Charity Matters
Category

Charity Matters Inspiration

Category
Charity Matters Inspiration

Episode 90: Enchanted Makeovers

Seventeen years ago, Terry Grahl received a phone call that would change not only her life but the lives of countless women and children across the country. What began as a simple request to paint one wall in a shelter became a profound calling—one that transformed Terry from interior decorator to nonprofit founder, from a woman with a paintbrush to a warrior with a mission. Her nonprofit, Enchanted Makeovers, was born from that moment…an act of faith and heart that would grow into a national movement dedicated to restoring dignity, hope, and beauty to women and children escaping domestic violence and human trafficking.

In this deeply moving 90th episode of Charity Matters, Terry shares the raw and powerful story behind Enchanted Makeovers. With humility, grit, and grace, she opens up about her childhood, the influence of her mother, and the quiet, persistent voice that led her to walk beside women on their path to healing. This is not just a conversation about nonprofit work it’s about listening to your heart, honoring your calling, and discovering how one simple act of love can ripple out to change the world.

 

 

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

Charity Matters: Tell us a little about what Enchanted Makeover does?

Terry Grahl : Enchanted Makeovers is a national nonprofit serving women and children who are escaping human trafficking and domestic violence. We just celebrated our 17th anniversary this past December. From the beginning, our mission has been to bring everything that is sacred, healing, and beautiful into their lives.

We believe deeply in the healing power of handmade items. There’s something truly personal and loving in something made by hand. Our programs reflect that belief. We create sacred spaces by transforming bedrooms in shelters, and we also provide sewing rooms and host hands-on programs like “Capes for Kids,” our “Doll Adoption” project, and the “Pillowcase Program.” Each initiative is designed to bring dignity, hope, and healing into the lives of women and children who have experienced deep trauma.

Charity Matters: In looking back at your childhood is there anything that helped lead you to whre you are today?

Terry Grahl: My mother is my hero, my role model and warrior. She taught us the importance of creativity and the power of imagination. We experienced homelessness as a family, and the community played a role in helping us during that time. I remember one Christmas, my mom gathered us all up and said, “Put on your boots, we’re going to an event for kids.” It was held at a VFW hall, and we had to stand in this perfect line while volunteers watched from the walls. A man came over and said, “Come here, girl. Pick out a toy.” That moment stuck with me, even though I didn’t realize it at the time.

Years later, I saw how that memory shaped the heart of Enchanted Makeovers. Today, we don’t believe in perfect lines or creating separation. Everyone stands side by side. Everyone is equal. We ask, “What is your name?” and it transforms how we serve and how we see one another.

When we lost our home, I didn’t fully understand what was happening, I just thought we were moving again. My mom drove us from city to city in a giant old station wagon until we came across a run-down house with weeds up to her waist and tires in the yard. She walked over to a nearby church and asked, “Who owns this house?” They told her the deacons used to live there. And she said, “I need a home for my children. If I put down a small deposit, could I eventually own it?” And they said yes.

That house became our home. I remember her describing how she’d restore it, telling us all the things she would do. The house had been abandoned, but to her, it was full of potential. She even wrote a poem called “The Promise” about the house. I remember my mom laying her face against the front door and promising to bring the house back to life, just as it would help bring her back to life too. That home became her healing project and in truth, she was restoring herself in the process.

Charity Matters: What was the moment you knew you needed to act and start Enchanted Makeovers?

Terry Grahl: When my children were all in school full-time, I started a decorating business. I told my mom, “This isn’t about decorating, it’s about giving women hope.” My first client’s home was heavy with sadness, though I didn’t yet know her story. I began working in her kitchen and said, “This floor isn’t just a new surface…it’s a new path for your life.” She later told me her father had abused her. When I finished the home, I said, “Let’s name your house.” She said, “High Hopes.” We hung a sign outside with that name.

A year later, a man visited the house and saw the sign. He asked about it, and my client told him how I had helped heal her through design. He said, “I also fundraise for a shelter for women and children, do you think she’d be willing to paint a wall there?”

On December 6, I called him back. He said the shelter was in an old post office where women stayed for a year with their children and nothing had ever been done to the space. I agreed to visit after Christmas.

In January 2007, I walked through the shelter. The last stop was the women’s dorm. I had to use both hands to push open a heavy metal door. Inside were 30 women and children, all sharing one room with no dividers, no privacy. I asked, “Where are the dressers?” The director said they used cardboard boxes. The bunk beds had come from a prison. Everything was worn and institutional. Duct tape held baby cribs together. The bedspreads were faded, identical, and from another era. The energy in the room was so heavy with sadness that I could hardly breathe.

I took some “before” photos, though I wasn’t sure what I could do. Driving home, I was angry. I said, “God, why did You bring this to me? I have four children and a new business. I don’t have time for this.” I tried to ignore the photos all week. But by the end of the week, the last image of a stained mattress with no pillowcase just broke me. The pillow had polka dots, and I’ve loved polka dots since I was a little girl. When I saw it, I heard the words, “Trust me.” I raised my hand and said, “I’ll do it.”

I didn’t know how I’d get the money, the volunteers, or the supplies. But it was a leap of faith. I returned a week later with a design board and stood before about 50 women in the chapel. Then I started to cry..you know the ugly cry. I was so overwhelmed.

Then, one woman looked at me with her purple eyeshadow, blue nail polish, and butterfly necklace, and she said, “It’s going to be okay.” I looked around and saw not women but girls. They were crying with me, saying, “It’s going to be okay.” That was the moment I knew: I wasn’t there to save anyone. I was there to walk beside them.

Charity Matters: What are your biggest challenges?

Terry Grahl:  In the beginning, it was tough. I remember going into a store trying to get paint and thinking, “If I just share these women’s stories, they’ll help.” But it wasn’t that simple. There were a lot of no’s. I cried in the car after those rejections.

One week, I sent out a massive email campaign, sharing from the heart why the women needed new mattresses. I needed 30 of them. Out of the blue, a man called. He was on vacation and had seen my email. He said, “My father raised me to help when you can, so I’m donating all 30 mattresses, along with mattress pads and pillows.”

That was our first big donation. After that, I knew nothing could stop us. The women knew it too. What we didn’t know then was how long this journey would be…or how much it would grow.

Charity Matters: What fuels you to keep doing this work?

Terry Grahl:  The promise I made to those women, right there in that shelter, is what fuels me. I said I would do everything in my power to transform their space, and I had to fulfill that promise.

But looking back now, I see that it was more than that. I was on my own healing journey. The little girl inside of me needed this transformation just as much as the women did. She needed to feel heard, to have a voice, and to believe in something beautiful again.

Charity Matters: Tell us what success you have had and what your impact has been? 

Terry Grahl:  For me, success is measured by the stories the women share. One woman I’ll never forget is Donna. She lived in the shelter during the time of the transformation. Later, I ran into her and asked how she was doing. She told me she had moved into transitional housing.

I asked, “What was the moment that felt most meaningful to you?” And she said, “Making grilled cheese and tomato soup for my children. Just that.” That simple act of care and comfort meant everything to her.

These women have taught me what it means to be a warrior.

Charity Matters: What life lessons have you learned from this experience?

Terry Grahl:  I’ve learned that I am a warrior. In 2008, I attended a Country Living event focused on handmade products. We missed our flight, I had a migraine, and I thought, “Great, now I have to talk to a stranger on this plane.”

A man sat next to me and asked what I did. I told him about Enchanted Makeovers. He said, “I minister to men in prison,” and we started sharing our callings. I told him I had been praying for God to break me into a million pieces and rebuild me.

He gently put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Sister, He’s already done that. It’s time to be a warrior.” I got off that flight in tears, but I knew that I was equipped. I could do this.

I’ve also learned the power of prayer and that I am forever a student on this journey. Every lesson, every relationship, every door opened and there’s a reason behind it. Now, even large corporations are reaching out to partner with us. And I’ve learned to hold my head high and use my voice to speak up for women and children everywhere.

Charity Matters: How has this journey changed you?

Terry Grahl:  At the very beginning, I prayed through tears, arms lifted, saying, “God, give me a voice, please just give me a voice so I can be a voice for others.”

