I’m pleased to share with you the Winter 2009 issue of MADDvocate. In this issue, you’ll learn about what to do when you feel stuck in grief and about the healing qualities of laughter.

One article that spoke to me is A Grandmother’s Heartache, which chronicles the journey of Lynn Darst from victim to survivor to advocate. Lynn lost her daughter-in-law, Kathryn Black, to a six-time drunk driving offender in 2005. Everyone in her family has dealt with the grief of this loss in different ways. Lynn chose to become a victim advocate for MADD ” helping others impacted by drunk driving crashes ” on their healing journeys.

MADD’s goal is to help each and every victim and survivor of drunk driving crashes on their healing journey. We try to guide those in need through the emotional, medical, legal, and financial mazes that result from a crash.

Last year, we supported over 55,000 victims and survivors of drunk driving crashes one every 10 minutes. Today, I’m hoping you can help us serve even more, until we are able to eliminate drunk driving once and for all.

Your $17 monthly gift today can make a huge impact. We could provide a hour of victim services each month to many families to enable them to move into a healing time and to guide them where they most need it.

That first hour is vital in victim services. In that moment, when you don’t know which way is up, you need a shoulder to cry on, a friendly voice, someone who cares. Can you give that hour today to a victim of drunk driving?