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Charity Matters Inspiration April 11, 2016

National Volunteer Week is now

Who knew that this week is National Volunteer week? In case you missed the memo from the White House, or your local news didn’t deem it important enough to cover, consider yourself informed…or at least you will be, by then of this.

National Volunteer Week, a program of Points of Light was established in 1974 and has grown each year, with thousands of volunteer projects and special events scheduled for the week. The week is all about inspiring, recognizing and encouraging people to seek out imaginative ways to engage in their communities. It’s about showing that by working together, we can do anything. National Volunteer Week is about taking action and encouraging people to be at the center of social change – discovering and demonstrating their power to make a difference.

If you don’t know where to start, take a peak at one of my favorite sites, Volunteer Match.org. You just type in your zip code, what you love to do and it will match with an organization that can use your help, in your community.

I know its monday and you are thinking of all you have to do this week, but maybe….just maybe you have a moment you can give to make someone else’s life better. So text your friends, your children, your family and make a plan to do something this week…it all starts with you!

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration April 8, 2016

Thread

“Invisible threads are the strongest ties.”

Friedrich Nietzsche

A few weeks back, a dear friend sent me a New York Times article on a non-profit called Thread, and I was instantly sucked into this beautiful story. Perhaps, a tale as old as time, but one that never gets old, the story of amazing people who take their own tragedy to make someone else’s journey better.

This story begins with a young man named Ryan Hemminger, who was a straight A student in high school in Indiana, when his mother was in a bad car accident. Her injuries resulted in her no longer being able to work, a subsequent pain pill addiction and a downward spiral into poverty. What happened next was that a community of teachers rallied around Ryan and provided clothing, bus fair and mentoring, to save him. The support resulted in transforming Ryan into a varsity athlete, an A student again and he was admitted to the US Naval academy.

This however, is not the happy ending, but the beginning. Flash forward to 2004, when Ryan, now married to Sarah, a John Hopkins biomedical engineering grad student, was driving by a local high school and saw a group of students. Sarah, realized that many of them could be like Ryan,”Exceptional individuals with extraordinary situations.” Sarah realized, that she and Ryan needed to be a part of community that could pay forward the gift that was given to Ryan. It was out of that moment that Thread began.

Thread’s mission is to thread people together, regardless of socioeconomic and racial barriers. It is their belief that by building new families, not defined by DNA, but rather love and support…that they can change the world. Since 2006, that is exactly what they have done.

This year alone, over 255 students have been touched by the Thread family. Ninety-two percent of their students graduate from high school and go onto college and 80% have completed a college degree or certificate program. It is these invisible threads that create the connection that changes another’s life forever, the best ending imaginable.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration March 15, 2016

Connecting

Charity Matter Founder, Gotta Have Sole Founder, Nicholas Lowinger and PGK Founder, Molly Yuska

I am a connector, or so I’ve been told. Bringing people together brings me great joy, and bringing people together who do great work, to make our world better, is simply THE best! This weekend, I had the privilege of being with an uber connector, my friend Molly Yuska of Project Giving Kids.

Project Giving Kids is the ultimate example of what happens when people collaborate, to simply do good for others. PGK’s mission is to cultivate empathy in children by connecting them to age-appropriate service opportunities at a critical time in their development.

This past weekend, Molly brought together over eighteen non-profits under one roof, to celebrate their work and what happens when we all work towards a common goal. Everyone from food pantries, to animal shelters, environmental causes and everything in between. It was an evening to celebrate collaboration and so many non-profits and their selfless work.

The night’s honoree was eighteen year old Nicholas Lowinger, of Gotta Have Sole. A non-profit founder, at the age of 13, who has now provided shoes for over 20,000 homeless children across 47 states. It was a night to be reminded how one person CAN make a difference and that connecting good is what truly matters.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration February 29, 2016

And the Oscar goes to…

A Girl in the River:The Price of Forgiveness for Documentary Short film, a movie I never saw. For that matter I didn’t even see one of the documentary short films. Did you? Where would you even go to see it, if you wanted too? I honestly have no idea.

I love the Academy Awards. The glamor, the red carpet, the films…I love it all. The power a film has to tell a story, to make us think, to feel and reflect upon our human condition, is pure magic. The art of storytelling can create change.