As a child, I was painfully shy. I was bullied constantly from first grade through high school. I was always told to stay quiet….and I did. But God kept His promise. I still can’t believe that a shy girl would grow up to speak on national platforms, even on Kelly Clarkson’s show.

But I know why I’m here. God gave me this voice so I can use it for women, for children, for those who don’t yet believe they’re worthy of being heard.

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

Copyright © 2025 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Keep Reading
By
Charity Matters Inspiration

Episode 89: Once Upon a School

As schools are getting ready to close for the summer, today we are talking about what it takes to start a school. This is an inspiring story of heart, hustle, and hope with a guest who turned compassion into action in the most powerful way. What started as a simple realization….a moment of wondering how a mother experiencing homelessness could possibly make it through the day….sparked a movement that’s changing lives and rewriting futures. Kate Kennedy founded a school for children without housing, creating a safe, supportive space where students can rise beyond their circumstances and write their own success stories.

Kate had with no formal title or nonprofit background, took on the impossible by raising millions, building a school from the ground up, and empowering families who are often invisible in our system. Her journey is a testament to the power of listening, trusting yourself, and doing what you know is right, even when the world doubts you. Get ready to be moved, motivated, and reminded that one person truly can make a difference.

 

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

 

Charity Matters: Tell us a little about what The Ansley School does?

Kate Kennedy:  The Ansley School is a tuition-free private school in Atlanta for children experiencing homelessness. Too often, these kids fall through the cracks of the system, becoming part of staggering statistics. Without a solid education, the path to a successful life is nearly impossible. Our goal is to give these children the opportunity to write their own story of success, one that rises beyond their circumstances.

Charity Matters: When you were growing up did you have a philanthropic family or role models?

Kate Kennedy:  There’s an exercise I’ve done a few times where you map out your life timeline and mark the moments that stand out. Every time, a clear thread of service and community building runs through it. No matter what I’m doing, that piece is always there, and it definitely comes from my parents. When my mother passed a few years ago, people who didn’t know her or me read her obituary and said, “Oh, that’s you. Now I get it.” She was always active in the community, and I guess that spirit of service is just part of my DNA.

Charity Matters: What was the moment you knew you needed to act and start The Ansley School?

Kate Kennedy:  I remember it vividly. I had spent 20 years at home raising my four kids. Before that, I was a television writer and later worked in a church with teenagers, where I became deeply involved in community service around Atlanta, especially with organizations serving the unhoused. Even while raising my children, I continued volunteering and serving on boards.

One of my sons is neurodivergent and has significant learning challenges. Despite having access to resources, networks, and specialized (and costly) programs, I still had to fight for him every single day to make sure he didn’t fall through the cracks. It was exhausting.

One day, driving through downtown Atlanta, I saw a woman sitting on the curb with her head in her hands, surrounded by four young children…one without shoes, another without a shirt. I passed that road all the time, but something about her stopped me. I thought, How does she do it? I was overwhelmed with support, and still barely managing. Then I thought about my son….what if one of her kids had the same challenges? If I could barely keep mine afloat, how could she possibly manage? That moment gripped me. I couldn’t look away. I couldn’t not act.

The school is called the Boyce L. Ansley School, named after Boyce Ansley who was a true force of nature. She was a mentor to me, a remarkable fundraiser, civic leader, and champion for bringing young professionals into philanthropy. One day, I shared my idea with her and said, “Someone needs to build a school for these kids.” She replied, “Yes, you do.” I laughed and said, “No, not me but somebody.” And she said, “If you open the school, I’ll raise every dollar you need.” Because it had to be free there could be no tuition. When Boyce passed away unexpectedly we knew we had to name then school after her because she was such a huge catalyst.

Charity Matters: What are your biggest challenges?

Kate Kennedy: I started talking to parents and quickly realized the challenges. Without an address, they don’t even know what school to go to. And without housing, they often lack access to basic documents like birth certificates and immunization records and everything needed to enroll. Even for those who do get in, their children often face poor sleep, inadequate nutrition, and lack of proper clothing. The barriers were and are everywhere.

It’s incredibly difficult and so many nonprofits fail. I had identified a real need in our community through public school educators, families, and homeless-serving agencies. My final step was to approach the funding community and none of them wanted to touch it. I didn’t have a title or nonprofit experience. I remember one woman asking, “What’s your title?” Flustered, I said, “I’m just a concerned citizen.” She practically patted me on the head and said, “Oh, you’re in way over your head.”

There’s a difference in a do gooder and a change maker. I  think it’s really important a do gooder does good until, until it gets tough, and then they’re like, oh, that’s I’m out. And the change maker, the founder, it keeps on going even when it just looks impossible.

Charity Matters: What fuels you to keep doing this work?

Kate Kennedy: Once the school opened, the families and the children kept me going, because they’re just precious. And you just look at them and you just think, I can’t not do this for you. I just can’t. You know you deserve this. You are just the sweetest thing, and you deserve this. You have worth, you have dignity, and you know, and so it was the relationships that really changed.

Charity Matters: When do you know you have made a difference?

Kate Kennedy: There were many moments, but one story that really sticks with me happened at the end of our first quarter. We had given our students uniforms: white polo shirts with the school logo and navy skorts or pants. They looked sweet and polished, and we thought white shirts made sense because they could be bleached clean.

At our first parent meeting, we asked for feedback about what was working, what wasn’t. At first, no one said anything. Then one mom raised her hand and said, “The white shirts are hard.” It hadn’t occurred to us that families living in shelters or on the street often don’t have regular access to laundry. The shirts were hard to keep clean.

I asked what would work better, and they said navy blue. So I ordered navy monogrammed shirts and handed them out a few weeks later. The reaction from the mothers was overwhelming. One said, “No one ever listens to us. We have no voice.” And it’s true, especially when children are involved, families experiencing homelessness often stay invisible out of fear of losing their kids. That small change by simply listening, shifted the entire mood of the school.

Charity Matters: If you could dream any dream for your organization, what would that be?

Kate Kennedy: It was really hard, but I eventually realized that my dream wasn’t to run the day-to-day operations of a school, it was to start a movement. I want to see schools like the Ansley School across the country, because it’s possible.

Through a providential twist of fate, I was connected with a woman in Pittsburgh who wanted to start a similar school. It’s a long, wild story, but we connected, and I’ve been working with her and her team to help make it happen. As I shared the journey and supported them, I realized this story needed to be told. I started writing and writing and before long, I realized: this could actually be a book people might want to read.

Once Upon a School is my book. The first half of the book is about building the school and about my real dream of supporting children without housing. The children that are going to fall through the cracks in our system. The second half of the book is about how it’s really complicated to be a founder.

Charity Matters: What life lessons have you learned from this experience?

Kate Kennedy:  The biggest lesson that kept coming up was that I needed to trust myself. I didn’t have all the answers, but I knew what I knew and I was aware of what I didn’t. I asked questions, listened, and the school was thriving. We had a $2 million budget, and I raised it almost entirely on my own each year.

Still, people would say, “You haven’t been in the business world,” or “You stayed home with your kids, you don’t know”—all the bless your heart stuff (I’m Southern). which, by the way, is not a compliment in the south. What I was doing was working. I mean, the evidence was all around me. So I look back now and I think I should have trusted myself more.

Charity Matters: How has this journey changed you?

Kate Kennedy: I do, I’ve changed a lot. I have much better boundaries now and trust myself a lot more. I think those are the biggest shifts. I’m also much more aware of the challenges children without housing face when it comes to education. I always knew it was an issue, but now I feel like I can truly be a voice for them because I’ve walked alongside so many families living through it. It’s one thing to understand the problem from a distance but it’s completely different when you’ve lived it up close.

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

Copyright © 2025 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Keep Reading
By
Charity Matters Inspiration

Halfway through 2025

June is just around the corner, which means we’re somehow halfway through the year. I’m not quite sure how that happened, but it definitely snuck up on me. Like many of us, I kicked off the year with a laundry list of goals. I love making lists, so trust me when I say that I set out to accomplish a lot. My philosophy is simple: if I don’t at least put it out there, it will never happen. And even if I only achieve half, I’m still moving the ball of life forward in some positive direction… or at least that’s what I tell myself.

