FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                                                              Media Contacts:

                                                              Karen Klass, Public Relations, (757) 705-7174,

                                                              Nora Firestone, founder, (757) 705-7174; thankingofyou@verizon.net     

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA                          October 16, 2010

Organizations in the business of "making a difference" in the lives of others can now discover the impact first-hand via stories of gratitude (messages of thanks) posted by beneficiaries in this public, independent forum.

ThankingOfYou.com, the Web-based forum for posting and receiving stories of gratitude to recognize, affirm and honor the people who've made a difference in our lives, is campaigning on behalf of charitable and other organizations in the business of "making a difference" in the lives of others worldwide.

During its official launch this season, ThankingOfYou.com calls on supporters and beneficiaries of such organizations to express their gratitude, in written or video form, for staff and other influential people within the organizations, to let them know that they've had a lasting, positive impact, when, how, to whom, and why it mattered.  Posting a story of gratitude (message of thanks) in this free, independent "story bank" enables people to give back to an organization by sharing true-life, unsolicited and heartfelt testimonials of their great work and impact in the world.  

"The time is right for expressing such heartfelt thanks, with the season of gratitude and giving upon us and amid an economy which challenges people to find creative, perhaps non-monetary approaches to giving back," said Nora Firestone, Virginia Beach-based journalist and founder of ThankingOfYou.com.  "The genuine expression of gratitude, especially one which details the positive impact with up-close and personal testimony, is a life-affirming and potentially life-changing gift for its recipient and it's free to give.  Messages of thanks posted at ThankingOfYou.com also help organizations and movements by showcasing their direct impact, therefore assisting donors and patrons in their decision-making process when searching for worthy and effective causes."

The virtually endless list of "thankable" organizations includes charities, children's hospitals, rescue companies, scholarship funds, medical facilities, addiction programs, spiritual, educational and mentorship organizations and more.

Upon request, ThankingOfYou.com will provide a graphic prompt for the organizations' Web sites and will help them create accompanying Organized Group Thank You codes to make it easy for folks to participate in an ongoing organized Thank You campaign.  While people worldwide are encouraged to log on to ThankingOfYou.com at any time and thank others individually, the added power of an Organized Group Thank You includes: 

• Increased visibility and awareness of the company/organization; boosts search engine optimization (SEO).  This benefit occurs naturally, with or without a group code, whenever the organization's name is posted in a message of thanks.  A group code helps ensure that the name is posted.
• Viral enthusiasm and momentum imparted by a group effort
• The code is the simplest way by which members of the organization can search for stories posted to it and its members 
• Fund-raising assistance: Upon request, organizations may also be listed at ThankingOfYou.com's donations links page, whereby people posting stories of gratitude ("Thank you" messages) may directly access an organization's Web site and donate in honor of the person/group they're thanking

Founded in early 2008 and pre-launched in '09, ThankingOfYou.com was inspired by Firestone's longtime desire and unsuccessful search to thank two teachers from elementary school in Plainedge, LI, who'd each said or done something decades ago that had a lasting, positive impact on her as she grew.  Frustrated by the difficulty in trying to fulfill two basic needs--hers to express gratitude and theirs to discover that they'd made a difference--Firestone created the solution for people worldwide.   

Features include a "Make a charitable donation in honor of the recipient" option; the ability to reconnect via links to the stories; a social network community; the ability to remain private/anonymous when posting a story of gratitude; and a sophisticated data base system, enabling people to easily post and search by such indicators as names, categories, dates, events and keywords and enabling even strangers to receive stories of gratitude.  Membership is free and writing tips abound for help getting started.

"As a writer, I understand the power of words," Firestone said.  "They can illuminate those little morsels of greatness; they can inspire greatness in others; they can convey the far-reaching ripple of a single act.  I couldn't possibly write everybody's Thank you story.  But I'm thrilled to facilitate everybody's ability to write their own.

"These are the words that never appeared at the bottom of their paychecks.  These are the life-affirming perspectives that those who've made a difference need to realize.  Now they will.  It's monumental."

Organizations in the business of "making a difference" can learn more here:  http://bit.ly/thanks2you.  People wishing to express gratitude to someone who's made a difference may post their stories any time at www.ThankingOfYou.com 

Gratitude affirms life.  Express yours at ThankingOfYou.com