As I watched last nights show, along with billions of others, I was inspired by the woman from Pakistan, Sharmeen Chinoy, whose film told a story, that has done just that. One woman used her gift to inspire others. You don’t need to start a non-profit to make a difference, you simply have to use your gifts to help another. That is who the real winners are.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration February 17, 2016

Beautiful music

Let me begin by saying I believe in signs. Have you ever exited a freeway off ramp to find someone standing there with a sign? It can be anything from need food, homeless please help….you know the ones. Every time, I feel uncomfortable, I feel guilty and often, even ashamed when I do not roll down the window and give.

I have interviewed many founders and executive directors of homeless shelters and all have advised me never, ever give in this way, and so for the most part I haven’t. I have also learned from past experience. A time at USC when I ran across the street and used my allowance to buy a hungry man groceries, only to be yelled at that he didn’t want the food. A blind man, who took my money and then loaded up his wheelchair in his van and drove away.

I’m sure my experiences are exceptions but nonetheless, experiences that changed my giving in this manner….until the other day. It was the long holiday weekend and we pulled off the freeway and missed the light. So there we were, trapped with a handsome young man and a sign. I tried to turn my head away to avoid eye contact, feeling that creeping feeling of shame, when the most unexpected thing happened.

He picked up a cello, which was broken and patched together, that I hadn’t seen, and began to play. I rolled down the window to hear and he smiled a beautiful smile and told us he wrote the piece and started playing at the age of 11. We were entranced, as were all the other motorist around us. We couldn’t open our wallets fast enough and when the light turned green, we wanted to cry and never wanted his beautiful music to end.

The joy this beautiful music brought was a gift and a sign. A sign to open my heart, my eyes and my ears to all that is around me. When I do that, beauty is everywhere, you just need to look and listen to the signs.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration February 11, 2016

Kind

Being married to an entrepreneur, I am always fascinated by what motivates people to start a business, even a non-profit. When someone comes along who creates a great product and business combined with doing good, well in my book, that is about as good as it gets. The man who has done just that, is Daniel Lubetzky, the founder of Kind Snacks.

Daniel Lubetzky is the son of a holocaust survivor, who grew up in Mexico City before moving to the United States with his family. After graduating from Stanford, he became fascinated with finding a way to resolve the Israel-Palenstine conflict through business. He created an international movement called OneVoice and then a food company called Peaceworks that promotes economic cooperation in the Middle East.

It was in 2004, when Daniel was unhappy with the unhealthy snack choices Americans had, as well as the rise of obesity, that he developed the Kind Bar. His concept was that we can be “kind to our bodies and to the world.” Last week he took his kindness to a new level, by creating a new corporate foundation that will give $1 million in cash prizes to individuals who are making a difference in their communities by kindness.

The Kind Foundation will accept nominations through March 31st and five kind individuals will win $100,000 and one grand winner will win $500,000. The company is known for its generous support to a host of non-profits that are voted on through the companies web-site each month.

When asked about his motivation for giving, in a recent interview in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Daniel cited his father’s experiences during the holocaust.”I don’t see it as philanthropy so much as a duty,” he said.

Taking Kindness to a whole new level.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration January 25, 2016

What to do when the dream is a reality

We all dream. Sometimes we don’t remember them, sometimes we wake up feeling like we are falling and sometimes we just dream big. But it is those moments when we are awake and realize that our dream is real and really happening…well there just are not words to describe.

That is exactly what happened last friday at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. The dream became real, not only for me, but for thousands of patients and families that will now have a place to go, to think, to pray, to meditate or just to be. Over twelve years ago we set out to build a non-profit to provide chaplains of ALL faiths 24 hours a day 7 days a week at CHLA, and we did it!

Then once the hospital had chaplains, we realized they didn’t have a chapel that could accommodate more than one person at a time. So a journey began to create a beautiful space where people of all faiths or none at all, could come and be. Patients, families, doctors, nurses, a place for all.

Last Friday morning, as I watched civic and religious leaders from all over Los Angeles, open and bless the new InterFaith Center at Childrens Hospital, I knew the dream was real. It took a village and years to make it happen, but it did. Standing there in that moment, my heart filled with pride in being a tiny part of this incredible legacy of compassion.