Now, I’ll admit there are more than a few goals that haven’t seen the light of day. My commitment to return to yoga once a week? Not even close. I haven’t so much as stretched. Total fail. Sunday meal prep? Another great idea that has yet to materialize. And then there’s the long list of home improvement projects… still untouched. Let’s just say there’s definitely room for growth and improvement. But hey, that’s what Q3 and Q4 are for, right?

Looking back, though, there have been some solid wins. The book has been doing extremely well and it is such a joy to see that dream growing. My husband and I set a goal for quarterly adventures, and we’ve actually stuck to it! We’re on track to keep exploring and adventuring through the rest of the year, and that feels really good. I’ve made progress on the goal to scroll less and read more. I’m absolutely reading more…though if I’m honest, I’m not sure the scrolling has slowed down. So we’ll call that a partial win. What I am proud of is my commitment to being more present, being a better friend, and being a verb instead of a noun. This has been a year of action, and those are definitely strides worth celebrating at this mid-year checkpoint.

Of all the goals, the one I’m most proud of is the one my sister and I made together: spending more intentional time with our dad. We promised monthly “dates with Dad,” and it’s been one of the most meaningful accomplishments of the year. Sure, spending time with our dad is always good, but actually planning fun outings and experiences has created beautiful memories—and quality time that we all cherish. It was meant to be a gift for him, but in truth, we’re the ones who’ve received the greatest gift. We’ve road-tripped to Arizona to see family, explored museums, gone boating with his siblings, and we have more adventures ahead. Time with those you love really is the ultimate gift.

As I look ahead to the rest of the year, I know there’s still a lot I want to accomplish. Starting June 1st, I’m diving into a new workout and nutrition plan so that should help check off a few of the lingering health goals. Who knows, maybe I’ll even get around to meal prepping. A girl can dream, right? We’re all works in progress, and that means celebrating what we have done while still setting our sights on what we can do. Six months is still plenty of time to make meaningful progress. As far as I’m concerned, it’s never too late to start. As the Carroll shelby quote says in the photo above,”Persistence is the most important thing in life.”

So here’s to June….a fresh start, a second half, and a second chance to get it right… or at least move that ball one step farther down the field…persistently.

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

Copyright © 2025 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Keep Reading
By
Charity Matters Inspiration

Refueling

Before Easter I was hanging by a thread. Thank you to all who reached out with wonderful support and kind comments, your emails and thoughts mean more than you know. Truth be told I was simply out of gas. The past few months of running a nonprofit has taken its toll. I don’t usually pause but push through. This time there simply wasn’t enough in the reserve tank to do so. I had no choice but to stop, to wait and to refuel for as long as it took to recharge these very empty batteries.

Easter was so much fun! Our middle son is engaged and his beautiful fiance and her family joined ours for the first time. That was fuel for my tank. A houseful of love and family and laughter. Pure sunshine and joy that reminded me how blessed we are. Then there was actual Spring Break. No, I didn’t leave my desk but since schools were closed the phones didn’t ring and it felt like a retreat of sorts. No in person meetings and a week to dig out was restorative.

Then this past weekend, we celebrated the happy couple’s engagement with bringing so many family and friends together to celebrate these two beautiful people starting their life together. It poured rain all day until an hour before the party. Then the sun came out and it was a glorious day on so many levels. People came from far and wide and the love in the room was palpable. That is the fuel that makes me go, love. It is the best energy source available here on earth and one that is renewable if properly tended.

Then I came home to receive this note from Susie Shaw, who you met last week with her podcast William’s Be Yourself Challenge. Susie said, “I’m truly touched to have the opportunity to share William’s story and the mission behind WBYC with your audience. It was a privilege to connect with you, and I’m so grateful for the thoughtful, heartfelt way you approach your work. I’m excited to share the episode and blog post with our community.  Thank you again for the opportunity and for all that you do to shine a light on service, hope, and impact. It truly means so much.” 

This is why I do this work. Not for the accolades but to know that these conversations matter. Susie went on to share that her community had a devastating loss last week with three teens killed in a car accident. She was able to begin working with grieving families that had helped her in her enormous time of loss. To give back to those that held her up. Hearing about moments like these lifts me up. It refuels my faith in humanity and gives me hope.

To end a full week, on Sunday and Tuesday I spoke to two different groups about Change for Good. It was terrific to hear from people who had read the book and hear how it had inspired them . It was lovely knowing that people who read the book were now buying it for friends and family to inspire them to serve. Hearing from people who had found renewal in serving others also refueled me. Knowing that the message of service as the ultimate silver bullet is resonating with people brings me such joy.

While my tank is more than halfway filled, I am renewed by love, by kindness and by the compassion of others. It is the best way to keep moving forward.

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

Copyright © 2025 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Keep Reading
By
Charity Matters Inspiration

Episode 86: William’s Be Yourself Challenge

Easter has passed and we are officially into springtime, the season of renewal. There is no greater renewal story than today’s guest Susan Shaw. Susie and her husband lost their nine year old son William in an accident. In the years that followed they have taken that pain and turned into purpose for other grieving families.

Join us today for a powerful conversation about love, loss and renewal. Susie’s journey is one of inspiration and hope that there is always love.

 

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

 

Charity Matters: Tell us a little about what WBYC does?

Susie Shaw: At WBYC, we empower individuals to embrace their authentic selves with courage and joy. We are dedicated to fostering meaningful connections within our community and supporting grieving families by providing the tools they need to honor their loved ones and navigate their journeys of healing. Together, we create spaces where love, remembrance, and personal growth flourish.

Charity Matters: What was the moment you knew you needed to act and start WBYC?

Susie Shaw: We started the organization shortly after my son William died. He died in 2019, when we were on a family ski trip out in Montana.  William was nine. There was an accident and, as you can imagine, it was one of the most painful and excruciating events that I’ve ever experienced. The beauty that came from my community after he died, was incredible. I live in a very small town, where everybody knows everybody.

 When William died, he was in third grade and the whole town suffered with us.  As time went on, we started  to notice and hear that some of William’s friends and parents were still struggling in their grief.  A year after William had died, my husband and my surviving son, Kai, were getting support. We were going to the grief groups because there are services for people like us there. There aren’t any services for best friends.

If you’re the friend of a little boy who dies, there’s no support group for that right? I was so close with all of these families that I just hated what I was seeing for them.  So a group of moms got together with my permission, and they decided to put on our very first event playing a game William loved. When we saw the excitement and the beauty and the love that all these kids felt for each other while honoring William and they had that agency over their feelings. Williams Be Yourself Challenge spawned out of that inaugural event. We went on to host an educational lecture and brought in a therapist to talk about grieving for the community. 

 I also realized how privileged my family has been in our grief journey and the support that we have received through therapy and our beautiful community. My husband got to take six months off of work. That is not the norm.  We had this unbelievable privilege of him taking those six months and we got to travel as a new family of three to figure out. We were able to create some new memories. All this stuff that happened in the early months after William died was percolating in me. A while after, I thought,” I wish other families could have this. I wish other families could go away, because sometimes home is hard. The bedroom is there, the toys are there.” There’s all these reminders. 

We’re currently raising money to be able to buy a single family home for families who have suffered the loss of either a child or a parent. We want to be able to give 52 families per year a free week-long vacation. I realized that getting away was so incredibly important for our family. Now all I want to do is allow other families to have just a week. Isn’t long enough, but it’s something.

Charity Matters: What are your biggest challenges?

Susie Shaw:  I am an entrepreneur. And that was something I had never done before.  This isn’t me. My first job out of college, I was in the nonprofit space.  I worked for the United Cerebral Palsy of Chicago. I was their events planner, and it was an amazing job. Then I worked at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in their development office and at the LA County Museum of Art. So, I had this past of service and understanding of the world of philanthropy and giving.

Some of my challenges have been being the starter. Before, when I was in nonprofit, I was the worker.  Now I’m telling people what to do. I’m walking that line of not trying not to control too much, but needing help finding the right help. Now we need expertise in real estate and in planned giving.

Charity Matters: What fuels you to keep doing this work?

