Charity Matters
Category

What Matters?

Category
Heart Disease

February is all about heart

January gets all the attention. New calendars. Fresh planners. Big resolutions written in bold ink. We step into the New Year fueled by hope, energy, and the belief that this will be the year everything changes.

And then February arrives quietly.

The decorations come down, the confetti is swept away, and real life settles back in. The gym crowds thin. The lists get tucked into drawers. And yet, this is exactly when the real work begins.

February is Heart Month. And not just in the medical or nonprofit sense, though that matters deeply. February is the month that invites us to pause, look inward, and ask a far more important question than What do I want to do this year?

It asks: Who do I want to be?

February is the month of love. Valentine’s Day reminds us of romance, connection, and affection but the deepest kind of love is not always wrapped in red paper and ribbon. Sometimes love looks like honesty. Often it looks like courage. More than that love looks like choosing to change patterns that no longer serve us.

This is the month to take stock.

By now, we have enough distance from January to tell the truth. Which goals still feel aligned? What goals were fueled by pressure instead of purpose? Which dreams are whispering instead of shouting and refuse to go away?

February doesn’t demand grand gestures. It invites quiet commitment.

In the nonprofit world, February is also Heart Month, a reminder of why so many of us do this work in the first place. We don’t show up to change the world because it’s easy. We show up because something in our heart tells us we must. Because injustice, suffering, or loss has touched us personally. Because love compels action.

And that’s the connection February offers us all.

Real change for good rarely happens in loud moments. It happens in the quiet spaces where intention turns into action. Where reflection turns into resolve. Where love becomes something we do, not just something we feel.

February is not about starting over. It’s about recommitting.

It’s about asking:

  • What habits am I willing to protect?

  • Are there boundaries  I need to strengthen?

  • Where have I been rushing past what really matters?

This is the month to check your heart…..not just your pulse, but your purpose.

Are you living in alignment with what you believe matters most?
Do your days reflecting your values?
Are you loving others and yourself in ways that are sustainable?

Winter still surrounds us in February. The pace is slower. The evenings are quieter. Nature itself seems to be resting and preparing. There is wisdom in that.

We don’t always need to do more.
Sometimes we need to become more intentional about how we do what we do.

February gives us permission to stop chasing shiny resolutions and instead nurture lasting change. Small, steady, heart-centered steps. The kind that don’t burn out by March but grow roots that last all year.

In a world that glorifies urgency and noise, February reminds us that transformation often begins softly…ireflection, in love and in choice.

This is the month to lean into compassion.
To forgive yourself for what didn’t stick in January.
Time to celebrate what did.
Then adjust, not abandon your goals.

Because love is patient.
Change is incremental.
And the heart knows the way forward if we’re willing to listen.

So as February unfolds, I invite you to treat it as a gift. A pause. A checkpoint. A heart check.

Let this be the month you choose intention over intensity.
Connection over perfection.
Purpose over pressure.

Because when change is led by the heart, it doesn’t fade with the seasons.

It becomes who we are.

And that is how we truly 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 © 2026 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
Education

Episode 97: For Farmers Movement

Before Dana DiPrima ever set out to start a movement, she was busy connecting people and communities in every corner of her life…..government, nonprofits, corporations, and even as a soccer mom “on steroids” serving 4,200 kids. What she didn’t know then was that a simple “yes” to backyard chickens would quietly change everything. That accidental farm in the Catskills introduced her to farmers whose work is nothing short of miraculous, yet largely invisible. As Dana began listening to their stories, their struggles, their pride, and their resilience…..she realized that the people feeding us every day were not being valued. Farmers weren’t asking for charity; they wanted to be seen, valued, and supported. And once Dana sees a problem that matters, she doesn’t look away.What followed was the birth of the For Farmers Movement, a bold, grassroots effort built on small actions with big impact. Since 2022, Dana has helped distribute hundreds of grants to farmers across nearly every state, proving that even $1, when multiplied by community, can change lives. Fueled by persistence, heart, and a deep belief that good grows when people are given simple ways to act, Dana has created more than a nonprofit….she’s built a movement rooted in honor, connection, and hope. Her story will forever change the way you think about the food on your table and the people who make it possible.

 

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

Charity Matters: Tell us a little about what For Farmers Movement does?

Dana DiPrima:  Since 2022, we have given grants to farmers across the country in 48 states and one territory and that’s just a small piece of what the For Farmers Movement does. It really started because I felt like we go about our busy lives and we don’t think about the people who are doing things that are essential to our society. We just take them for granted. I sort of crept into the farmer space accidentally through a little accidental farm that I have. That introduced me to these local farmers who were the most amazing people.  I started listening to what they were saying and what they were doing.

 I started the For Farmers Movement because I feel like we need to focus on the people who are essential like this. Farmers are providing us with delicious and healthy food for our families, and they’re knitting together our communities. A lot of our grants are farmer-to-farmer by supporting projects where they’re buying locally, working locally, strengthening their own towns. Every single small farm is a local economic driver. Wouldn’t you rather have one giant farm driving an economy, or 200 small farms doing it? We do grants, but we do a lot of other things too. It’s all about helping people see farmers, value them, and support them in real, practical ways.

Charity Matters: What experiences did you have as a child that Influenced this work?

Dana DiPrima:   I think it’s always been a little bit a part of my DNA. I’m not 100% sure where it came from, except that in my first years out of college and in every job I’ve had every career I’ve had has always been about connecting the dots between people and communities. I’ve worked in government, nonprofits, corporations, and community-based organizations, and the thread through all of it has been moving the needle for good. Even when you’re making small improvements, it’s still an improvement, and I think it’s important to know that in your life the little things that you do that are good, they add up.

