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Hiya Friends, and HELLO Spring! I’m loving the warmer weather here in Minnesota, even though there’s always a chance it could snow tomorrow. The way I see it, you gotta take the good with the great! Anyhoo, I could hardly wait to send you this newsletter! I’ve got many updates to share, so let’s get to it!  I mean, it's kinda like Shark Tank...I’m thrilled to announce that Handlender is a semi-finalist in a local social entrepreneurship initiative called “Dough!” The idea for this program was originally designed and successfully carried out by Colonial Church in Edina, Minnesota. As a spin-off, Dough was formed and sponsored by Wayzata Community Church and invites entrepreneurs to submit ideas for projects that address social challenges. Of 108 applicants, Handlender was selected to join 13 other semi-finalists for an opportunity to receive funding from a pool of $200,000! In addition to possible funding, the Dough program offers benefits such as access to skills/business coaches, entrepreneurial resources, workshops, and access to business-friendly networks and potential investors! Part of the admission process was submitting a two-minute video sharing a little bit about our idea. Check out our video, and videos of other semi-finalists! We've been working with our business coach weekly since our acceptance into the program, all in preparation for “Pitch Week” in May, where the winner(s) will be selected! Obviously we're hopeful to be chosen, so we welcome all encouragement and prayers of support! DO YOU LISTEN TO PODCASTS?If so, you’ll be happy to know that I recently had the opportunity to speak with podcaster Adam Thompson, host of The Phase 2 Podcast and owner of FocalPoint Coaching of Minnesota. In the podcast, we talk about the origination of Handlender, how the platform works, how we intend to grow, and how you can get involved aside from membership. The podcast will be released this Wednesday, so keep your eyes peeled for an email or a social post with the link to listen! Speaking of social posts, if you haven’t noticed by now, we’re making more of a splash on social media. In addition to our website, you can now follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!
DEVELOPMENT Remember those back-end automation and notification updates we told you about in the last newsletter? Well, they’re finished and we’re ready to go! If you’re part of a Handlender community (sponsored by your Church or organization), you may receive an email and/or text confirming the transition of your account as we start to move all members to this new system. After your account is transitioned, and when you submit a request, you will now receive text and email notifications about who’s available to help as soon as the helpers respond! Isn’t that exciting?! No more waiting for 48 hours! WEBSITE We’ve made a few minor changes to our website, which may not be noticeable at first glance, but I want to tell you about them anyway. We’ve updated our “Registration” and “Contact Us” pages to make it easier for members to sign up or connect with us. We’ve also modified our newsletter subscription link, so if you want to share the joy of Handlender updates with others, they can subscribe to our newsletter right from the Home Page. P.s. A warm welcome to our new subscribers! 'Til Next Time...And there you have it, friends. A newsletter full of excitement, and much more still in the works! We'll continue working to make Handlender even better for every community in our network. So feel free to share our platform and social links with others, so they'll also have the opportunity to experience The Power of Giving, and the Comfort of Receiving. Thank you for all of your support, and thank you for being a part of the Handlender Network! Schia Hart Founder, Handlender LLC New to Handlender? Subscribe to our quarterly Newsletter!
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