Susie Shaw: I just think about the families that I want to serve because I know what it feels like to need that support, you know. I’ve walked their path. And I certainly don’t want to insinuate that I know what every grieving family feels like, because every grieving family has their own unique story. However, I do think that some of the things we want to do for these families are universal. You want to be cared for. You want to be seen in your grief. You want to be witnessed in your grief, and know that somebody is looking out for you who understands.

And so that’s what I think about when, when I get off a call with a potential donor who just doesn’t get it or isn’t interested in the project.. It happens. You’re not going to relate to everybody.  Then I go back to the families because I’ve been there and I know how painful it is.

 I just want to be able to give other families that same little bit of hope to know that they’re going to be able to survive. I was so afraid that my family would disintegrate after William died. Instead, we had a ton of support, a ton of guidance and we’re doing wonderfully.  We brought a new child into our life. We have a four year old, Cody and he is just the best thing that we could have done for our family. 

Charity Matters: Tell us what success you have had and what your impact has been? 

Susie Shaw: it’s hard to quantify, because what we’re trying to do is such an emotional experience. We don’t have a program where we’re hiring therapists to execute with immeasurable results. However, I do think about success in getting feedback from a family who spends a week at our house and telling me that it was transformative, that it was healing and that it was important. I also think about those families than telling their friends about it, and maybe those friends then donate to us. That, to me, is a measure of success. Or those guests that come to our house and tell their grief support groups about their experience and create a referral system. That’s a measure of success. The fact that people are recognizing that this is a needed service within the grief space is success as well.  

Charity Matters: If you could dream any dream for your organization, what would that be?

Susie Shaw: if we had a network of grief retreat homes for families.  That would be beyond my wildest dream. Then we could serve double and triple and quadruple the amount of families. With one house, we can serve 52 families a year, if we were to have people there all year. 

Judy’s house is a grief support group out of Denver and they partner with New York Life Foundation.  Both are responsible for sort of quantifying data around bereaved families. Their newest report has just come out. They have found that one in 11 children will suffer the loss of a sibling or a parent before they turn 18. Wow. That is so many families!  52 families to me, sounds like an amazing feat, but that’s barely scratching the surface of how many families need grief support.  If we can have more, let’s have more!

Charity Matters: What life lessons have you learned from this experience?

Susie Shaw:  I’m grateful for every moment.  There’s no rush in any of this. Let’s just be really intentional about what we decide to do today or this week or this month, and that’s really helped me slow down in everything.  I just feel like I’m a better human being.

Charity Matters: How has this journey changed you?

Susie Shaw: When William died, my entire life changed 100%.  I am a mother and I have two living children as well.  I identify as a bereaved mother. Sometimes first, because it has changed me so much more than even becoming a mother. Losing a child has changed me more than giving birth to three children.

I think I’m a better person. I really do. And I talk a lot with other bereaved moms. There’s a similar sentiment among many of us. I mean, we were just cracked open.  Everything just came pouring out….The good, the bad, all of it and I guess I just feel like I’ve grown so much in my empathy and for all types of people. Especially with my little four year old, I am so much more patient because I view motherhood in a new way…… that we all just need to slow down.

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

Copyright © 2025 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Keep Reading
By
Charity Matters Inspiration

Spring break without breaking

Do you ever feel like you are going at such a fast pace that you can’t sustain it? That is how the world has felt these past few months. The pace is just too much. Things are coming at me faster than I can manage. I am one of those people who loves a full plate. Even this is too much to digest. Everything is telling me to slow down and to take a breath and yet I am still running.

Don’t get me wrong, there are so many great things are happening. Charity Matters Podcast was listed in the top three Charity Podcast by Feedspot. Thanks to all of you. So that was amazing! Voyage Magazine did a terrific feature on some of the work I do and that was really lovely and unexpected as well. Even all of the great attention the book and message are getting didn’t seem to  refuel my tank.

Last week, I was in San Francisco for a terrific talk about Change for Good. While I was up there, I visited with one of my old work colleagues who I fondly called my work husband for thirteen years. He looked at me and said, “Boss, you need to take care of yourself.” I told him, that actually I needed to take care of the nonprofit first and there will be time to take care of me later. Again, he said, “Boss, you really need to slow down and take care of yourself.”

His message surprised me a bit. Although, I heard him I wasn’t entirely grasping his concern. This week is Easter week and for many means spring break and down time. For me,  it is the exact opposite. At work I have a big board meeting and am in the process of hiring more people for desperatly needed support. I do know that once those two huge moments are in the rearview mirror, I will take a breath. Ok, maybe a short one because hosting Easter is next up.

As I sat down to pull together this week’s podcast and interview, a process that usually takes three to four hours, I realized that my gas tank was empty. If anything was going to break this spring it was me. I heard my co-worker’s words as I stared at my computer screen and at the glorious day outside. So with those few hours I was supposed to be working on the podcast, I did something I hadn’t done in months. I grabbed my garden sheers and went into my yard.

The result was a big smile, dirty hands a garden bed that looks fantastic. Oh and this week’s podcast episode is being pushed back a week. Thank you in advance for your understanding. It was pretty remarkable of what a few hours alone playing in the dirt can do to renew you. I know it isn’t quite enough but they say the first part about solving a problem is recognizing you have one. So, at least there is that.

Spring is the season of renewal and we all need to find what renews us from time to time. We need to choose to take care of ourselves. It is the only way that we will be able to keep caring for others. I wish you all a joyous Spring break and a glorious Easter filled with much renewal.

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

Copyright © 2025 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Keep Reading
By
Charity Matters Inspiration

A year of FORCE

 

I spend a lot of time talking about time. How we use our time, the choices we make with our lives, and the precious resource that time truly is. So often, we don’t realize how quickly time passes until we take a moment to look back in the rearview mirror. We race through each day, checking things off the never-ending to-do list, yet we seldom pause to reflect on how we are spending our most valuable asset. Instead, time slips through our fingers like sand, and before we know it, we find ourselves asking, “Where did the time go?”

Right now, I find myself asking that exact question: “Where did the time go?” It feels like just yesterday when Cindy Witteman, the dynamic founder of FORCE Magazine, first approached me with an incredible opportunity—an opportunity that felt like a dream come true. She shared her vision for FORCE, a magazine dedicated to celebrating leadership, resilience, and the power of positive impact. As she spoke, I felt a deep sense of déjà vu because years earlier, I had written down a dream: one day, I would have a podcast, a best-selling book, and a monthly magazine column about making a difference. And here she was, offering me the chance to bring one of those dreams to life. It was a surreal, pinch-me moment.

 

So, one year ago, I began writing for FORCE while simultaneously working on my book, Change for Good. Cindy was not just a catalyst in the magazine’s creation; she was also a driving force—pun absolutely intended—behind my book. In November 2023, I had the privilege of being interviewed by Cindy on her television show, The Little Give. From the moment we connected, I knew she was someone truly extraordinary. As a nonprofit founder herself, Cindy understands the profound impact of service and philanthropy. During that interview, she suggested that I write a book and even introduced me to her publisher. One month later, in December 2023, I signed my book contract. By January 2024, I was off to the races, pouring my heart into Change for Good.

But I wasn’t the only one racing ahead. Cindy, with her unstoppable energy and passion, launched FORCE Magazine in April 2024. Her mission? To spotlight leaders, innovators, and everyday heroes who are making a meaningful difference in their communities and beyond. FORCE is more than just a publication; it’s a movement—one that bridges business, personal growth, and philanthropy, all while amplifying the voices of those committed to positive change.

For the past year, I’ve had the privilege of being a monthly contributor to this incredible platform. And now, as we celebrate FORCE Magazine’s one-year anniversary, I can’t help but marvel at how fast time has flown. In just twelve months, we have shared countless stories of service, resilience, and kindness. It all began last April with a simple yet profound question: What does it mean to be a Force for Good? From there, we explored topics that are near and dear to my heart—Voluntourism, Back to School Giving, How to Get Involved, Gratitude, Raising Philanthropic Children, Change for Good, Goals for a New Year, Putting What Matters First, and the Healing Power of Helping—just to name a few.

