For those of you who are new to the Blog, or who may not know much about how almondcakesvt works to give back to the community, check out the New Beginnings blog post. Here we dive into how this brand came to be, and the mission of charity and generosity that we are striving to perpetuate.

Lupus Colorado

September’s nonprofit partnership is with Lupus Colorado. This organization is Colorado’s only nonprofit organization serving individuals and families with lupus.  Lupus is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that occurs when your body's immune system attacks your own tissues and organs.

Lupus is more prevalent in this country than AIDS, sickle cell anemia, cerebral palsy and cystic fibrosis. However, because the symptoms of Lupus often mimic those of other ailments, it is extremely difficult to diagnose. There is presently no cure for this disease, however there is treatment that can help reduce the symptoms.

Lupus Colorado was established in 1972 for the purpose of providing support, education, and training to those affected by lupus. Their mission is to, “improve the quality of life for all people affected by lupus and to promote efforts for the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure of lupus.”

The organization’s Board of Directors and professional staff is comprised of individuals who are, or have been, affected by lupus in some way. This includes Eden Van Essen, the Development and Programs Director, who was able to give almondcakesvt some insight into how Lupus Colorado is making a difference in their community. 

Making an Impact

Living with lupus can be extremely difficult because symptoms are typically not outwardly visible, so it is difficult for others to see how they suffer and persevere through each day. Lupus Colorado offers a wide variety of resources and services to those who are impacted, starting with an Emergency Financial Assistance Program. The expenses accumulating from diagnosis, treatment, and management of the disease can be debilitating. Financial support is available for prescription medication, office visits, and other needs that require a one-time financial payment. 

In additional to financial aid for medical bills, Lupus Colorado asl offers support in the form of EOC Utility Assistance. Through the support of Energy Outreach Colorado, this organization is able to offer home energy assistance to individuals with lupus. Help is available for utility bills for qualifying applicants through an annual grant, which can ease the financial burden of those suffering.

Lupus Colorado also provides support services and educational programs to individuals and family members affected by Lupus. Informal telephone support is available to people who want to speak with another person who has experienced similar situations and issues in living with this disease. The organization has also developed programming designed to educate this community. Lupus Colorado also provides an extensive directory of resources to make living with lupus as easy as possible. 

How Lupus Colorado is Raising Funds and Awareness

Each year Lupus Colorado hosts a community walk to raise money and increase awareness in Colorado. The 2018 walk raised $69,000 more than doubling the previous year’s donations. This year’s walk is September 21st, and it’s not too late to register. Every dollar raised at the Lupus Colorado Community walk stays in the State of Colorado to benefit local families. By participating in this event, you are directly impacting fellow Coloradans living with this debilitating disease.


2018 Lupus Colorado Community Walk, Photo Credit: Jimmy Garrett

In addition to fundraisers and donations, Lupus Colorado relies heavily on grants to develop programming:

“Our newest and most significant breakthrough has been with our recent partnership with

GlaxoSmithKline. They were able to fund our most recent program, Living Well With Lupus,

through a generous grant. We have just completed our first year of this new Living Well With

Lupus program. This program teaches self-management skills to our lupus patients and their

caretakers which helps them to manage their fatigue, stress, pain, and depression. Our next

series of LWWL classes will begin later this fall and again in the spring.”

-Eden Van Essen, Development & Program Director

How Can You Help?

As always, almondcakesvt has designed t-shirts in support of the Lupus Colorado and September’s partnership. By purchasing one of our designs, not only are you raising awareness for those affected by lupus, but 50% of your purchase goes directly to Lupus Colorado. Plus 6% of the total profits from almondcakesvt’s sales in the month of September will also be donated to this amazing organization.

The majority of these donations will go towards the Emergency Assistance Fund. This fund helps pay for any non-recurring expense that lupus patients are having difficulty with: medical bills, utility bills, new beds, car repairs so they can get to doctor’s appointments, wigs, dental care and so many others.

In addition to buying a shirt or making a purchase from almondcakesvt’s extensive collection, there are lots of other ways you can contribute to this amazing nonprofit organization:

• Attend an event! This brings you face-to-face with the community Lupus Colorado Serves. View the events calendar here!
• Volunteer! There are many ways you can donate your time to help improve the lives of individuals living with lupus.
• Donate your used vehicle. 
• Make a financial contribution.
• Follow along on Facebook to stay updated.

Wrapping Up

We hope you’ll take a minute to check out our Cause Collection for new merchandise each month that supports one of our nonprofit partnerships! Purchases of these items result in a direct donation to that cause. Additionally any purchase from our website is an opportunity to not only give back an additional 6%, but to help raise awareness and spread the message of support and solidarity.

Don’t forget we want to hear from you! Write to us to let us know about your favorite nonprofit organization, or tell us about individuals who are making a difference! We love to learn about causes that we can support in the future and work to share their message.

Yet again, thank you for all of your support, and for being a part of The 6th fam.

One Team. Together. One Tribe!