Dear Friends and Family,

For so many years, my heart has been split between two magnificent landscapes: the rugged peaks of Colorado and the beautiful, but poor, highlands of Guatemala. This year, I'm honored to once again merge these two passions in a powerful challenge. I'm training to climb another Colorado 14er to raise money for Friendship Bridge's 11th Annual Health for Life Campaign.

This isn't just a hike for me. It's a way to stand in solidarity with the courageous women of Guatemala who work hard every day to build a better life for themselves and their families. They face staggering challenges—like living on less than $4 a day and having almost no access to basic healthcare. 

Friendship Bridge meets them where they are with an innovative program called Microcredit Plus. This program provides loans and so much more. A small micro-loan can give a woman the start she needs for her small business but the "plus" is what truly transforms lives. 

Friendship Bridge brings mobile clinics through our Health for Life Program directly to their  remote villages, providing essential preventive health services that are often the first they've ever received. Your support helps provide things like: 

● Diabetes and hypertension screenings 

● Women's health exams, including cervical and breast cancer screenings 

● Access to life-saving birth control and health education 

This vital work is why I'm asking for your support. I'm aiming to raise $20,000 for this year's Health for Life challenge. Your donation is an investment in a woman's health, her business, and her family's future. It's a direct way to help break the cycle of poverty and give a woman the tools she needs to thrive. 

Friendship Bridge has an amazing track record of financial efficiency and transparency, earning a top 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator for the fifth year in a row. Friendship Bridge has been serving women in Guatemala since 1998–serving more than 36,000 women last year, with $30.7 million in loans issued. We had an astounding client repayment rate of 99%. You can be confident that your gift will be used effectively to change lives. 

Thank you for your generosity and for joining me on this journey. Whether on a Colorado peak or in a Guatemalan village, every step forward makes a difference.