With so much noise in the world, it is an absolute privilege to contribute to a publication that highlights the remarkable humans working tirelessly to make our world better. In a society that often glorifies busyness over purpose, FORCEreminds us that our time is not just something to be spent, but something to be invested—in people, in causes, and in the things that truly matter.

This past year has reaffirmed for me that every day, we have a choice in how we use our time. Will we let it slip by unnoticed, or will we harness it to create something meaningful? Cindy and all of the incredible contributors at FORCEhave made a conscious decision to dedicate their time to you, the readers—to inspire, uplift, and empower.

As we celebrate this milestone, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Cindy for believing in the power of storytelling and service. And to you, dear reader—thank you for being part of this journey. Whether you’ve read one article or all of them, your time spent engaging with these stories is not just time well spent—it’s time well invested.

So, as we look ahead to another year of FORCE, let’s challenge ourselves to use our time with intention. Let’s be forces for good. Because in the end, when we ask, “Where did the time go?”—may the answer be: “It went to something that truly mattered.”

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

Copyright © 2025 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Keep Reading
By
Charity Matters Inspiration

A New Kind of March Madness

Life can move so quickly somedays that we are not even sure what is happening around us. That is why sitting in silence every Sunday and writing to you gives me a moment to connect, to slow down, to reflect and to think about what matters. There are so many days when I feel in alignment with what I am here to do on this earth and for that I am grateful. Then there are the days when life feels like a tornado of activity that is hard to comprehend. Somehow I think I live in a weird place between trying to drive everything and letting go and accepting what is unfolding. It is a new level of March Madness.

All three of our sons were born in March so every year we had a March Madness family birthday dinner to celebrate all of our March birthdays. So having a crazy March is not unfamiliar. As the boys have grown and flown our March Madness celebrations have dwindled and a new type of madness has moved in to replace the void left by the chaos of amazing boys. Work and serving and of course a little fun have filled the space. It has been a wild, wonderful and busy month.

It started with an event at my publishers, She Rise Studios, that brought together so many female authors for a day of collaboration. It was amazing what can happen when we all come together to support one another and the joy was palpable. As if that wasn’t enough it was fun to have my publisher submit an article about my work in Medium Magazine, you can take a look here. 

During the day, we are in the throes of teaching service to thousands of middle school students this month at TACSC, which is what I love most about what I do. There is so much energy that goes into making all of these happen with a tiny staff of three and all of our amazing volunteers. Planting that seed of service is something that really makes me happy and these students give me hope. Last week it was fun to speak on a panel about women in leadership for one of the great schools we work with.

Running a nonprofit by day is amazing and exhausting. Then finding that second wind to do it again at night has challenged me this month. I have been so lucky to keep getting invited to speak at different nonprofits and National Charity League Chapters about the power of service. This month the nighttime schedule has been fantastic. It is so great to meet new people, share the stories that I share here and sign books. Who knew being an author was an endurance sport?

In the midst of it all, I found some time to get back to the Elks lodge and support our local Pasadena/Altadena fire victims. While the media has left, the community has not. We are in this for the long haul, whatever that is. It is in those moments that I find joy, connection, kindness and the best of humanity. These are the things that matter, that refill the gas tank and get me ready to do it again. Life is precious and life is short. We need to use our one beautiful life to make someone else’s better. It is the only way to survive March Madness…

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

Copyright © 2025 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Keep Reading
By
Cancer

Episode 60: Dana Pepper Bouton Endowment Fund

Last year I interviewed my friend, Dana Bouton, who has been living with terminal cancer. I told her that I would repost our conversation each year in celebration of her birthday which is March. I missed Dana’s birthday by a few days but she is celebrating every precious moment and year. I am thrilled to celebrate her in this small way. So if you are looking for some inspiration this conversation with Dana will do it ……

Years ago when I lost my mom, someone said to me, “The greatest gift you can give the world is a life well lived.” Today’s guest is a fantastic example of just that.  In full disclosure, I have known our guest Dana Bouton for probably twenty years. We have raised our children in the same community. Dana sent me an email explaining that her cancer had returned and was now terminal. She was determined to use the time she had left to leave a lifetime legacy to the City of Hope. The Dana Pepper Bouton Endowment Fund will help families financially devastated by cancer.

Join Dana and June Penrod from City of Hope to learn how one person can make a difference for so many living with cancer. Dana’s humor and insight will inspire you and make you think about how you live. She is a true example of the quote above and what really matters. During our conversation I made Dana a promise that I would re-publish her podcast on her birthday each year as a reminder and a legacy of her work, so Happy Birthday Dana! Cheers to another amazing lap around the sun. Thank you for reminding us all how to live.

 

 

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

 

Charity Matters: Tell us a little about what The Dana Pepper Bouton Endowment Fund will do?

Dana Pepper Bouton: The idea of the fund was set up to help families who are navigating the difficult diagnosis of cancer to have resources for support.  They want world class care in hospitals and need to get transportation, gas,  child care, groceries, and a multitude of other things. So this fund is set up to kick out money in the form of gift cards, to help these families get to City of Hope. More than having the best possible care but receiving some supportive care on the side of having to deal with their loved one being a patient. 

June Penrod: What we do is provide state of the art treatment.  So we are really the champion when it comes to precision medicine of being able to fight cancer.  Not only at the cusp of when it’s worst in your body, but also in the beginning phases of helping our population screening for cancer. So we really did the entire gamut from A to Z on cancer treatment for all patients in Los Angeles and Orange County.

We are really proud of the impact that we are having on cancer patients in the nation. The role that I specifically play is acquiring resources for what we call our Department of Supportive Care Medicine. It is one of the unique elements of City of Hope that make it so special. Supportive Care is basically the emotional and spiritual arm that comes out of the cancer journey that patients go through. So while they can focus on the treatment with their doctors, Supportive Care medicine wants to focus on their emotional care journey.  Then they are really focused on their cancer treatment and not having to worry about any of the external factors that might get in the way of that journey.Charity Matters: What was the moment you knew you needed to act and start this endowment?

Dana Pepper Bouton:  I was diagnosed with stage four non Hodgkins lymphoma in January of 2018. And here we are about  five and a half years later.  I’ve had multiple rounds of chemotherapy, back to back bone marrow transplants, a few operations, infusions, and transfusions. Now I’m terminal after all of those treatments.  You know, I can’t control the fact that the doctors say, “there’s nothing more we can do for you, except try to keep you alive a few months at a time.” 

So I’ve lost the ability to kind of control how long I thought I would live. I came to the conclusion that I haven’t lost the ability to create a legacy for other people. Even though I’ve had basically what I simply call very bad luck because there’s no genetic component to how sick I’ve been. I’ve also been very blessed. And I’ve had multiple resources, in terms of financially supportive community to help me along the way. 

After spending so much time in the hospital, and listening to June and others talk about the supportive care that City of Hope offers. I can create a legacy after I’m gone to help hundreds of people and that makes me feel really good. In fact, being terminal is really not that big of a deal in terms of how many people I can impact during the few months, maybe six months a year that I have left. This brings me such great joy and working with June and seeing her enthusiasm and the people around me who want to give. I just want to work as hard as I can to reach out to as many more people as possible. And I do have a tendency to accost people in the market.

Charity Matters: What fuels you to keep doing this work?

Dana Pepper Bouton: I would say number one, I’ve had incredible support at City of Hope. And I also think, knowing that I have very limited time left, I see and feel and touch and smell in here so acutely. But I’m just really inspired by my enhanced senses. And so I love to capture what’s around me from macro to landscape, and put that on my website and share that in the form of wall art or greeting cards, postcards, and sell them, and how those proceeds go to my fund. 

 I’ve laid in bed for sure, and had had some really hard days. But seeing, feeling, talking to people and really hearing and really listening just propels me to keep going.  I know that when I am dying, I’m not going to regret being so tired. While taking pictures, or being with people, I would only regret that maybe I just stayed in bed and felt sorry for myself.  After I die, I want my fund to continue. So I’m pushing to get the word out.

Charity Matters: When do you know you have made a difference?

