Charity Matters Inspiration Archives - Page 30 of 37

Charity Matters Inspiration March 23, 2015

A little love and kindness

This past weekend I attended a party for an East Coast non-profit that is heading to LA, which is an unusual move in the non-profit world. There are so many things that make Project Giving Kids unusual, and by that I mean, out of the ordinary and extraordinary. Most of that comes from the amazing founder, Molly Yuska.

I met Molly a few months back interviewing her for CM and knew instantly that she was extraordinary. Her mission is to teach, expose and connect busy families and children to fun, meaningful and age appropriate service activities. She does that by partnering with local (now LA based) non-profits that vary from Healing the Bay to Food for Free and Gotta Have Sole, just to name a few.

Molly is an uber connector but more than that she is passionate about instilling the values of compassion and kindness in her children and ours. She shared a story Saturday night that said it all. Molly told the crowd that her young children wanted to have a lemonade stand a few weeks back. Molly groaned, as they had just done one.

Molly asked her children, “What would you give the money too?”

Her child’s response was,” I don’t want to charge money, I want to give the lemonade away.”

Molly, ” Why would you have a lemonade stand for free?”

Her daughter’s answer,” To spread love and kindness.”

That is exactly what Molly is doing, spreading love and kindness. Two things that world can never have enough of. So welcome to Los Angeles Project Giving Kids! Thank you for bringing all of us more love and kindness.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration March 6, 2015

We can start now

” How lovely to think that no one need wait a moment. We can start now, start slowly, changing the world. How lovely that everyone, great and small, can make a contribution toward introducing justice straightaway. And you can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness.”

Anne Frank

As I wrapped up the week talking about amazing teenagers and young people, Anne Frank’s words from decades ago, are as relevant as ever. Teenagers, regardless of the century or decade they are from inspire hope.

As Anne Frank so wisely said, “You can always give something, even if its only kindness!”

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration March 4, 2015

VolunTEEN Nation

Teenagers get a bad wrap. I love working with teenagers. They are energetic, creative, passionate, full of life and eager to learn and give. The teenagers that I have the privilege of working with, are what I love most about my job. If they believe they can accomplish something, they can.

I recently came across an amazing story about a 12-year-old who wanted to work for a non-profit and was rejected multiple times. Her solution? To start her own non-profit organization and one that was powered by kids for kids. Her name is Simone Bernstein and in 2009 she did just that. She created a non-profit database where middle and high school students across the country can find volunteer opportunities in their neighborhoods, called VolunTEEN Nation.

Today, Simone is 22 and a Fulbright scholar at the University of Toronto. VolunTEEN Nation, which started in St. Louis is currently nationwide and has connected over 78,500 volunteers and funded more than 500 grants and service projects, since its inception. Simone and her brother Jake, plan to take VolunTEEN nation worldwide next year. As Simone said, “I realized that many people fail to understand that youth can make a difference.”

As someone who works with our youth, I couldn’t agree more.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration February 2, 2015

Max Page and his Force

As millions of us watched the Super Bowl yesterday and of course those very pricey ads. I thought it might be worth revisiting the one of my favorite philanthropic friends. His name is Max Page and you might remember Max from his starring Super Bowl ad as Darth Vadar, a few years back.

Max has been a patient at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles many times in his short life for multiple heart surgeries. I met Max and his family, a few years ago, as we worked together to launch the Junior Ambassador Program at CHLA . The Page family are some of the most philanthropic people I know, and have used their situation and celebrity to the benefit of others time and time again.

Last week Max revisited his friends on the Today Show but didn’t get to share what he is up to these days. Max continues his acting and his passion for philanthropy, At the wise old age of 10 he is a spokesperson for the non-profit GenerationOn.Org which inspires children and teenagers to get involved in making a difference. Max’s heart may have been defected once upon a time, but today it is his heart and use of the Force that continues to inspire us all.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration January 21, 2015

American Sniper

This past weekend I went to see American Sniper, an amazing movie. It made me think of many of the military non-profit post I have done over the years. More than anything the movie reminded me of the incredible sacrifices our military families make.

The movie is one that stays with you. When sitting down to write I couldn’t decide if I should write about the Navy Seal Honor Fund, which supports the children of fallen Navy Seals or if I should revisit one of my favorite, The American Widow Project…which I decided to do here. The story begins with that fateful knock and the nightmare that followed of the then 22-year-old Taryn Davis.

It was 2007 and she was told that her young husband, Michael had been killed in Iraq. Taryn’s life was shattered. She felt alone, devastated and didn’t know where to turn. She decided to travel the country and interview other military widows and the result was both her healing and a documentary she entitled “The American Widow Project.” A few short months later she founded a non-profit with the same name, The American Widows Project.

Taryn’s goal was simply to ensure that no military widow should feel alone in her grief. She believes that each military widow deserves the opportunity and tools to help rebuild her life. When a widow reaches out to The American Widow Project they immediately receive Taryn’s film, a phone call from another widow and thousands of online supporters as well as local support groups. In addition there are monthly activities such as sky diving, zip-linning or surfing, to help these women feel alive again.