Even when I worked in a big corporation with all the media moguls, I was the good girl. I was the head of cause-related marketing.  Where I could show clients how to have a heart and a soul in their work.  It’s been a long and interesting ride, but I think I bring everything to bear here in the For Farmers Movement. Everything I’ve experienced, all of the charities I’ve worked with, all of the innovative ideas, and all of the questions led to this.

I learned a lot from incredible experiences. With St. Jude Thanks and Giving, the one thing I learned from Marlo Thomas is never say die. She does not take no for an answer. And when I worked at Jones Apparel Group, I was so proud that we focused on smaller nonprofits, making a real difference with AdoptAClassroom, teacher fund, and campaigns like Behind Every Famous Person is a Fabulous Teacher. You have to get people’s attention in 100 different ways. You have to be tenacious. You have to never quit. And all of that, it all adds up. It all leads to this.

Charity Matters: What was the moment you knew you needed to act and start For Farmers Movement?

Dana DiPrima: If you look at it from the 35,000-foot view, it might not make any sense at all. Before starting the For Farmers Movement, I was the commissioner for 10 years for the largest youth soccer league in the country.  More like, I was a soccer mom on steroids, with 4,200 kids. It was a community of people who needed support and direction. Around that same time, I had a property in the western Catskills and also lived in New York City, which is a pretty dramatic contrast. I had little kids, and when my daughter asked, “Can we get some chickens?” I said yes without blinking. Then one escaped, I panicked, called the farmer, and he said, “Find your inner predator,” and hung up on me. I hunted down that chicken with big leather fireplace gloves on, caught it, and I never looked back.

From there, things escalated. Chickens turned into goats, then donkeys, ducks, bees, and 17 gardens that I do myself. I just sort of went off the deep end. But through all of that, I started to understand farmers in a real way. They became friends, touchstones, people I learned from. In 2019, I started a podcast called Talk Farm to Me. I was just a microphone and I wanted farmers to tell their stories because they’re amazing.

What they do to get butter to your table is nothing short of miraculous. Your hamburger took two to three years to get to the plate, daily work for that one meal. Then the pandemic hit, farmers were suddenly considered essential, there was this huge spotlight moment, and then overnight it disappeared. I kept listening. In 2022, after hearing a woman speak about community at a conference, everything connected. I went home, wrote a 40-page manifesto, called my coach, and said, “I have to make a presentation to you, and you have to tell me if I’m nuts.”

That led to what I call the six-grand experiment. I started on Instagram and said, “You’ve got to find your local farmers. Tag them to nominate them for a grant.” It was a mess….hundreds of nominations, reaching out to farmers who had never heard of me but we awarded six grants across the country, and it was proof. Farmers can stretch a dollar like nobody’s business. There’s not one farmer who doesn’t have a project on the back burner that could help them get to the next level. The biggest aha for me was realizing that farmers are invisible. We don’t know where our food comes from, and farmers are incredibly proud. They don’t have their hands out for charity. This is not charity. It’s an opportunity to invest in your farmer and your community. That nomination is a permission giver, but it’s also honor. And even if nothing comes from it beyond that moment of being seen, that matters.

Charity Matters: What are your biggest challenges?

Dana DiPrima: The hardest things are like a daisy chain of hardest things. The end of 2025 is the first year I don’t feel like I’m carrying it all on my back. I feel like it’s moving on its own now. There are a lot of people invested in the, For Farmers Movement. Farmers supporters, and people across the country who care about their health, their communities, their economy, and their environment. But people are busy, and they care about a lot of things, so part of my work is helping them understand why they need to care about small farmers. That’s why it’s so important to me to give people small actions that have a big impact. We are built on that.

I’ve given away almost $200,000 in grants since 2022. Every year on January 1 the ticker starts again.  I’ve got to raise more money. But the spirit of this is that $1 from a million people is more valuable than a million dollars from one person, which I would accept, of course. Because when I give a farmer a $1,000 grant and tell them there are 1,000 people standing in their field, recognizing them, applauding them, cheering them on, that is more meaningful than a big corporate check.

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

Dana DiPrima: On the one side, I get a farmer calling me crying on the phone because she’s so excited. A 10th year farmer that she just got a grant to move her farm. And she can’t believe the community behind her. I can’t tell you how meaningful that is.

And on the other side, I have farmers in my inbox: “I’m so disappointed we didn’t get a grant.” And someone sends me a farm with a huge fire. So what can I do? We have an emergency fund. We have wish lists. We have 97 farmers and growing on the wish list. It’s really easy to click send…work gloves, socks. My daughter sent socks to a farmer and got the delivery message.

So again: go to the wish lists. Find a farmer in your state. Click send.

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

Dana DiPrima: Every single farmer I’ve supported with a grant has said it’s about way more than the money. The impact is them being seen, being recognized. That nomination is honor. Farmers are invisible every day. And for someone to honor the work that matters.

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

Dana DiPrima: I count numbers….291 grants, 48 states and one territory. People’s Choice Award: 45 farmers submit videos and we get over 20,000 votes. 97 farmers on the wish list.

But more important than any of that is being seen. And I share facts too: less than 2% of our population are farmers feeding 100% of us. We lost 141,271 farmers between 2017 and 2022 and that’s over 20 million acres we can’t get back. If you shop in your supermarket, 15% stays local, but if you shop at the farmers market, over 70% stays in your local community. I try to build awareness of how important your support is.

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

Dana DiPrima: I’m living a lot of it. Every year we’re doing something different and bigger. We went from that six-grand experiment to 100 grants a year.

In 2026 we selected 20 farms for a $10,000 farm-changing grant. We’ll make that award during National Ag Week in mid-March.

And I want to keep bringing customers closer. Nominate your farmer all year. In February we send postcards, kits of 10 stamped postcards. People tell me how much it meant to say thank you. We have the Voice Awards. We piloted Walk a mile in a farmer’s boots and we’re expanding to 10 markets. And anytime you can shop the wish list. Always opportunities to do something good for farmers.

