June 2012 – Charity Matters

Charity Matters Inspiration June 29, 2012

What would you miss?

Nora Ephron lost her battle with cancer this week and in her latest book she posted two list that best summed up what she would miss and what she wouldn’t. I thought it was more than worth reposting and thinking about.

What I Won’t Miss

Dry skin

Bad dinners like the one we went to last night

E-mail

Technology in general

My closet

Washing my hair

Bras

Funerals

Illness everywhere

Polls that show that 32 percent of the American people believe in creationism

Polls

Fox

The collapse of the dollar

Joe Lieberman

Clarence Thomas

Bar mitzvahs

Mammograms

Dead flowers

The sound of the vacuum cleaner

Bills

Emails. I know I already said it, but I want to emphasize it.

Small print

Panels on Women in Film

Taking off makeup every night.

What I Will Miss

My kids

Nick

Spring

Fall

Waffles

The concept of waffles

Bacon

A walk in the park

The idea of a walk in the park

Shakespeare in the Park

The bed

Reading in bed

Fireworks

Laughs

The view out the window

Twinkle lights

Butter

Dinner at home just the two of us

Dinner with friends

Dinner with friends in cities where none of us lives

Paris

Next year in Istanbul

Pride and Prejudice

The Christmas tree

Thanksgiving dinner

One for the table

The dogwood

Taking a bath

Coming over the bridge to Manhattan

Pie

Rest in peace Nora and thank you for making us think and ask ourselves,

“What would you miss?”

Charity Matters.

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Childrens' Causes June 27, 2012

Fresh Air Fund

When I heard the name of the Fresh Air Fund, I have to admit I was intrigued. Perhaps, living in Los Angeles has me somewhat skeptical of the concept of fresh air but when I learned what it was, I knew it was as good as it sounded.

It turns out its been around since 1877, who knew that kids needed to leave the city to get fresh air even then? The story goes that in 1877, the Reverend Willard Parsons, who was a minister of a small rural parish in Sherman, Pennsylvania, asked members of his congregation to provide country vacations for children from New York City tenements.

This was the beginning of The Fresh Air Fund.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCowjihdJeA&feature=relmfu]

The concept remains the same today, taking underprivileged youth out of New York City and giving them traditional summer vacations. Last year, close to 9,000 New York City children experienced the joys of summertime and fresh air.

A little dose of mother nature, good old summertime fun and opening our hearts to others is a breath of fresh air for all. Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Quotes June 25, 2012

Charity Matters Quote

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

Anne Frank

Charity Matters.

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Education June 22, 2012

Graduation Day in Watts

I might have mentioned before that I am involved with an amazing boys high school in Watts called Verbum Dei. It is not like an average school for many reasons and my favorite reason is because 100% of the boys attending will go to college, for the 5th year in a row.

Verbum Dei is not a fancy boys prep school where you would expect that ratio, it is a school located in one of the poorest and most crime ridden neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Their goal is to “develop self-confident gentlemen who are intellectually motivated, spiritually rooted, contemplative and courageous in their pursuit of a more humane and just world.”

As the mother of three sons, I realize that this is a lofty goal in the best of circumstances and near impossible while trapped in a cycle of poverty and yet the “Verb”, as its called, accomplishes this year after year.

Please click here to see this inspirational place and their story.video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=7375926

There are many things that set this school apart from others but one that truly stands out is their Corporate Work Study Program. This is where students work five days per month to help cover the cost of their education, to apply what they are learning in class, and to realize their own career possibilities, as well as learn skills that set them up for lifelong success. They are earning their education and realize that it is worth working for.

This years graduates of Verbum Dei are work experienced, self-confident gentlemen who are ready for college and to make a difference in the world. Congrats Class of 2012! Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Quotes June 18, 2012

Charity Matters Quote

“This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.”

Dalai Lama

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Quotes June 15, 2012

Father’s Day

“Anyone can be a father, but it is much more difficult to be a Dad.”

Author unknown

Happy Father’s Day to all the great Dad’s who taught us all by example, especially mine.

Charity Matters.

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Poverty June 13, 2012

88 Bikes

I am writing this post in honor of the two fathers in my life, my dad and my husband….both lovers of the greatest invention ever made…..the bicycle. My husband is a cyclist and my dad more of a bike rider who has yet to realize that wearing spandex is a privilege and not a right at the age of 73.

Since it is almost Father’s Day I thought this might touch the cyclist in your lives. It’s the story of two brothers who went on a cycling vacation in 2006 in Cambodia. After their trip they thought it would be nice to donate their bikes to an orphanage. Problem was they had only 2 bikes and the orphanage had 88 orphans.

So they got online to friends at home and raised enough money for 88 bikes.

Click here to see what happened main6296231.shtml

In 2008, Dan Austin and his brother made 88 Bikes an official non-profit and started an endowment fund to offset some of the expenses related to their success. They have now replicated that magic moment over 2000 times across the globe.

Every time the joy in the children, the freedom the bicycle provides and the difference an $88 bicycle can make rekindles Dan’s passion for cycling and giving. The bicycle still may be the greatest invention but giving them is far greater.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Quotes June 11, 2012

Charity Matters Quote

“Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.”

Mark Twain

Celebrating another year of smiles today and thank you for providing me with so many. Every moment, every smile and yes, every wrinkle is a gift. Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration June 8, 2012

My Wish

Today is graduation day and this year we have more than a handful of graduates in our lives. I think this video says it best.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz32I_GbpeU&feature=related]

This is my wish for you, graduating or not.

Charity Matters.

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Cancer June 6, 2012

Camp Sunshine

Oh, it’s here! Can you feel it? Smell it? Its summer…those glorious long lazy hot days with no homework, dinners outside and warm nights. You don’t have to be a kid to love summer, it brings out the best in all of us. Everyone needs the rest and fun that summer brings, especially children with cancer.

Pediatric oncology nurse, Dorothy Jordan, realized this early on when she founded Camp Sunshine in 1982. She saw what happened to children who received cancer diagnosis and the change that occurred from feeling like a kid to feeling scared and alone. Dorothy wanted a place where children could be kids, have fun, feel the acceptance from other children in their situation.

Her goal was to provide these children with a fun, relaxing and traditional summer camp that had 24-hour medical care, so even kids receiving chemotherapy could have supervised treatments and join in the daily activities.

(click this video.php to see video)

The first year the camp had 44 children and today it has evolved into over 200 children attending summer camp. In addition, a year round facility called Camp Sunshine House opened in order to offer support and education for families and children year round.

The impact is clear. “We are changing lives,” says Sally Hale, MN, RN, executive director of Camp Sunshine, who served as a nurse at the very first camp held in 1983. “When the children are at camp, they are just like everyone else. It gives them such a confidence boost because often it’s the first time in a long time that they’ve felt normal. And after camp, many parents say that we have actually given them their old child back.”

That is a greater gift than summer. Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Quotes June 4, 2012

Summer

“Then followed that beautiful season… Summer….
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Wishing you all lazy hazy days with people you love enjoying every delicious moment.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Quotes June 1, 2012

Saluting a non-profit hero

“A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom.”

Bob Dylan

This week since we honored our soldiers it seemed only fitting to honor this non-profit hero, Mireille Manzone, the founder of Hugs for Heroes. We salute you for making a difference for thousands of troops serving our country and knowing the importance of a hug from home.

Charity Matters.

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