While the movie American Sniper was about a hero, it is the people like Taryn Davis who take care of those left behind , who are also hereos.

To date Taryn has helped over 800 military widows and counting.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration January 19, 2015

Charity Matters Quotes:MLK

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

Martin Luther King

Today is Martin Luther King Day, a holiday and more importantly a day that is recognized as a national day of service. MLK day is often referred to as a “Day On” rather than a day off.

I think the hardest thing to do in having a “Day On” is discovering where to begin.

What should I do? What can I do with my children or family?

Here are a few first steps….

doonething.org/actnow
handsonnetwork.org
volunteermatch.org
serviceforpeace.org
nationalservice.gov
servenet.org
idealist.org

Sometimes it simply takes a little faith to know that even the smallest step forward makes a difference.

As Dr. King said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

Enjoy your Day On and know that every step you take big or small makes a difference.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration January 5, 2015

Because I’m Happy

I have a dear friend who is also a yoga instructor/yogi and she recently shared this with all of her clients. I was so taken by the simplicity and brilliance of this advice that I felt compelled to share. These are the thoughts that I am beginning my New Year with and I hope you feel inspired to do the same.

Do more of the things

that make you happy.

Make a list of 10

of your greatest passions,

10 activities that fill your heart

with joy and remind you

of how good life can be.

And then, over the coming

10 weeks, inject one

of those pursuits into

your weekly schedule.

Powerful thought:

the things that get scheduled

are the things that get done.

Until you schedule something,

it’s only a concept –

and

extraordinary people

don’t build remarkable lives

on concepts. They build

their greatness on action.

When you do things

that lift your spirit

and send you soaring,

you reconnect with

a state of happiness.

– Robin Sharma

I have made my list and now need to begin to calendar the activities…a perfect beginning to a new year…..whats yours?

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration January 2, 2015

Happy New Years

“Approach the New Year with resolve to find the opportunities hidden in each new day.”

Michael Josephson

Very rarely do I look back, it is simply not my style…I am a move ahead kind of person. However, this time of year I like to look back at my past posts and see what resolutions I made to you, myself and how I stacked up. I have to say, this is the one time that a blog is a blessing and a curse.

The blessing is that I am held accountable to each of you in a very public way and the curse is I am held accountable in a very public way. This year as I looked back and read last years posts I was struck at how spot on it was and remains. So I am sharing the highlights of it here:

Looking back for me, is more than checking items off my list, but rather a time to ask myself the real questions:

Was I present and in the moment with my children and family?
Was I a good spouse, daughter, friend?
Did I use my gifts and skills to help others?

These are the questions that define me, my life, and these are the items that matter, to me. So while I love making list, setting goals and proudly checking some items off the list…….the reality is that if I don’t ask the real questions to myself regularly, than nothing on list really matters.

So, as I bound into 2015 with excitement, I cherish these last few months with my middle son home and dream of travel and home renovation projects to accomplish….I am mindful that a resolution is simply something to strive for. Being the best person you can be, for yourself and the ones you love is truly the goal.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration December 15, 2014

It is better to give….

You have heard me time and again talk about cause marketing, you know, using goodness to promote your brand. If there is one company that has done this so right and brings tears to my eyes each year it is this one…..

Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what you are selling and just as the video says,” It is simply better to give than to receive.”

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration November 21, 2014

Tasting life twice

“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.”

Annais Ninn

This week I have been thinking about writing. When I saw this quote, I thought it really summed up my experience. Life is so rich and yet sometimes I feel that not everyone really sees what is happening daily right in front of them. I’m sure I don’t catch it all either but what I do see and feel, I am compelled to share.

“Tasting life twice, in the moment and in retrospect,” such beautiful words and a little food for our souls.

I hope this weekend is full of life worth tasting twice.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration November 12, 2014

Unbroken

Have you ever read a book that stayed with you, shifted you, and made you think…really think? I just finished reading one of the most amazing books, trying to beat the movie which comes out on Christmas. The book was Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand about an incredible and inspiring human being Louis Zamperini. Since yesterday was Veteran’s Day, I could think of no better example to model our Veteran’s than this remarkable man.

I know many of you have read it and/or heard the story but it one that is more than worth retelling. It is the real life story of a boy aiming at the Olympics, who ends up in WWII with unbelievable stories of adventure, torture and survival. But more important than anything is Louis Zamperini’s attitude, his ability to forgive and his message of the resilience of the human spirit.

As you know, Louis Zamperini died last year. You may not know that he was a non-profit founder, after the war he started a home for troubled youth and dedicated his life to helping others. The man was pure inspiration. If you give your self a gift, sit down with the book or just wait a month for the movie. The legend of Louis Zamperini lives on, I hope in each of us.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration November 10, 2014

THE moment

Phot via:Jwagler.com — Photo via: Jwagler.com

Yesterday, was the 12th anniversary of my moment. I know you all know what it is and that I am sometimes a broken record about it, but what really fascinates me is not my own moment, but rather, everyone else’s moment. A few weeks back I wrote a post, “Simply No Words” about a friend’s tragic loss that brought my moment tumbling back as if I was reliving my own.