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

Dana DiPrima: Starting a movement is a crazy idea, and it’s really, really hard, and I quit. Tuesdays and Thursdays I basically quit. And I didn’t quit. I didn’t take no for an answer. That failed? I’m trying this.

I’m always trying to give people opportunities to do something good that isn’t painful. Five minutes, forty minutes, $10,000 or $1. The strongest things are the simplest. Everyone can do $1. I’m going to get to a million dollars, $1 at a time. Vote for your farmers. You don’t even have to know them.

Charity Matters: How has this journey changed you?

Dana DiPrima: Oh, I can pick up a chicken. I’m a veterinarian, a zookeeper, an excellent housekeeper and bucket scrubber. But I think I’m very much the same. I love to work, like to figure it out, like the challenges, talking to people and I like to hear why you don’t believe it yet so I can think about what I haven’t done.

The success is built on the small actions. My newsletter every Tuesday, 52 weeks a year. My podcast has gone two full years of not missing a Thursday. And I also have a life….dinner for nine, making my table nice, getting the Christmas tree up.

That is life. That is living. A full, beautiful life is giving.

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

Dreams for 2026

Since July of 2011, I have been sharing my dreams with you, every single week in one way or another. You are my confidants, my motivation, my cheer section, my diary and my accountability. More than that, you help me dream. I can’t dream without you.

I recently heard Mel Robbins say that if you’re looking at a map, you need to know where you were, how you got there, and where you are now to truly understand where you’re going. That stopped me in my tracks. Because as we stand on the edge of a brand-new year, I realized it was time to pause, look back, and reflect, so we can step forward with intention, pride, and excitement.

So today, let’s take a walk together through where we’ve been… so we can dream boldly about where we’re going.

The Early Dreams: Just Figuring it out

In the very first year of Charity Matters, the dream was simple: to find my voice and learn how to write a blog. That’s it. No grand vision. No master plan. Just the hope that maybe, if I kept showing up, the words would come and the message would matter. Creating a logo, a website those were the big dreams then.

There was no Canva, even a logo was a huge process…it was 2010 after all. Back then, tracking down nonprofit founders wasn’t easy either.  Finding them at all felt like detective work. Yet, like every nonprofit that begins with the hope of helping “just one person” a phrase I’ve heard from nearly every founder I’ve ever met. Charity Matters began the same way. One story. One voice. One post at a time.

Slowly, year by year, the dream grew.

Eventually, something shifted. Founders began coming to me. Today, we have more people to interview than we have time for and that is a gift I never take lightly.

The “All or None” Years

When I started at TACSC, I was asked a question I’ll never forget:
“How will you juggle a family, nonprofit boards, and this blog?”

The suggestion was that something had to give. My answer was simple and honest:
“It’s all or none.”

That belief shaped everything that came next.

By 2013, Sundays became writing days. I spent three to five hours every Sunday transcribing handwritten notes, replaying phone calls, and doing my best to get every word right. It was hard. It was imperfect. And it was sacred.

Looking back now, I smile at that version of myself….determined, tired, and deeply committed to showing up anyway. Who knew then that all of that was training ground for what was to come.

Big Dreams and Paused Ones

In 2018, something extraordinary happened. CBS decided to move forward with a Charity Matters reality show. It was surreal. We worked on it all through 2019, dreaming big and imagining what could be.

When my champion at CBS left in November 2019, we decided to pause and pick things up in 2020.

And then… well, we all know what happened next.

That dream didn’t die….it simply went on hold. And I’ve learned that sometimes dreams don’t disappear; they wait patiently for the right season.

The Podcast Pivot

By 2020, the dream shifted again and this time toward finding an easier way to transcribe interviews. That practical need is what led me to start the Charity Matters podcast. I naively assumed my readers would naturally become listeners.

Some of you did. Many of you didn’t. And that was okay.

What I didn’t expect was that the podcast would create an entirely new audience. One I never could have imagined. Thanks to transcription tools and new technology, the way I worked and the way we connected….all of that changed forever.

Today, the podcast is top-rated. Proof that dreams often unfold in ways we never plan, but always need.

Dreams Written in Ink

In November of 2023, during a podcast interview with Cindy Witteman, I admitted something out loud that had lived quietly in my heart for years: I had always dreamed of writing a book and contributing to a magazine.

On October 1, 2024, that dream became reality.

Change for Good launched and became an Amazon bestseller in five categories before it was even released in paperback. Weeks later, Cindy launched FORCE Magazine, and I’ve been writing a monthly column ever since.

Dreams really do come true and sometimes when you say them out loud to the right person at exactly the right time.

What 2025 Taught Me

2025 was filled with book promotion and public speaking—and I loved every minute of it. Being back in rooms with people, hearing your stories, laughing, crying, connecting… it reminded me of something essential.

Connection is what I want more of. Connection with the founders I interview. Connection with readers, listeners, and audiences who believe that kindness and service can change the world. People need people and zoom just isn’t enough.

Looking Ahead to 2026

As I look toward 2026, I see more public speaking ahead and I want to be better at it. I want to grow as a storyteller. To move people not just with words, but with presence and purpose.

I also want to fully embrace technology. No more fighting it. No more resisting. Technology is a gift that gives us back time and time is precious. I’m taking AI classes, learning new tools, and yes… I still write every word of this myself. (Though maybe that’s something I’ll rethink, too.)

One dream that feels especially bold? A TED Talk. Like training for a marathon, having that goal would push me to grow, stretch, and rise to the challenge.

The Biggest Dream of All

Perhaps the biggest and most vulnerable dream for 2026 is monetizing the podcast.