June Penrod:  Dana is a great example.  I think she doesn’t mind being the dramatic story of philanthropy, of this woman who should be taking care of herself but instead she’s taking care of others. Even though she received a terminal diagnosis, I mean, look at what she’s doing now.  We have folks who say, we have a great life that we’re living now, thanks to City of Hope and we want to contribute more. 

But we do also have folks who say, “My loved ones are not here with me anymore, but I love the compassion and the care they received.”  And so we want to give.  Then there are folks who have never stepped foot into the hospital but they know the great work that we do. And they want us to be their charity of choice. That blows my mind as well. 

Charity Matters: If you could dream any dream for your organization, what would that be?

Dana Pepper Bouton:  My dream is that after I die, I want this fund to continue in perpetuity. So my dream is to keep spreading the word as long as possible. Then have my family and other people give money once or twice a year, in perpetuity.

Charity Matters: What life lessons have you learned from this experience? 

Dana Pepper Bouton:  I appreciate when people talk to me out of just accepting where I’m at, and not trying to tell me that I don’t have hope. I have hope. And I also know that I’m going to die. Maybe within a few months, or perhaps, you know, a year. I think that the biggest life lesson is to listen to people in terms of where they’re at in their head. And don’t try to talk them out of something that might be their actual reality. I know that people have their own fear, but set that aside and try to put yourself in somebody else’s place.

Charity Matters: How has this journey changed you?

Dana Pepper Bouton: There are two big changes. One is that I had the arrogance of aging, I thought I would live as long as my grandmother, who lived almost to the age of 102.  I assumed it would be just like that. And that was very arrogant on my part. I’ve learned in the last six years or little over five years, I guess, that was just very presumptuous of me. And I’m quite humbled and I find that now to be a blessing. And I also think it’s funny. 

I think my sense of humor has gotten quite rivaled.  The other thing is that I’ve had to learn to slow down and not be busy, which I really liked. But I’ve  accepted the fact that I can slow down. If I’m in pain, it’s okay to lay back down and listen to podcasts like your podcasts, and audiobooks and dream. My imagination has become so acute because I’ve been forced to lay down, forced to take a break. I willed myself to pivot and it took a while. And I’m proud that I had the strength although it took a long time to finally accept, don’t find it pivot. Find those blessings, and there’s new magic.

 

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

Copyright © 2023 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Keep Reading
By
Charity Matters Inspiration

The healing power of helping

I wrote this piece a couple of weeks ago and waited to share it here because it was picked up by a few places and published, which was really lovely. Now that it is “out” I wanted to share it with you….

“We lost everything in the fire.” She pulled out her phone and showed me the charred remains of what was once her beautiful home in Altadena. The loss, the sadness and shock were real but where Marie said this was almost as shocking as the tragic images of what was left of her home. Marie was volunteering and helping other victims of the fires in our Pasadena/Altadena community and she wasn’t the only one.

When tragedy strikes, it is easy to think about what has happened to us? Who is it that thinks about others while they are suffering? After interviewing hundreds of fellow nonprofit founders over the past decade, I have learned that many know the path to healing begins by helping others. All of these individuals have suffered a loss of some sort and recycled their pain for purpose.

As we were folding clothing at our tables at the Pasadena Elks Lodge to distribute items to families who had lost everything in the fire, my fellow volunteer Denise told me, “I would much rather be here helping others than thinking about what has happened in my neighborhood.” Teary eyed and sad, she went on to tell me that she has always volunteered and that is how she met so many of the people in her community. Years spent helping in the classroom, with sports teams and so many groups that make Altadena a special place to live. While those places may be gone, the community spirit that created this idyllic neighborhood is not. We are seeing this day after day as the community begins to dig out from the rubble of their lives and start the healing process.

According to the US. Census Bureau and Americorp, over 75.7 million or 28.3% of the US population age 16 and up formally volunteered in 2023. That is more than one out of four Americans. Those hours add up to over 5 billion hours of formal volunteering, that is an average of 66 hours per person or eight business days. Meanwhile, over half of Americans age 16 and older say that they provided informal help to their neighbors.

Living in the Pasadena community my entire life, I have seen this community come together time and time again to help one another in times of loss. When I lost my own mother in a tragic car accident two decades ago, our community rallied around us in ways we could never begin to repay. Neighbors paid my parents bills while my father was in a coma. Meals came for six weeks while we attended three funerals from the accident. Friends mailed our Christmas cards and bought diapers for our young children and the list goes on. This what this community has always done and continues to do in the face of tragedy. Like the beautiful San Gabriel Mountains which were formed over centuries of earthquakes, this community will rise from the rubble as it continues to give and learn to receive.

It was  in receiving that I learned the power of giving to heal. A year after our family’s tragedy, a group of friends and I started a nonprofit at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to provide chaplains of all faiths to CHLA. It was serving that community that healed my own loss and grief in unimaginable ways. The power to see an other’s pain somehow deflects your own. It is through serving others we gain empathy and perspective that puts us on the long path to healing.

Dr. Ervin Staub Ph.D wrote in his December 2011 article in Psychology Today entitled, The Altruism of Suffering that, “Healing, by talking about one’s suffering to  empathic others, contributes. Support from individuals and community, society embracing those who have suffered, is of great value. After some of these experiences, people may be ready to begin to help others, learning by doing that further changing them.”

When I asked my girlfriend Stephanie if I could start a Go Fund Me for her after she and her family lost everything in the Altadena fire. She asked me if instead I would consider starting a fundraiser for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, where she is a board member. My reply was, “You don’t own a toothbrush!” In the end, we did both. Each of us recognizing each other’s needs to help.  Stephanie recognized that her friends needed an outlet to heal  by supporting their Go Fund Me. While for Stephanie, supporting her beloved LA Regional Food Bank  is a way for her to begin the healing process while helping others.

As one friend told me, “Things don’t always end up how you hope or plan that they will.  We are discovering the most amazing support from our community and everyone around us. I am reminded daily of the love that surrounds me during one of the most difficult times in my life.”

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

Copyright © 2025 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Keep Reading
By
Charity Matters Inspiration

The power of love

2025 has already been a year of ups and downs. Moments of extreme joy and sadness. It reminds me of the opening line from The Tale of Two Cities,” It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Sadness all around and yet such willingness to help, so much goodness and kindness. It is all a little much some days.

This past week felt more like it was the best of times. The week started off with being a guest on Jay Frost’s DonorPerfect Philanthropy Masterminds Podcast where we discussed the power we have to make a difference. If you want to listen you can catch it here.

Then I was asked to speak to three different groups about Change for Good and the healing power of service and the power of love. The National Charity League in Orange County was amazing and it was wonderful to share the importance of inspiring and modeling giving to our teenagers. These women are doing incredible work and it was such a thrill to see the power of community in action. Anything is possible when we all come together to help one another. We are seeing this over and over, especially in Pasadena. It renews me and my belief that people are truly good.

At USC and the Catholic Fellowship League I spoke about the power of love or the real definition of charity, love of mankind. It was after all, Valentine’s Day last week. I thought I would share a little of my words here because love isn’t just about one day a year. It is something we should give away everyday.

I know that change always begins with loss, when you listen to God you find grace, your gifts and gratitude and that if you want a life of purpose it is one of faith and service.

When our one short precious life comes to an end, is anyone going to talk about your weight or your bank account at your funeral? No! They are going to talk about how you made people feel, who you helped, how you lived and how you made the world better through your kindness and love.

 I am not a perfect example of this but the hundreds of nonprofit founders who I have interviewed are. Their stories and lives are in this book and their examples of how to live and give. This is what we should all be focusing on because this is what really matters. There is no silver bullet for life. If there was a silver bullet it would be helping another person. It is the one and only thing we can all do to affect change for good.

So today, I leave you with this challenge: 

Find one way—just one—to lead with love. Maybe it’s writing a note of encouragement. Maybe it’s volunteering for a cause that speaks to your heart. Maybe it’s simply telling someone, I see you. I appreciate you. You matter.

Because love is the greatest force for good that exists. It is the foundation of every act of kindness, every movement for change, every moment of transformation.

And the best part? It’s already within you. So let’s go out and use it. Let’s change the world—not with grand speeches or big plans—but with love, one small act of kindness at a time.

