diff --git a/message_helpers.c b/message_helpers.c
index ccf7d8a..a7ffbc1 100644
--- a/message_helpers.c
+++ b/message_helpers.c
@@ -13,3 +13,25 @@ char* fetch_dest_user_string(char* message) {
 
 	return token;
 }
+
+char* fetch_sender_user_string(char* message) {
+	fetch_generic_string("IAM",message);
+}
+
+char* fetch_generic_string(char* indicator, char* message) {
+        char* token = malloc (sizeof(char) * strlen(message));
+
+	char* string_to_search = malloc(strlen(indicator) + 1);
+	strcpy(string_to_search,indicator);
+	strcat(string_to_search,":");
+
+        token = strtok(message," r\n");
+        if (strcmp(token,string_to_search) == 0) {
+                token = strtok(NULL," \r\n");
+        } else {
+                return NULL;
+        }
+
+        return token;
+
+}
diff --git a/message_helpers.h b/message_helpers.h
index d17e935..2a94b3c 100644
--- a/message_helpers.h
+++ b/message_helpers.h
@@ -4,3 +4,18 @@
 TO: <Username>
 then return 'Username' */
 char* fetch_dest_user_string(char* message);
+
+/* If the message contains a string of the form:
+IAM: <Username>
+then return 'Username' */
+char* fetch_sender_user_string(char* message);
+
+/* If the message contains a string of the form:
+<Indicator>: <Value>
+Then return 'value' */
+char* fetch_generic_string(char* indicator, char* message);
+
+/* If the message contains a string of the form:
+START_OF_MESSAGE
+<text>
+END_OF_MESSAGE