For years, I’ve paid out of pocket to keep it going by supporting our incredible team of sound editors and social media experts. Money went out every month, but none came in. I told myself I couldn’t accept funds for anything connected to charity, because this was my charity.

This year, something shifted.

If my mission is to help the helpers, then growth matters. Expansion matters. Sustainability matters. And all of that costs money.

So in 2026, we’ll begin partnering with select organizations that align deeply with our values. No selling yoga pants. No “micro-influencer” nonsense. Just meaningful partnerships with people doing good in the world.

And that feels right.

Cheers to the Journey

When I look back at where we’ve been and how far we’ve come together, I feel overwhelming pride. When I look ahead at where we’re going, I feel excited, hopeful, and deeply grateful.

Life really is about the journey and not the destination.

Thank you for being such a powerful part of mine. Thank you for dreaming with me, believing with me, and showing up week after week.

Here’s to where we’ve been and blessings on where we’re going.

Happy New Year! May all your dreams come true!

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 © 2026 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
What Matters?

It always begins with loss

The 80-mile-an-hour winds blew all night. The noise was deafening. The glass doors rattled so hard it felt like they might explode. We woke to our home phones and cell phones ringing at the same time…….evacuation orders.

It is still hard to believe that one year ago today, we packed up our home along with all of our neighbors, assessed how little really mattered except photos and pets, and we left.

The night before, I had been at book club with girlfriends on the east side of Pasadena when our host’s sister-in-law walked in from Altadena and quietly said, “There’s a fire.” We wrapped up early and headed home. As I drove, trash cans blew across the street and the San Gabriel Mountains glowed ominously above us. None of us knew that glow was only the beginning.

When Everything Changes in an Instant

The days that followed were surreal. Our neighborhood was a ghost town, silent in a way that felt unnatural. We were the lucky ones…..our homes were spared. But 9,400 structures were gone, and more than 6,000 of them were homes. Schools vanished. Neighborhoods disappeared. Markets were reduced to ash. The beautiful San Gabriel Mountains turned charcoal. Our community was in shock. Life, as we knew it, changed on a dime across the San Gabriel Valley.

Loss always marks the beginning of these stories. And this loss was almost impossible to fathom. It’s one thing to hear about devastation on the news; it’s another to drive past it and see Anderson Cooper and CNN broadcasting from your town auditorium, to recognize a street corner where memories once lived, and to see nothing but emptiness.

Like any death, the casseroles arrived. The community arrived. People showed up in force. Clothes were gathered. GoFundMe pages sprang to life overnight. Friends who had lost everything were still in shock, and yet the help was immediate and overwhelming. Thousands volunteered. Thousands donated. Over and over again, we witnessed the absolute best of humanity.

I will never forget watching people who had lost everything themselves volunteer to help their neighbors receive clothes, choosing to serve before standing in line for their own needs. That kind of generosity stays with you forever.

The Wave of Kindness and What Comes After

I spent weekends for months volunteering and started and ran a GoFundMe for dear friends with some reluctance. They were one of thirteen families we knew who lost their homes in both this fire and the Palisades fires. Donations poured in from all over the country. From former neighbors. From strangers. From students. From people with very little to give, who gave anyway. Everyone was helping.

And then, just like after a death, the world slowly moved on.

But many of those who lost everything couldn’t move on so easily. Where do you go when your house is gone? How do you navigate insurance, temporary housing, rebuilding timelines, bureaucracy, and endless paperwork—while grieving? How do you keep going when the adrenaline fades and the silence sets in?

It was, and still is, a grief magnified by its scale. This wasn’t one family, one street, one school. It was thousands of lives upended at once. And grief, like healing, does not follow a timeline.

The Long Arc of Resilience

There is never a death without a rebirth. There is never an earthquake without a new city, or a forest fire without new growth. Nature teaches us this cycle over and over again, even when it feels unbearably brutal. People are still in every phase of loss…..shock, anger, sadness, rebuilding, acceptance. All of it is valid.

One story, though, has stayed with me as a reminder of what resilience can look like.

A close girlfriend lost her home. Weeks later, she was surprised to learn that their garage had survived. At the time, she wasn’t exactly thrilled to discover that all she had left were a few Christmas decorations, understandably so. It felt insignificant compared to everything else that was gone.

But right before Thanksgiving, she and her husband moved into a new home. When I visited a couple of weeks before Christmas, they were beaming. Truly beaming. They had lost everything and yet they had moved forward. Their neighbor bought their burned-out lot. Insurance settled. They found a beautiful new place. And those surviving Christmas decorations? They mattered more than anyone could have predicted.

Their resilience, their positive attitude, their willingness to move onward and upward made my Christmas. It reminded me that hope doesn’t always arrive loudly. Sometimes it shows up quietly, wrapped in gratitude, sitting on a shelf where memories still live.

What Moving On Really Means

Moving on doesn’t mean forgetting. It doesn’t mean minimizing loss or pretending everything is fine. Moving on means learning how to carry grief while still choosing hope. It means honoring what was, while building what can be.

For our community, moving on looks different for everyone. For some, it means rebuilding on the same land. For others, it means starting fresh somewhere new. For many, it means navigating a maze of decisions with courage they didn’t know they had.

What I’ve learned this year is that resilience isn’t about strength in the loud moments. It’s about showing up in the quiet ones. Moments when the volunteers have gone home, when the news cameras leave, when the long road stretches ahead.

A Year Later, Still Holding Hope

I know my friend’s story isn’t everyone’s story. I know there are still families waiting, still grieving, still exhausted by a process that feels endless. And yet, one year later, stories like hers give me hope for Altadena, for the San Gabriel Valley, the Palisades and  for all of us.

Hope lives in the people who keep helping long after the headlines fade. Hope lives in neighbors who check in, in communities that remember, in small acts of kindness that continue long after the fire is out. Hope lives in resilience……the quiet, steady decision to keep going. Even this puppy pictured above found hope and a new home.

