Dear NYSTY family –

I am excited to FINALLY share with you the details of this year’s NEW YORK SAYS THANK YOU rebuilding project in Ellijay, Georgia this coming July 28-31.

We are going to do an old-fashioned barn-raising to rebuild an animal rescue shelter run by an amazing woman, Susan Littlejohn. Susan has dedicated her life to caring for abandoned animals (horses, llamas, alpacas, goats, sheep, lambs, pigs, ducks, doves, etc) and she uses these animals as therapeutic companions for disabled children and senior citizens. In addition, juvenile offenders are sent to her by court systems in three counties so she can teach them skills in caring for animals as a way to perform community service and build personal character. Susan is one of the world’s “special people” and when you meet her, you will understand why

But this project is more than just raising a barn and helping Susan – this project is really about helping her to build a sustainable organization so she could impact even more people in the surrounding community and as far away as the Atlanta metro area who are drawn to this magical place and special woman. This project is really about rebuilding a structure in a community-wide volunteer effort that will strengthen the community in meaningful ways that will continue to make an impact on so many people’s lives long after we leave town. As Susan will tell you, caring for the animals is her “calling” but she really does this to inspire other kids, and families, and adults to VOLUNTEER.

In addition to the barn raising there will be numerous other projects including building and landscaping an outdoor amphitheater, building craft pavilions, and transforming the trees destroyed in the tornado into functional furniture and items that can be used at the facility and that can also be used to raise needed funds to help Susan feed the 61 animals under her care and the care of her volunteers. This project will really look and feel a lot like Little Sioux. We will all be together. We will all be able to see each other. And we will all be enriched by the experience and the grace of this extraordinary woman and the love that surrounds her by her family, friends, and the community of Ellijay.

In terms of details, Ellijay is just 1.5 hours northwest of Atlanta in the mountains of The Chatahoochee National Forest and the facility is easily accessible by highway!

In terms of housing, we will all be able to stay at the Coosawattee River Resort in beautiful resort housing being set aside for all our volunteers who wish to stay there at a reduced rate comparable (or below) local motel rates. Susan’s barn is on the property of this 8,000 acre resort. I will be sending you information in the next few days about how to get a special rate for our housing and whom to reach out to in order to book your homes. Also, the Coosawattee River is one of the best TUBING rivers in the country – and YES – the movie “Deliverance” was based on the Coosawattee! One of the greatest t-shirts we saw is “If you hear the banjos, paddle faster!”

More details will follow (as always) including housing contact info at the resort but in the interim, please feel free to check out the following video and web links which will give you a good flavor of this special opportunity:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/04/22/cnnheroes.parness.animal.rescue/index.html
http://buildanarkanimalrescue.org/
http://www.coosawattee.net/
http://www.eaglemountaingeneralstore.com/ (I LOVE THE MUSIC ON THIS WEBSITE!!!!)

Can’t wait to see y’all in ELLIJAY!

Jeff Parness
Founder and Chairman
The New York Says Thank You Foundation
www.NewYorkSaysThankYou.org
www.National911Flag.org

EARLY SERVICE VOLUNTEERS
AND SUPPORTERS (Partial)

• Coosawattee River Resort

• High Country Web Services

• The Gilmer Gazette

• Jim Harmon Photography

• The Landscaping Crew

• New York Says Thank You and affiliates

• Fetch Your News

• Times-Courier

• ETC

• TOO MANY MORE TO LIST!