Life is precious, life is short. Use it well and use your one beautiful life to change someone else’s. It is the best thing you can ever do to Change for Good.

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

Copyright © 2025 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Keep Reading
By
Cancer

Episode 83: Robin Cancer Trust

It is a lovely gift when people around the world reach out wanting to have their story shared with our Charity Matters community. With 1.6 million nonprofits in the United States alone, it is hard to even begin to share the stories we have here. It is a rare moment when we have conversations with our friends across the pond. Since cancer knows no boundaries and affects so many regardless of where you live, I wanted to share this amazing organization and family with you.

Toby Freeman’s family was living a lovely life until his oldest brother Robin was given a shocking diagnosis of cancer at the young age of 23. Twenty million people will also receive that diagnosis each year around the world but not all of them will act to serve others. Join us today for a beautiful conversation on the power of love, family, community and legacy. We all have the power to make a difference and Toby’s story is a beautiful reminder of what happens when we do.

 

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

 

Charity Matters: Tell us a little about what Robin’s Cancer Trust does?

Toby Freeman: The Robin Cancer Trust is the UK’s only testicular and ovarian cancer charity. We cover both of those cancers  and we do education, awareness and support in schools, colleges, businesses all across the country, delivering life saving awareness talks.

We’ll go in talk to the students and have all of our very funny and very big prosthetics, a really fun engagement tools.  We pull up the headmaster, make them check themselves in front of the class in a safeguarding way. They have a pair that they can check and then we go out to festivals and  universities reaching students and young people there. We also reach millions of people online with our campaigns. And then we do support for our community as well. So we do free Cancer Support packs for anyone affected by those cancers anywhere in the UK. Then we send out additional resources to support them during that incredibly difficult time of their life.

Charity Matters: Tell us a little about your Family Growing Up?

Toby Freeman: I would say my parents are just so unbelievably selfless.  There’s a national charity called Bliss, and my mom headed up our local chapter.  I remember packing things and her talking to us about it and why it was so important. My dad used to help with loads of local organizations, and they’d always get really involved in anything we were doing.

I’m the youngest of three boys, so there was a lot to be done, but they were at everything we were doing sports and school wise. They were at theater productions, helping us. They we did Boy Scouts, which obviously a big part of that is giving back.  I just have this feeling of my parents selflessness was something I’ve always been very aware of. 

Charity Matters: What was the moment you knew you needed to act and start Robin’s Cancer Trust?

Toby Freeman:  I always say experience breeds empathy. I think you have to go through something to be able to empathize with it. When these big, traumatic things that can happen in life, a lot of empathy comes out of them.

Rob was my elder brother.  Rob and I were very, very close when we grew up.  He was my best friend as well as my elder brother.  As we were getting older, he used to ferry me around and look after me and make sure I got to football on time. Rob was in his prime of his life.  He was 23, fit, gym guy, healthy clean eating, training all the time and looking after his body. He was very health conscious and he was diagnosed with a stage four mediastinal germ cell tumor.  He had a testicular tumor in his chest that got to the size of a grapefruit wrapped around his heart and his lungs. It just hit us absolutely out of nowhere. 

I just watched my brother go from the prime of his life to an absolute shell of himself both mentally and physically.  By Christmas time we were  thinking, what’s just happened to us? How has this just happened to us?

We were sat around the table, and we’d made a promise to Rob that we’d never let him just be a photo on the wall. It was never our intention to put him at the forefront of everything. What we did realize was, if someone as health conscious, as fit and active as Rob was could be diagnosed at that later stage and ignore signs and symptoms, then there was something to be done.

During that entire year, we couldn’t find any information about the type of cancer he had. We searched Google, and there was just nothing, and we just felt so alone and untethered.  We didn’t want another family to feel that way.  My dad’s a very pragmatic man. He said, “If we are going to do something, we need to research it thoroughly, understand what the problem is and how to fix it.  We need to create something that isn’t a grief reaction. Something that is actually needed and can outlast us.” So from day on we wanted to be able to step away from this at some point. We want other people driving this. There’s been a beautiful 12 years of seeing this grow .

Charity Matters: What are your biggest challenges?

Toby Freeman: I think the biggest challenge was navigating the grief. I think two things saved me during that time. First, my now wife treated me with a lot of TLC and gave me the kick up the butt to go to grief counseling.  Second, the charity because it gave me something to focus on when that cup was empty. Actually doing something good, putting something positive out in the world, even if that’s just thinking about a project you could do. It just helps fill that cup up every day.

Charity Matters: What fuels you to keep doing this work?

Toby Freeman:  A very patient partner. Everyone grieves in such different ways in a family unit, right? No one talks about how this is really difficult. We did have this unifying thing to be positive about during that time. So I think that was really powerful. My father’s still on the board, and he loves being involved. My mum, my brother have stepped away for various reasons over the years. This has been something that tethered us, because it’s so easy to become so untethered in how everyone’s feeling in those moments

Charity Matters: Tell us what success you have had and what your impact has been? 

Toby Freeman: How do you measure awareness? We were education and awareness based. That’s why we started because no one was covering that. We listened to our community and realized they needed more support.  We provided that service. Awareness is ethereal. You don’t know we’re teaching life skills effectively. We’re asking a 15 year old say, check yourself and if you found something, go to a doctor. But that could be 20 years down the line.

We’ve seen a dynamic shift in the UK to fund as being much more amenable to anecdotal feedback. Real life stories having a tangible impact. We have feedback forms for all of our talks  I can track how many people are landing at certain places on the website. So if I am at certain events, you can have certain links and see 300 people from that event landed on that website. I know that’s an impact. What action they’re taking in the comfort of their own homes, in their baths, in their bedrooms? I don’t know. What we  struggle to track is what is the end impact? Because you can’t be a charity that goes to someone newly diagnosed and say, “Did our resource help you? “

Charity Matters: If you could dream any dream for your organization, what would that be?

Toby Freeman:  Being unemployed, because if someone cures cancer, I don’t have a job. I’d be the happiest unemployed man in the world.   I would say the biggest goal for us is reaching every young person in the UK at school level.  That’s where we’re going to have our biggest impact because we are teaching life skills.

If we also work with all the hospitals in the UK to make sure that anyone diagnosed has access to our free Cancer Support packs and ongoing resources. Then from both points, from an awareness and a support point, I think we have done our jobs.  

Charity Matters: What life lessons have you learned from this experience?

Toby Freeman: That’s something I reflect on quite often. We  have a podcast called Thrive Against Cancer,  where I get to interview people affected by cancer at all stages of their journeys.  I think that gratitude for life takes some people almost forever to understand, to just be able to step back and know what is important and what isn’t important.

How lucky am I to have a happy and healthy family?  So I’ve got no complaints whatsoever. And I think that’s the biggest lesson,  I am grateful to be reminded of at least every two weeks when our podcasts come out. You just get all of this information from everyone else and you can’t sweat the small stuff when you know how much big stuff there is out there in the world.

Charity Matters: How has this journey changed you?

Toby Freeman: Someone once asked me in an interview, “Do you think Rob would be proud of us?” I don’t think he’d be able to recognize me in a good way.  I think when you lose someone, you want to take the best parts of them as well.  My brother was a very responsible man. He really focused on his health and fitness. And for me, over the last few years, that’s really become really important. Putting myself first.  I realized I couldn’t tell other people this without living it.

I’ve just taken it feels like a 180 the way I was. I was very young. I try not to beat myself up. I didn’t handle that year of Rob being ill, Rob’s death, I didn’t handle that very well. I am so lucky to have the people around me that got me out of that and put me on a good path. The charity has given me purpose, and that has defined me as a person that’s helped me be responsible.

Having soaked up so much life experience and being around people that have been through even more, is it just has completely defined who I am.  I’m so grateful for that and to have that opportunity to be who I am.  I’m really proud, and I think my brother would be too.  

