This morning I am asking for your support. You can make a difference — and it’s easy!

Below, I have pasted in a letter my daughter, Alexis, has written on Facebook in support of Project True’s bid for funding at the AVIVA Community Fund site. Yes. This is a shameless commercial bid to support my daughter. She is working with Project True, a Vancouver based not-for-profit looking to raise funds to build a healing centre for women and men with eating disorders. And, I’d like to see her succeed. And, I’m asking for your support!

It’s relatively simple. The AVIVA Community Fund is a ‘by votes’ competition. The project that receives the most votes goes on to each subsequent round until a winner in 3 separate categories is announced. Each winner receives a portion of the $1million AVIVA commits to the Fund every year.

Every vote makes a difference. Every vote counts. Over the course of each voting round you can vote once a day (from each separate email address you hold). It’s important to vote every day as your vote bank depletes whether you use your daily vote or not. 13 days = 13 votes per voter email.

So…. please help make a difference. Take a view moments to click on the link below — if you’re not registered — it only takes moments to register to be eligible to vote. And then, voting every day only takes seconds.

You can also make a difference by posting the link to the Project True page on your Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest pages. You know the jig. Exposure is the key. This is where the power of social media and its capacity to ‘go viral’ works best!

In the next few days, Project True will be posting a short video — stay tuned!

Please, do what you can to help. You will truly make a difference today, and every day you vote.

This is the link to the Project True page at the AVIVA Community Fund site.

http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf13435

And, this is the letter my daughter shared on Facebook.

Dear Friends and Family,

I am reaching out to you today on behalf of the thousands of Canadians who are struggling in silence. A year ago, I was one of them.

For many years I kept my battle with an eating disorder a secret. I was afraid of what the repercussions of breaking my silence might be. What I didn’t know until I began my journey towards recovery was that my silence cost me far more than being free.

My recovery would not have been possible without the incredible community I am surrounded by. My family, friends, and coworkers have given me the gift of strength and courage in the face of my fears. This was not a journey I could have made alone.

I know though that I am lucky. I had the financial, emotional and medical resources that countless others do not have access to. In my city alone, the waiting lists for treatment far exceed the available care.

I am working now with a non-profit organization called Project True. It is our mission to ensure that every individual who is struggling with disordered eating, regardless of age, gender, income, or level of health, has access to support, compassion, and hope.

It is my hope that, in breaking my silence, I might pay forward the incredible gifts that were given to me. My recovery has taken a community. Building the first Project True Centre for Body Image and Eating Disorder Recovery will too.

Help us build it. Cast your vote daily at http://www.facebook.com/l/dAQGUaYbRAQGSRd62SJk4zDbCjNIWSzQz32Me2uJ_h-Jiig/www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf13435

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. With all my heart,

Alexis