Hands program. They drove countless hours to visit and assist ALS families, and although many of them cried through the passing of the friends they made in those homes, they'd turn right around and say "Sign me up again, I wanna help." What courage they had! And there have been almost 400 ALS families who have joined the program. At first, I thought the program might be of assistance in keeping their daily lives manageable. But everywhere I looked I found families who considered themselves teachers. They'd say "I just want to show these young people how to go forward when you get a bad break." I must admit I've been jealous often of that strength. Rather than just closing our doors completely, we have arranged the transfer of the Extra Hands program in some locations to other charities with which we've partnered along the way. In St. Louis our friends at the ALS Association will operate the program. We are so grateful to them for their partnership, and we hope you will support them as eagerly and generously as you have supported us. And in other cities we are nearing similar arrangements. For those of you who may be interested in starting an Extra Hands program in your area, we would love to help you! Start by contacting us at the email address below, and downloading our Program Development Manual which explains in great detail every step in launching and growing a great program. Once you start recruiting your first volunteers, download our Mentor Manual which describes in equally great detail the critical role of the Mentor. Both of these manuals can be used to address any disease and/or disability. They are not specific to ALS. Thank you for all you have done. We look forward to hearing from you! Sincerely, Jack Orchard Founder and Chairman info@extrahands.org