One year later, the scars remain. But so does the goodness we saw in people. And that goodness, the kind that shows up in the darkest nights, is what will continue to rebuild not just homes, but hearts.

Because even after everything burns, love, community, and hope still find a way to rise.

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 © 2026 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
Inspiration

World Kindness Day is tomorrow

“Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.”    Scott Adams

There are certain days on the calendar that remind us of what really matters ….. not the meetings, deadlines, or endless to-do lists, but the small, quiet acts that connect us to one another. November 13th is one of those days. Tomorrow is World Kindness Day, a beautiful invitation to pause and remember that kindness isn’t just something we do. Kindness is something we are.

In a world that can feel divided and heavy, kindness softens edges, bridges divides, and restores faith in humanity ….one small act at a time. But before we talk about what happens when we are kind, it’s worth looking at how this global movement began, and why now, more than ever, kindness truly matters.

 The History of World Kindness Day

World Kindness Day was first celebrated in 1998, born out of a meeting in Tokyo where kindness organizations from around the world gathered to form the World Kindness Movement. Their mission was simple: to inspire a global culture of compassion, empathy, and connection.

Since that first celebration, the idea has spread to over 30 countries. From Singapore to Switzerland, people gather each November to celebrate humanity’s most universal virtue , kindness. In 2019, the United Nations acknowledged World Kindness Day as part of its ongoing efforts to promote peace and understanding among nations.

This day isn’t about grand gestures or polished campaigns. It’s about the small things …. the smile you share, the door you hold, the text you send. It’s a reminder that we can all change the world just by being a little kinder, every single day.

What Happens When We Are Kind

Science tells us that when we practice kindness, our brains release oxytocin (the hormone that helps us feel connected and loved ) along with serotonin, the natural mood booster that lowers stress and increases happiness. Kindness is literally good for our hearts. It calms anxiety, strengthens our immune systems, and even helps us live longer.

But the magic of kindness goes beyond biology. It changes our spirit.

When we are kind, we shift the focus from ourselves to others. We stop asking, “What do I need?” and start asking, “How can I help?” That shift transforms the energy around us. A single act of kindness can create ripples that reach farther than we’ll ever see.

Kindness is contagious. It creates a chain reaction … one act leading to another and reminding us that, at our core, we are connected.

A Ripple Begins: The Kindness Campaign

That ripple is exactly what happened when I first met Andra Liemandt, the founder of The Kindness Campaign in Austin, Texas. You may remember our conversation from January 2020.

We were both commenting on a LinkedIn post about another nonprofit founder, and as sometimes happens in the magical way of social media, our worlds collided. I was intrigued by her story. Andrea is  a mom, a corporate executive turned drummer for a rock band, and now the founder of a nonprofit dedicated to emotional health. Naturally, I reached out. Our conversation left me deeply moved  and reminded me once again that kindness truly can change the world.

Andra didn’t plan to start a nonprofit. Her journey began after tragedy, when a dear family friend, just 12 years old, took her own life after being bullied. That moment shattered her world. As a mother of two young girls, she was terrified. How could she protect her daughters from feeling unseen or unheard?

In her grief, Andra did something extraordinary. She started a feelings journal with her daughters as a way to open conversations about emotions, to create space for vulnerability and connection. That homemade journal made its way to her daughters’ school. Soon, the principal asked for copies for other classrooms, and before long, word spread. By 2015, Andra officially launched The Kindness Campaign (TKC)  a nonprofit organization dedicated to normalizing emotional health through kindness, empathy, and self-awareness.

Today, TKC serves more than 40,000 students nationwide. What began as one mom’s way of healing has grown into a movement giving families and schools real tools to build empathy, self-worth, and emotional resilience.

When Kindness Becomes Healing

Andra’s story reminds us that kindness isn’t just something we give to others, it’s also a way of healing ourselves. Through her grief, she turned pain into purpose. Her friend’s daughter’s life became a legacy that now helps thousands of children learn how to express, connect, and heal.

One of Andra’s favorite teaching tools is the Magic Mirror. When children look into it, the mirror speaks affirmations like, “You are enough.” It’s a simple yet profound exercise that helps kids see themselves with compassion, something so many of us struggle to do, even as adults.

Andra often says, “What if emotional wounds showed up on our bodies the way physical wounds do? We’d all take this conversation a lot more seriously.” Her work invites us to look deeper, to see the invisible hurts that kindness can heal. Because when people feel seen and safe, empathy grows. And when empathy grows, bullying, anger, and fear begin to disappear.

That’s the real power of kindness. It builds connection, restores trust, and helps people feel that they belong. It’s not a surface-level nicety …. it’s the foundation of emotional health.

 Why Kindness Matters More Than Ever

In a time when loneliness is being called a national epidemic, the need for kindness has never been greater. The Surgeon General recently described loneliness as one of the greatest threats to our health …. as dangerous as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

But here’s the good news: kindness is the antidote. It’s the simplest, most powerful way to fight isolation and strengthen connection. Every time we extend kindness, we are quietly stitching the fabric of community back together one person and one small act at a time.

10 Simple Acts of Kindness for World Kindness Day

You don’t need to start a nonprofit like Andra did to make a difference. Sometimes, the smallest gestures are the most powerful. Here are 10 simple ways to celebrate World Kindness Day …and to keep that spirit alive all year long:

  1. Smile at a stranger.
    You never know what someone is carrying. A smile can be the light they need to keep going.

  2. Write a note of gratitude.
    Text, email, or mail someone who’s made a difference in your life. Gratitude is the heartbeat of kindness.