I was reminded that dreams do come true, especially when you dream big.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration January 8, 2016

The best resolutions yet

A dear friend of mine, who is a yoga instructor, as well as a wise and soulful being, recently shared these and I thought they were so inspiring I wanted to do the same. It simply isn’t New Years without great resolutions! So here a few for thought….

1.  Begin. – Remember the feeling you get from taking the first step is far better than the feeling you get from sitting around thinking about it. So get up and get moving. Take the first step this year – just one small step forward. The greatest miracle of your success will not be that you finished, it will be that you had the courage to begin.

2.  Work hard on the essential. – Don’t be busy, be productive. Don’t track your time, track your results. Put first things first and get them done. And don’t expect your goal to be easy; it’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard you would already have it completed, and so would everyone else. The hard part is what makes it worthwhile. In life there are no shortcuts to any place worth going.

3.  Stay true to your path. – A successful life is one that is lived through understanding and pursuing one’s own path, not chasing after the dreams of others. You have to do what’s right for you; no one else walks in your shoes. Keep moving forward, beyond the negative rhetoric echoing from the peanut gallery. Do what you have to do, for you. Live a life you are proud of. And the moment you realize you’re not, find the strength to start over again on a new path.

4.  Nurture your self-confidence. – You have everything you need within you to become the best possible version of YOU. Believe that you CAN. Believe that you’re capable of pushing harder and farther than you have before. Believe that you’re young enough, old enough, smart enough and strong enough to achieve your goals. Don’t let false beliefs stop you from moving beyond yourself. And certainly don’t get sidetracked by the people around you who are not on track.

5.  Be sincerely kind to those around you. – Kindness in words creates positivity. Kindness in thinking creates confidence. Kindness in giving creates love. Through kindness you have the ability to make a profound difference in every life you touch, including your own. When you guide someone who is lost and confused, when you hold someone who is sad and grieving, when you hug someone who has lost all their hope, you too will feel yourself healing and growing stronger. Remember, the vast majority of positive changes come about in someone’s life simply because one other person cares for them, believes in them, and motivates them. So be that other person when you can.

6.  Accept the things you can’t change. – What you resist, persists. If you are resisting something, you are feeding it. Any energy you actively fight, you are feeding. If you are using negative energy to push something away, you are inviting it to stay. Choose to accept what is, be positive and proactive, let go of the need to control every tiny detail, and embrace peace in the process.

7.  Set a good example. – It’s not about what you say; it’s about how you live your life every day. The people who look up to you are watching you all the time. These people are like sponges – what they see or feel you do, they will imitate. So remember that your words mean a lot less than what you’re doing. Choose to believe that you can and will change lives with what you do each day, and you will. Let your actions speak for themselves.

– Angel Chernoff, Mark and Angel Hack Life

8. Charity Matters ( couldn’t resist)

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Charity Matters Inspiration December 17, 2015

The other gift

I have a confession to make. For the first time in my life, I am not in the Christmas spirit. I keep waiting and hoping and thinking that it’s coming, but it has yet to appear. The last few months have not been easy and moving two days after Christmas certainly isn’t making it easier to feel the joy.

We are living in an empty house with boxes, and a Christmas tree but the usual trappings of the holidays are simply too much with the move. So, I find myself in a pickle for the first time…looking for Christmas cheer.

Just when I was having a low moment, I came across this. A magic cure for turning any frown upside down. So indulge and take a moment to see what happens when children have to choose between a gift for themselves or for their family.

Even these children know just how great it feels to give.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration November 25, 2015

The action of Thanksgiving

“Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action.”

W.J. Cameron

Since Thanksgiving is tomorrow and there is much to be done, I looked back to my past post for inspiration and came across this. While not a fan of reposting, this is more than worth take two and will give you the spirit of gratitude as you begin to prepare for the holiday.

There are so many amazing causes that we all support and get involved with, especially as we are feeling thankful. With 1.9 million non-profits in this country it is rare that Charity Matters ventures abroad, with so much to be done here. However, as we begin this week of Thanksgiving, I think this story is a beautiful way to begin our own personal journey of gratitude.

