Stress kills! …silently at first, and then, in very apparent ways. One of the prevalent causes of stress in our modern world is financial stress. This can be especially true for speakers who don’t have the predictability of a regular paycheck.

When financial hardship strikes, your stress levels can go through the roof! This often begins a downward spiral that could lead to pessimism, at best, and depression at worst. Once a negative perspective takes hold, it’s hard to see your way out. No one seems to care.

But then, you discover the CAPS Foundation Professional Speakers’ Benefit Fund (PSBF). This fund was put in place by visionary and caring individuals who foresaw the need for the CAPS community to look out for members who might face financial hardships through no fault of their own. This program provides emergency financial assistance to CAPS members who are facing a:

• Personal tragedy
• Catastrophic health issue
• Natural disaster
• Other financial emergency, the onset of which was beyond the speaker’s control.

Should you find yourself in this position, reaching out for help is as simple as going to our website www.capsfoundation.com/ and requesting help.

The fund committee will review your application in the strictest confidence, and typically, you’ll have a response within 48 hours. The committee works at this accelerated pace because it realizes that your request will most likely come after you have exhausted all other sources of funds and you are most likely in some emotional distress. Not only is the application processed rapidly, once an application is approved (Note: PSBF is not a replacement for the responsible financial management of your business and applications that do not meet the fund’s criteria will not be approved) and the amount determined, the funds are released immediately.

Imagine, just as you were beginning to feel that all hope is lost, and just as you were beginning to think that no one cares, it becomes overwhelmingly obvious to you that your CAPS community cares. In addition to accessing the PSBF, you also learn about the Peer Support Program, a program that provides trained volunteers who are ready to listen and help you through a rough personal time. You realize that depending on the nature of the crisis you are facing, CAPS has trained volunteers who have been through something similar and who are willing to speak with you confidentially and transparently. How great it feels to know that you are not alone; that someone else has come through what you are going through now. You become filled with hope and your confidence for the future grows. You actually feel grateful for the crisis you’ve experienced because without it, you may have never realized how much the CAPS community cares.