Charity Matters.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

Copyright © 2025 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Keep Reading
By
Charity Matters Inspiration

Putting What Matters First

We are a month past New Years, which feels like a million years ago, right?  For us here in LA, 2025 didn’t start out as planned. The fires that ravaged the Palisades and my hometown of Pasadena are still devastating to everyone. Oftentimes, it takes a tragedy to be reminded of what really matters. I can tell you as we evacuated we looked around after grabbing our photos, papers and dog and realized nothing else really mattered.  What I do think, regardless if you evacuated or not, is that you take a serious assessment of what really matters to you.

For us, this recent tragedy put life more in focus of what we care about. As a result, my husband and I tried a different approach with the things we hope to achieve and how we want to live this year. We spent time together discussing what is important to us and what we want to do this year together. Because of that conversation, we broke our year down into quarters and decided that we would go on one mini adventure per quarter. Then we reached out to a few friends and asked if they wanted to join us and we began to create a plan.

The goal was to fill up our jar or in this case calendar with golf balls. Have you ever seen the famous video where the professor fills a jar with golf balls?  He describes these four golf balls as the most important things in your life. For most of us those golf balls are family, health, friends and community. Next the professor puts pebbles in the jar with all of life’s have too’s the birthday parties, the work obligations, you get the idea. Then comes sand followed by water. His point is that most of us don’t start with what matters first.

This year we are starting with fun, family time and prioritizing  those memories first. I am determined to make more real connections. The old fashioned in person type. So much of our days are spent on zoom or phone calls but not in person and it can be lonely. Creating moments where we can be with the ones we  love also gives us something to look forward to.

Connections come in many ways and one of the best ways to create connection is to serve, volunteer or help someone. Last year the Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, called loneliness a public health crisis.  A recent study from the American Psychiatric Association found that 30% of adults say that they have feelings of loneliness at least once a week and 10% saying that they are lonely everyday. The poll’s definition of loneliness was “feeling like you do not have meaningful or close relationships or a sense of belonging.”

One easy cure is to help others and get involved. When we volunteer we are not on our phones looking at someone else’s life, we are living our own. Whether we are helping a student learn to read, helping families dealing with their loss or volunteering at our local food pantry, you are reaping all the benefits of service, most especially a sense of purpose. When we help others we lose site of our problems, we make connections and it reaffirms our impact in the world.

Since February is the month of love, it seems like a perfect time to create more connections, community and joy. Think about what matters to you, who you can help and start putting those golf balls in the jar first. The rest of life will fill itself in. Remember it is never too late to change your life for good or someone else’s life.

 

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

Copyright © 2024 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Keep Reading
By
Charity Matters Inspiration

Giving is Selfish

The recent wildfires in Southern California have shown us the power of community . We have seen the best of people, even those who have lost everything, volunteering to help others.  Service heals in unimaginable ways and brings us together for good.  While I contemplated writing more about the loss and grief many of us are experiencing here LA and Pasadena I decided to switch gears keeping our regularly scheduled interview. The reason is that today’s guest understands and lives a life of service and giving as a major volunteer. She has a job, a family, a full life, a podcast and a book but she calendars major time to give back. I think with so much need right now in our communities. Jenn Klein is just the inspiration we need to remind us to get up and show up for one another.

Today’s guest is Jenn Klein who is truly a kindred spirit. Jenn is an author of the book, Giving Is Selfish, and has a blog and podcast called You are a Philanthropist. 

I am excited to share our conversation about the power of giving and how it can truly change your life for good. Jenn is amazing in how spreads joy, giving and kindness is all she does. I know you will be thrilled you got to meet her as well. If you have been overwhelmed from all that is happening from so much loss, this conversation might just be the cure.

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

 

Charity Matters: Tell us a little about your book, Giving Is Selfish?

Jenn Klein: Giving is Selfish is about my journey to better understanding philanthropy and I wanted to broaden the understanding of philanthropy to be more than just, excuse me, wealthy individuals giving millions and billions of dollars like Bill and Melinda Gates and to really encourage the everyday person to go out in their communities and make a difference in ways that they can in small and large ways.

And I started to stay home with my kids, and I learned about the power of caregiving and I came to understand more about philanthropy, through being a mother. 

Charity Matters: What Role models did you have growing up that showed you the path to giving?

Jenn Klein:  I think my parents are my greatest inspiration and role models, even in their 60s. They’re involved with things such as Rotary International, and they started off just showing me about giving in my church.  Then I became involved with the youth group, and we would do service projects  in Philadelphia. When I became a teenager, I became a junior Rotarian, so I would go to rotary with my dad. Service above self is the motto of Rotary. And my dad has been involved with the rotary for probably 30 years now.

When I went to college, I graduated and did not know what I wanted to do, but I knew that I wanted to help people. This family I babysat for were very philanthropic and said,” Oh, you should you have an English degree and get into grant writing.” So I started volunteering for the YMCA in the Boston area, and that turned into a grant writing position after I graduated. 

Charity Matters: What was the moment you knew you needed to Write this book?

Jenn Klein:  I was a teacher’s assistant for my college professor and she said to me, “What do you want to do after you grow up? She was very kind and she knew I loved to read. She took me up to the library, and I said, “You know, I want to write a book one day.”  It was definitely a God thing, because there was something in my heart 20 years ago that I should write a book, and it was really a 20 year dream come true.

I originally, just like you, started off blogging, and it gained some traction. Someone said, “You should write a book.” And it stuck with me for about a year and a half before I said yes that I will write this book 

Charity Matters: What are your biggest challenges?

Jenn Klein: I think the challenges are getting the word out there. Like you said, there’s not a lot of people like you and I who are advocating to the general public for the nonprofit sector in general.  And like you said, there’s not a lot of people who are championing the health benefits, the all the physical benefits, mental and you know the reasons why it’s fun and exciting to give. So breaking through the noise of the negativity of the news is a challenge.  I like just chipping away at what I feel I should be doing today.  Some days that means doing the laundry and serving my family. 

Charity Matters: What fuels you to keep doing this work?

Jenn Klein: I started a gratitude practice that has been transformational.  There’s something transformative when we write down what we’re thankful for every day. It could be small things or big things. I like to ask my kids what they’re thankful for, and we always come up with different things together. So having a gratitude practice is really fuels me.

My faith in God obviously fuels me. My favorite quotes is by Mother Teresa, who said, “If you can’t feed 100 people, then feed just one.”  I like to think about the impact that I’m having in my everyday life, with my kids and with the volunteer activities I have. I’m their soccer coach, a parent ambassador and tomorrow am volunteering for the local food pantry.  I feel thankful that it all boomerangs back to me.  I like to say we’re hardwired to give. There’s something in me that enjoys giving.

Charity Matters: If you could dream any dream for your Book, what would that be?

Jenn Klein: One in four Americans volunteer, and recently I heard the statistic from AmeriCorps that it was raised to 28%.  I love to think about that number growing and growing with more people volunteering.  It’s going to get us healthier,  make the world a better place. and it’s fun. So I’d like to see more people volunteer.

Charity Matters: Do you have a motto or expression that you live by?

Jenn Klein: My life verse is Philippians: 413. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  I believe I can do it all  because of my faith in God.

Charity Matters: What life lessons have you learned from this experience?

Jenn Klein:  I like to say that you have to have a balance. If you’re not giving to yourself, then you’re not going to have the capacity to give to others. You have to fill your own cup in order to pour into other people’s cups. I feel like I’m able to give because I have a balance and I know what my tipping scale is.

I try to prioritize my family first, and am really role modeling for my kids. Having them understand the importance of giving back is a high priority for me. So it’s really important for me to raise that next generation of do gooders and change makers, and they’re my priority.

Charity Matters: How has this journey changed you?

Jenn Klein: I think I’m more passionate and excited and more optimistic through writing a book. I’m going to write a second book this year. I want to continue to get the word out there that this is fun, this is good for us, this is good for others.  I did put a statistic in my in my book, that of the folks who don’t volunteer, 90% of them say,” If I had more time, I would volunteer.”

There’s so many good nonprofits out there. Aligning your personal mission and vision with a nonprofit, and plugging you in with your time, talent, treasure. This is what is going to make the world a better place.  I don’t have millions to give and but this is my way of saying, “Hey, I know you don’t but let’s just do what we can and make a difference in that one person’s life.”

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

Copyright © 2025 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Keep Reading
By