Narayanan Krishnan is a hero and I am in awe of his compassion, selflessness and grateful for his amazing inspiration. He is a living reminder that Thanksgiving is a word of action.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration November 2, 2015

Beauty in the eye of the beholder

I have had friends tell me over the years that I often see things that they do not. Perhaps, my filters are adjusted a certain way. Sometimes, I wonder am I the only one who is watching this? We all live in a busy world and so often, we are too busy to see the beauty right in front of us.

Last week, I was in a huge hurry trying to make a grant deadline and rushing to Kinkos to pick up my order. Traffic prevented me from turning into the Kinkos driveway, so I was parked just waiting and watching and what I saw brought me to tears.

Standing almost in front of me was an elderly homeless women, with no shoes, white hair and her face was literally black with grime and dirt. She was not begging but simply standing there. Her physical condition took my breath away. As I waited in traffic wondering what to do, I saw an elderly gentleman in his mid-seventies hop out of his car, leaving it running in the parking lot and ever so kindly, sweetly and thoughtfully approach the woman. He bowed his head, in respect of greeting her, and handed her what appeared to be everything he had in his wallet.

Tears began pouring from my eyes, at the most beautiful sight of her surprise and her smile. I looked at the elderly man as the tears streamed down my face and he gave a small nod and quickly got into his running car and drove off. The honking horns jarred me into reality of what I had just witnessed. The respect, compassion, grace, dignity and the sheer beauty of the moment, was one I will never forget.

The stress of the day gone, replaced with hope, compassion and belief that the world is full of goodness. We just simply have to look for it.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration October 28, 2015

CNN Heroes

Last week CNN announced their CNN Heroes for 2015. A tradition that began in 2007 finding extra-ordinary people, who use their gifts to make other’s lives better. Each year ten amazing people are nominated, all who are deserving non-profit heroes.

So now its time to vote, the video ballot is below. Take a peek at these amazing people.

To cast your vote go to CNN Heroes. There are too many inspiring stories to share here, but treat yourself to see how remarkable it is, when people use their gifts to make others lives better. Everyone of these nominees are winners already.

Charity Matters.

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Cancer October 21, 2015

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

photo via: WestFWlifestyle.com

As you know I have been thinking a lot about dreaming big and continuing on my quest living a life full of purpose. When I think about the combination of these two together, my mind immediately goes to thoughts of my amazing friend, Ann Louden. Ann is a breast cancer survivor who took her diagnosis and turned it into a purpose fueled mission. The result is her non-profit TCU Frogs for the Cure.

Ann has worked at TCU for over twenty years and over a decade ago when she heard the words, “You have cancer” she knew she needed to do something. As the ultimate connector, she engaged her Fort Worth and TCU community in finding a cure, supporting those with breast cancer and partnering to support the cross town organization Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Her organization was the first to engage college football with breast cancer and now today you can’t tun on a game in October (pro or college) without seeing pink, it all started with Ann. However that dream wasn’t big enough, she went further in creating inspiring music videos with thousands of survivors to bring everyone together in support for this cause. When the videos are downloaded from itunes, the proceeds go to fight breast cancer.

This years video will debut at the Thursday, Oct 29th at the TCU football game vs West Virginia and is aptly done to the song,”Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.“ I cannot think of a better song to describe Ann Louden and all breast cancer survivors journey to overcome and fight this disease.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration October 14, 2015

Camp Southern Ground

Last Saturday night my husband surprised me with tickets to hear the Zac Brown Band play at the Hollywood Bowl. A terrific night of music and fun that became complete for me when the musician shared his dream and vision with a new non-profit he was starting.

Zac Brown is starting a summer camp, called Camp Southern Ground. While I know this is not the time of year to be discussing camp, I loved hearing him talk about his passion for this. Maybe part of that is because as the Executive Director of a summer leadership camp I understand how important and life changing camp is for so many.

I think more than that, was that this popular musician, who used to be a camp counselor, wanted to use his gifts to help others. Camp Southern Ground‘s mission is to help children to overcome academic, social and emotional disabilities to help them reach their full potential.

When thinking about this weeks theme of finding your purpose, I thought sharing Zac Brown’s discovery of his was worth sharing. We all have a purpose and a gift (or two), it is how we chose to share them with others that makes life so sweet.

Charity Matters.

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