  3. Pay it forward.
    Buy coffee for the person behind you in line or leave an extra tip. Tiny acts create big ripples.

  4. Listen deeply.
    Put down your phone. Make eye contact. Let someone feel heard. As Andra says, “Everyone wants to be seen and heard.”

  5. Compliment sincerely.
    Tell someone what you admire about them … not just how they look, but who they are.

  6. Volunteer your time.
    Whether it’s a local shelter, a school, or a senior center …. giving time is one of the purest forms of kindness. My favorite:)

  7. Send an encouraging message.
    If someone’s name pops into your head, reach out. It might be exactly what they needed that day.

  8. Be kind online.
    Use your social media for good … post something uplifting, comment positively, or share a story that inspires.

  9. Forgive someone  or yourself.
    Letting go of anger or self-criticism is an act of radical kindness that frees everyone involved.

  10. Make kindness a daily habit.
    Choose one small act every day. Kindness grows through practice and it always multiplies.

 Changing for Good

World Kindness Day reminds us that every act of compassion …..every smile, every gesture, every word of encouragement  matters. Andra’s story is proof of that. What began as one act of kindness between a mother and her daughters has now touched tens of thousands of lives.

That’s what happens when we choose kindness: we create ripples with no logical end.

So today, and every day, let’s follow that lead. Let’s listen, love, and lead with kindness. Because when we do, we don’t just change someone else’s day  that is how we change for good.

Join the Movement

Kindness isn’t a single day on the calendar … it’s a way of life.
Share your act of kindness this week using the hashtag #ChangeForGood and tag @CharityMatters so we can celebrate the ripple together.

Because when one of us chooses kindness, all of us are lifted.

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

Change for Good: One Year Later

It’s hard to believe that it has been a full year since Change for Good: The Transformative Power of Giving as the Ultimate Cure was released into the world. Like most milestones, this one feels both surreal and sacred. Writing a book is a lot like giving birth…..there is anticipation, fear, excitement, exhaustion, and ultimately, immense gratitude. You spend years nurturing an idea and then one day, you let it go. You release it into the world, hoping it will find its way, touch lives, and maybe, just maybe, make a difference.

When I first began writing Change for Good, I thought I knew exactly what it would be. I had the script all mapped out in my head. the book would be a love letter to service, a guide to kindness, and a collection of stories meant to inspire others to see how small acts can create big change. I imagined how it would be received, what it might spark, and how it might ripple out into the world. But like every parent quickly learns, life rarely goes according to plan. Once the book was out in the world, it became something bigger and more profound than I could have ever imagined. I didn’t dare to dream or ever think it would be an Amazon bestseller in five categories. That one is still hard to believe…

This past year has been filled with gifts I didn’t expect. The book has been a bridge that has connected me to thousands of readers, podcast listeners, and audiences across the country who have reached out to share their stories of how Change for Good touched their hearts. I’ve had the privilege of hearing from people who decided to start volunteering, launch nonprofits, reconnect with their purpose, or simply treat the person in front of them with more compassion. Each message, each encounter, has been a reminder that kindness is contagious and that we are all far more connected than we realize.

What has humbled me most are the stories that have been shared in return. After book talks people often come up to me and say, “I have a story for you.” Then they begin to tell me about the child they lost, the battle they fought, the person they helped, or the act of grace that changed their life. These stories of service and survival, of heartbreak and healing, have been my greatest teachers. Every time I hear one, I am reminded why I wrote the book in the first place. Change for Good reminds all of us that we are not alone. We each have the power to make change for good. That act of giving is truly what binds us together as human beings.

The year has also taught me lessons I didn’t expect…..lessons about patience, faith, and surrender. I’ve learned that once you create something, it’s no longer yours. Like a child growing up and finding their way in the world, Change for Good has taken on a life of its own. The book has been used for book clubs, been quoted in sermons, used in classrooms, referenced in college term papers and leadership programs. My favorite is hearing that the book even sparked discussions at dinner tables. The messages that once lived only in my head and heart is now become part of a larger conversation about service, kindness, and the power of community. That is both humbling and awe-inspiring.

What I didn’t anticipate was how Change for Good would continue to change me. Over the past year, I’ve had to live my own message in new and deeper ways. Writing about kindness is one thing; practicing it daily, especially when life throws challenges your way, is another. There have been moments of exhaustion, doubt, and overwhelm…..times when juggling the nonprofit, the podcast, the blog, and the endless to-do lists felt like too much. But then someone would send a message saying, “Your book inspired me to serve,” or “I needed this today,” and suddenly, I would remember why it all mattered.

The truth is, this book was never just about me….it was about us. It was about shining a light on the helpers, the givers, the people who wake up every day and choose to make the world a little better. It was about telling the stories that too often go untold. And it was about showing that kindness isn’t complicated…..it’s simply love in action.

A year later, I am filled with gratitude for every reader who has shared their journey, for every nonprofit founder who has opened their heart on the Charity Matters podcast, for every person who took the time to send a note, attend a talk, or pass along a story. Each of you has been part of this incredible journey, and each of you continues to remind me that giving truly changes everything.

As I look ahead, I know that Change for Good is still growing, still evolving, and still finding new ways to connect with people. Like any living thing, it’s continuing to breathe and expand through every person who picks it up and chooses to act. My hope is that its message continues to plant seeds of service and compassion that bloom in ways we can’t yet see.

So as I celebrate one year of Change for Good, I’m not just celebrating a book…I’m celebrating the movement it represents. A movement of kindness, of purpose, of community. A reminder that no act of love, however small, ever goes unnoticed. Thank you for being part of this journey, for believing in the power of good, and for continuing to make this world a little brighter…..one act of kindness at a time.

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

How did we get here?

For almost fifteen years, I have been sharing my journey here each week……through life, love, loss, family, faith, philanthropy, and everything in between. There isn’t much we haven’t covered in all of these years. But today, this is a first for me……and for us. A topic we’ve somehow never explored together: marriage and weddings.