Dr. Phil calls them the ” 5 defining moments of your life” Oprah likes to call them “Ahaa moments” and for me I don’t really care what they are called. What I care is how those moments are used. How these moments, events in time somehow shape and mold you like soft clay.

For some, these moments are tragic, for others they are the moment of sobriety, a moment of forgiveness, a moment of loss, grief or illness but more than anything a moment of realization. After speaking with hundreds of non-profit founders, I can tell you that each one I have interviewed, can tell you their moment. That split second in time that forever altered the course of their life.

I truly believe that we all have them, some moments are bigger than others. Do we see them (warning: they are often hard to miss) But more importantly, is what did you learn from that moment? How did you use it to make another’s life better? The extraordinary people I call my heroes (aka non-profit founders) are just like you and me. What makes them so unique is their ability to take that split second in time and turn in into a lifetime of good.

Whatever you call that, defining or ahaa, these moments become gifts in defining our purpose.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration October 22, 2014

Gotta Have Sole

I have the privilege of working with amazing high school students all the time. The story I am about to share with you really hit a chord with me. This summer at the leadership camp I organize, a young girl arrived with shoes that were literally falling apart. We could tell she was embarrassed by her shoes but the reality was she couldn’t run and play games with the sole flapping around. So we used a little shoe goo, some fun colorful duct tape and made her smile and love her overhauled shoes. We saw first hand how much she wanted to fit in and the power of a simple pair of shoes.

An amazing young man, named Nicholas Lowinger, had the same realization as a very young boy visiting a homeless shelter. Nicolas saw first hand children who missed school because they shared shoes with their siblings and it wasn’t their day to wear them, so they couldn’t go to school. So Nicholas began donating shoes and clothing to the shelter but he knew these children needed new shoes that fit correctly.

A few years later, in 2010, when Nicholas had his Bar Mitzvah he used the opportunity to begin the Gotta Have Sole Foundation to donate new footwear to homeless children. Nicholas said, “My goal is to reach as many children living in homeless shelters in the US as I can. It has always been my hope that the children will feel more confident about themselves because they have new shoes to call their own and that they will have the same opportunities afforded to them as their peers.”

Today, four years later Nicholas has donated new footwear to over 10,000 children in homeless shelters in 35 states throughout the United States. Rather than rest on his achievements Nicholas keeps expanding his program. He recently established SOLEdiers to assist disabled and needy veterans and their families, in honor of his WWII Veteran grandfather. This program provides veterans with gift cards to footwear stores so they can select the shoes they need, for their children.

Nicholas Lowinger is truly inspirational. While his peers are out running around in their new sneakers, he continues to expand his mission of providing new shoes to as many homeless children as possible. This inspiring young man elevates the meaning of Gotta Have Sole.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration October 13, 2014

This I Believe

As I mentioned on friday, I spent the later part of last week at TCU, on a panel, discussing the topic, “How can you better prepare students for lives of meaning?” A question and topic that inspired many amazing discussions about service, faith, and leadership. One segment that stood out as a highlight of the trip, was a piece entitled “This I believe.”

At TCU, they have asked their students to begin their first college essays as freshman writing 500 words on the topic “This I believe.” The goal is to challenge students to think about their values and their core beliefs. There is no right or wrong answer, it is simply your story. The hope is that by articulating your beliefs, that when faced with a difficult life decision, students will know the answer because they understand what it is that guides them. The stories that we heard were inspiring, amazing, full of hope, adversity and perseverance. I wish I could share them all with you here. What I can share is what I learned about This I Believe.

Believe it or not, This I Believe, Inc., is a non-profit! In March 2003, National Public Radio Executive Producer, Dan Geldman came across the original book This I Believe. Dan became intrigued with the history of the 1950s radio program based on the same name, that was hosted by Edward R. Murrow. The original radio show featured compelling essays from cab drivers, secretaries, corporate leaders as well as people such as; Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Robinson, Helen Keller, and Harry Truman. Anyone who was able to share a few minutes of the guiding principles by which they lived.

Dan and his co-producer Jay Allison decided to bring the series back to National Public Radio. In reviving This I Believe, Dan Gediman said, “The goal was not to persuade Americans to agree on the same beliefs. Rather, the hope is to encourage people to begin the much more difficult task of developing respect for beliefs different from their own.”

Dan, Jay and their team at NPR brought back the topic, the radio series and then a few best-selling books. The proceeds from all of those went into forming the non-profit This I Believe. Org, which was founded in 2004, to engage youth and adults from all walks of life in writing, sharing, and discussing brief essays about the core values that guide their daily lives.

Today, almost a decade later This I Believe Essays have spread across the globe through universities’ curriculum, in a variety of publications, numerous local public radio stations, newspapers, and magazines all challenging us to ask the simple question. What is it that you believe?

Charity Matters.

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