Ways to make a difference Archives - Page 22 of 29

Charity Matters Inspiration June 6, 2016

The great one…

“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”

Muhammad Ali

This weekend we lost a great one. A man born into a family of pre-Civil War era American slaves, who experienced the segregated South first hand and was determined to use his life to help others, which is exactly what he did.

Muhammad Ali devoted his life to helping promote civil rights, cross-cultural understanding, interfaith relations, hunger relief, and world peace. He did this through a variety of actions and causes. According to the National Constitution Center, he has been responsible for providing over 232 million meals to serve the hungry in such countries as Indonesia, Mexico, Cuba, Morocco, and Cote d’Ivoire, to name a few.

In addition, to his work abroad as a Goodwill Ambassador, he also used his fame and success to bring attention to causes such as Make A Wish Foundation, Special Olympics, Muhammad Ali Parkinson’s Center and the Muhammad Ali Center in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

The Muhammad Ali Center’s mission sums up the legend’s life and legacy best, “To promote, respect, hope, and understanding and to inspire adults and children everywhere to be as great as they can be.”

He was great and continues to inspire us all, to do the same.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration May 23, 2016

Charity Water

With 1.9 million non-profits and more stories to share than we possibly could right here, Charity Matters had to put some filters on who we covered. The core root is people helping people in the United States. As a result, we don’t always cover some amazing international causes because it is a little outside the scope.

Every once in a while, we come across someone, who just gets it and it really doesn’t matter where they live or who they serve, it is what they do for others that becomes the filter for goodness. Without trying to create water and filter jokes, Charity Water is one of those stories. More specifically, the story of Scott Harrison, the former nightclub promoter who turned his life and thousands of others he serves around by creating Charity Water.

Scott says in his bio, “For me, charity is practical. It’s sometimes easy and more often inconvenient, but always necessary. It is the ability to use one’s position of influence, relative wealth and power to affect lives for the better. Charity is singular and achievable.”

Since 2006, Scott and his team have provided over 6 million people with the gift of clean water. Now that is a true filter for goodness.

Charity Matters.

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Ways to make a difference May 3, 2016

Give Local America: A National Day of Giving

Isn’t amazing how fast this year has zipped by and how quickly it seems that I am coming back to you sharing more great news about sharing? Well guess what? Today, yes today….is a National Giving Day! What? You don’t know what that is? Well, in 35 seconds you will.

Today, Give Local America will come together with thousands of non-profits across the country to raise funds, in a national day of giving, for a huge variety of causes. Their goal this year to raise one hundred million dollars nationwide…which is a whole lot of dinero to help so many amazing causes. So if you can spare some time or change, today just might be a great day to make a difference in your community.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration April 18, 2016

Billions in change

Over and over we hear it said that one person can change the world, a phrase I do believe in. Anyone who inspires change, knows it takes a village to do so. It is a global village that billionaire Manoj Bhargava is creating to deliver products that can directly impact humanity and he is seriously the real deal.

Manoj has taken his fortune, created from 5 hour Energy, to focus on three areas to improve the world;water, energy and health. His approach is to, ” make a difference in other people’s lives, not just talk about it.” A new documentary called Billions in Change, follows his journey. Take a small peak here at what one man can do to improve the lives of seven billion people.

As our world becomes increasingly smaller and the global village a reality. It is people like Manoj Bhargava, who will not only change our world but inspire each of us to do the same.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Quotes April 13, 2016

Charity Matters Quotes: Make a difference

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”

William James

Just a small reminder that its only Wednesday and not to late to make plans to celebrate and participate in National Volunteer Week.

As the quote says, if you act as if what you do makes a difference , it actually will.

Something to think about.

Charity Matters.

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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 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 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 Quotes January 27, 2016

Full circle moment

Have you ever had a full circle moment? A moment when you can’t believe that your life started at one point and somehow came all the way back around? Last week, I had that moment. I was invited back to speak at my alma mater, USC’s Annenberg School of Communication, as a guest lecturer.

As I stood in front of the class full of freshman Communication majors, I really couldn’t believe that I was no longer the student. How was I standing here? When what seemed like moments before, I had been working full-time to put myself thru USC. Trying to hold down a job, my full class schedule, a social life and find direction in my life.