This past weekend, our family celebrated one of life’s greatest blessings…..our son’s wedding. Even as I write those words, I can hardly believe they are real. The day felt like something out of a dream, filled with joy, tears, laughter, and a love so pure it radiated through every moment.

As my husband and I stood at the back of the aisle, arm in arm, ready to walk toward our son and his beautiful bride, I looked up at him and whispered, “How did we get here?” He smiled, squeezed my hand, and without missing a beat said, “I asked you on a date.”

And just like that, the tears came. Because he was right. That one question so many years ago set in motion a chain of love that led to this exact moment….our son waiting for his bride, a new family beginning, a new chapter unfolding.

When I began Charity Matters, my three boys were in elementary and middle school. I’m not even sure Google existed back then! During that time, you’ve watched our family grow up right here on these pages. You cried with me through the Last Lunch, The Last Pass and So Many Last.  Every milestone felt monumental, every transition bittersweet. And each time, we asked the same question: “How did we get here?” Followed quickly by, “Wow, that went so fast.”

It’s funny looking back now. Each stage of parenting felt like the summit…..the great challenge that would finally lead us to rest. We thought elementary school was hard until middle school came. Then we thought high school was the finish line….surely, graduation was the final hurdle! I remember turning to my husband that night, tears streaming down my face, and saying, “How did we get here? Weren’t they just born yesterday?”

And yet, as any parent knows, life has a way of humbling you. You realize that the “end” of one season is merely the beginning of another. You send them off to college, thinking your job is mostly done…..only to learn that parenting never really ends, it just changes shape.

In what feels like the blink of an eye, our boys were out of college, working, building lives of their own. We didn’t think much about what came next. We were simply grateful they were healthy, happy, and finding their way.

But here’s the thing I’ve learned over the years…..and it’s one of the hardest truths for parents to swallow: from the moment our children are born, we start writing a script for their lives. We don’t tell them this, of course, and most of the time, we don’t even say it out loud to ourselves. But it’s there….quietly playing in the background of our minds.

In my version of the script, my boys would grow up to be kind and successful, find good friends, rewarding work with purpose, and eventually, someone wonderful to love. My script had a timeline, too. You know the one….finish school, meet someone nice, fall in love, get married, buy a house, have children. Perfectly linear, perfectly planned.

And then, as life does, it laughed at my plan.

There were detours, heartbreaks, and lessons I never saw coming. There were moments when I silently protested, “This isn’t how the story is supposed to go!” But with time….and a lot of prayer…I realized that the story I was trying to write wasn’t mine to write. My children’s lives are their own stories, not chapters in mine.

It took me years to see it clearly, but once I did, it was freeing. My job was never to control the story, but to love them through it….to trust that the Author of all things had a far better script in mind than I ever could. And as I stood in the most beautiful setting this weekend, watching our son waiting for his bride, I could see how true that was.

Because their story….the one they are writing together….is more beautiful than anything I could have dreamed up.

The moment she walked down the aisle, time stopped. I looked at his face, his eyes brimming with tears, and saw not just my son, but the man he has become…kind, compassionate, faithful, and deeply in love. A man ready to build a life with someone who matches his heart. As he said his vows, tears flowed from his brother’s eyes and everyone else’s because their love was just so beautiful, real and palpable.

Our new daughter-in-law is everything I could have ever hoped for him…graceful, grounded, smart, strong and full of light. She fits into our family like she’s been part of it all along. As I watched them exchange vows, I thought about how, all those years ago, when we were the ones standing there saying “I do,” we had no idea what those words would come to mean.

Marriage is not just a day….it’s a daily choice. It’s the decision, every morning, to show up with love, humility, and grace. It’s choosing to grow together through the seasons, to forgive, to celebrate, to serve one another even when it’s hard. It’s the promise that your story is no longer “mine” or “yours,” but “ours.”

As parents, witnessing that moment is indescribable. It’s joy and nostalgia all mixed together….the ache of letting go and the awe of seeing something new begin. I thought about all the nights I tucked him into bed, all the prayers whispered for his future, and how many of those prayers were answered in that moment.

Later that night, as we danced beneath the Tahoe stars, I looked around the room at the sea of faces…family, friends, people who had loved him since he was little….and it hit me again: How did we get here?

How did we get from those early mornings of tying tiny shoes to tying a bow tie? From bedtime stories to wedding toasts? From Legos to love stories? The years have moved like the pages of a book….some chapters long, some heartbreakingly short, all filled with meaning.

When the band played the final song, I held my husband’s hand and whispered those same words we’ve said so many times before: “How did we get here?” But this time, there was no disbelief in my voice….just gratitude. Because the answer was clear.

We got here through love.

Through every sleepless night, every prayer, every football game and scraped knee, every graduation, every heartbreak, every dinner at the kitchen table, every “I love you.”

We got here through grace….through the quiet, unseen moments when we trusted that even when we couldn’t see the plan, there was one.

And we got here through joy…..the kind that sneaks up on you in the middle of a crowded dance floor when you realize that life, in all its messiness and beauty, has led you exactly where you are meant to be.

As the weekend came to a close and we said our goodbyes, I felt a deep sense of peace. Not the kind that comes from everything being perfect, but the kind that comes from knowing that everything is right.

Parenting, I’ve learned, is a lifelong act of surrender. It’s learning to let go over and over again….of control, of expectations, of the idea that we know best. And in that letting go, we make room for something even more beautiful: watching our children step fully into their own lives, their own love, their own purpose.

So yes, once again, I find myself asking, “How did we get here?” But this time, I know the answer.

We got here because of love…..the love that began with a simple date so many years ago, the love that built our family, and the love that now continues through the next generation.