Now, here I was sharing my journey of life, loss, growth and philanthropy with the class. It was surreal. I spoke about failing, struggling, not knowing what to do, which way to go and trying on so many things until I found the right fit. My message was the biggest roadblocks, were my greatest gifts.

The students asked me about so many great things, but one question that I loved was, “How did you find your voice?” They were referring to Charity Matters and I almost laughed at loud when the professor rephrased the question as, “your journalistic voice”. It took everything I had not to look over my shoulder to see if a journalist had entered the room.

After a pause, the answer to the question was, listening to myself. Giving myself time to reflect on what was true, honest, what fit and felt right. As I sat in that class room and looked at those fresh faces, I realized that it was that gift of listening and knowing what felt right that brought me to this moment. Full circle.

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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Ways to make a difference December 2, 2015

Out with the old….

As you all know we are in the process of moving. Actually, this weekend we are having our moving sale. We have hired someone to facilitate this for us, as the process is simply one more step that I simply cannot manage, more specifically, managing all that stuff. How did we get here?

A home is like a handbag, the bigger it is, the more you can cram in it…but why? What is the purpose in filling it? As I look at a full house, I find myself struggling with the guilt and gluttony of it all. The guilt comes from wondering why do we have so much, when so many have so little? An answer, I do not think is simple, but the question circles in my mind, as I sift through so much stuff.

The process is difficult enough and then adding the holidays to the formula has simply added to the confusion. How can we possibly shop for more stuff when we have worked so hard to purge all that we have? It simply makes no sense, none.

So, as I continue the sifting, editing and purging process, I am trying to find gratitude for all that we have. The sale will give us extra funds that we will pass along to our favorite causes and then everything that doesn’t sell will be donated to a few other non-profits that we support. While this does not bring clarity or answers to my questions, it will bring joy to others and that will fill my heart…not my home…and isn’t that what really matters?

Charity Matters.

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Holidays and Holiday Giving November 30, 2015

#GivingTuesday

As Giving Tuesday arrives tomorrow, it seems to be in stark contrast to all other messages being sent our way about sales and holiday giving. First its Black Friday, next its Small Store Saturday and today is Cyber Monday. While the names are catchy, what is the meaning and the purpose?

In 2012, the Giving Tuesday movement began to create a national day of giving to support favorite non-profit organizations. Initially there were 2,500 partners and today in just three years it has grown to over 30,000 organizations in over 70 countries.

Giving comes in other forms besides money, it can be the gift of time or resources. So think about what organizations you care about and ask yourself the real question. How can I give tomorrow?

Charity Matters.

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Cancer November 4, 2015

Movember

This week is the beginning of Movember. No, this isn’t a typo but rather a movement. I was reminded last week, when my second son asked me to sponsor his fraternity’s fundraiser in support of the cause. You may recall that last November there seemed to be an unusual amount of facial hair and beards. Those beards and unshaven faces were not by accident, but rather a statement for men’s health.

A statement that all began in 2003, when two mates in a bar ( Travis Garone and Luke Slattery) were having a simple conversation about whatever happened to the moustache or the Mo, as they called it, and a joke about bringing it back. These buddies from Melbourne, Australia decided to talk their friends into growing a Mo for a purpose. They were inspired by a friend’s mom who was raising funds for breast cancer and decided to direct their efforts towards men’s health and prostate cancer. They sent an email titled Are you man enough to be my man? The result was 30 guys willing to take up the challenge and pay ten dollars each, towards their cause and the beginning of Movember.

Their goal started small but never wavered. These four friends wanted to recruit men who would support Movember, who by the way are called MoBros. The Mo Bros, would begin by registering at Movember.Com and start Movember 1st clean-shaven, then grow and groom their Mo, for the rest of the month, raising money along the way. In addition, these men become walking, talking billboards for their cause. Not to exclude the girls, they also started Mo Sistas, who champion their Mo by registering and supporting the Mo Bros in their life.

What started as a fun bar conversation in 2003 and 30 MoBros in Melbourne, Australia has morphed into over 4 million participants globally, who have raised more than $649 million to date. Movember, is more than a month, but rather through the power of the moustache, it has truly become a global movement that is changing the face of men’s health.

Charity Matters.

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