We got here by walking each step….sometimes with confidence, sometimes with tears…..but always with love.

And now, it’s their turn. Their turn to walk hand in hand, to build a life together, to write their own story.

As for us, we’ll be right here on the sidelines….cheering, supporting, loving and every now and then, still whispering the same words that have followed us through every chapter of this journey:

How did we get here?

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
What Matters?

It was never about the car

It was never about the car.

When I was a five-year-old kindergartener, I remember so vividly standing outside my school waiting for my mom. That’s when I saw her. This beautiful woman who looked like Jackie Kennedy pulled up to pick up her first-grade daughter. She was radiant. Elegant. Joyful. There was something different about her compared to the other mothers I had seen. She had a light that seemed to radiate from within, the kind of presence that makes you stop and notice. The French call it a je ne sais quoi….that indescribable “it factor.”

I was only five years old, but I knew that I wanted to be like her when I grew up….full of joy, full of grace, and full of that light. Whatever she had, I wanted that.

At five, I didn’t know a thing about cars.  I knew most moms drove wood paneled station wagons and that this mom was different. She pulled up in something beautiful. It was a 1970 280 SE Mercedes convertible. The car was as elegant as she was, and together, they made quite the lasting impression.

I didn’t understand cars, but I did recognize beauty. And I understood dreams. Somehow,  I tucked that moment away. I told myself that one day, I would be like her. I would have little boys, I would pick them up at that same school my dad had gone to, and I would radiate that joy….in that car.

It was one dream, but it came with many layers: the children, the school, the joy, the light and the car. It was a package deal.

Dreams That Stick

As life unfolded, I married, and eventually, I had three little boys. And oh, how those boys loved cars, especially my oldest. Almost every night at dinner, without fail, he would ask me, “Mommy, if you could have any car in the whole wide world, what car would you have?”

And every night, I gave the same answer: the 280 SE. I would tell him the story of how, when I was his age, I saw that car and knew one day I would drive it. We would talk about dreams, about believing in them, and why they mattered.

One night, after hearing the story again, he looked at me with those wise little boy eyes and said, “Mommy, you already have the little boys. We go to that school. All you need now is the car.”

He was right.

But when you’re raising small children, another car…especially one like that…..just isn’t a priority. Truthfully, you never need a car like that. Cars like that are best for dreams.

The Surprise of a Lifetime

As my 40th birthday approached, unbeknownst to me, my husband began searching for the car.  When my birthday came and went, he sheepishly confessed what he had been up to but admitted he couldn’t find one that wasn’t rusted or wildly out of reach financially. I was touched by his effort but never expected such a thing anyway. The moment passed, and life with three little boys rolled on.

By September, our youngest had just started kindergarten. One afternoon, I was on the lawn playing with the boys when I heard the sound of a car coming up the street. My husband pulled up, and I froze. He was driving the car. A black 1970 280 SE convertible, with the blue and yellow original license plates that said, 4 R MA. It was the car I had dreamed of since I was five years old.

I was speechless. How could this be real?

The boys screamed with excitement. My oldest son jumped up and down, shouting, “Mommy! Mommy! Your dream came true!” I will never forget that moment. It wasn’t just about the car. It was about a dream…one I had held onto for 35 years…..that had finally come true.

Dreams don’t always work out like that. Often, life has other plans. But when one does, when you see something you’ve held in your heart since childhood finally come to life, it’s like an out-of-body experience. It affirms something deep inside you: that faith and belief matter. That dreams are worth holding onto.

Mrs. Fink

The very next morning, I piled the boys into the car for school. It was a gorgeous day. With the top down, we could see the ocean shining from the hills. The boys were laughing and I felt the wind on my face. Pulling into that same carpool line with my three little boys in the back of a 280 SE, I felt it. The puzzle piece snapped into place.

It was exactly as I had imagined when I was five.

When I picked the boys up that afternoon, my oldest asked, “Mommy, what are we going to name her?”

The car had a brass plate on the dashboard that read, This Mercedes Benz coach built exclusively for Norma Fink. Without hesitation, I said, “I think we should call her Mrs. Fink.”

And just like that, Mrs. Fink became the sixth member of our family.

From that day forward, “Fink Days” were born. On gorgeous, sunny afternoons, one of the boys would declare, “I think it’s a Fink Day!” and off we’d go. Mrs. Fink taught my boys that joy wasn’t just about big things or trips….it was about noticing and celebrating a beautiful day.

Lessons From an Old Convertible

Mrs. Fink was never perfect. She was well-loved and well-used. Her leather was worn, her engine purred like something out of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and she was sticky more often than not from melted ice cream cones. But she was joy on four wheels.

When my husband told me he had ordered license plates BIG 4 0 because the real Mrs. Fink wanted her original license plates back. I decided to write Norma Fink a love letter and I sent it off  with the original license plates and a photo of the boys and me in the car. I told Norma about my childhood dream, how this car had found its way to us, and that I knew I was only her temporary custodian. I promised to love her and care for her until it was time to pass her on.

A week later, I received a letter from Norma. She told me she, too, had been given the car for her 40th birthday. She had filled it with her three daughters and made countless memories. She shared that she had since lost her vision and could no longer drive. But she had put my photo on her refrigerator and found joy in knowing her beloved car was still making children happy. She said she had peace knowing I was meant to be her car’s next custodian.

She was right.

For 20 years, Mrs. Fink was joy in motion. Trips to the beach with sandy feet, drives down the coast, silly carpool karaoke, and family adventures. Whenever life felt heavy, a spin in Mrs. Fink was the cure. She reminded us that life is meant to be lived with joy, with spontaneity, and with gratitude.

When Joy Becomes Memory

As the boys grew older, our drives became less frequent but more intentional. We’d plan lunches in Malibu or Sunday drives with the top down. She was always there, ready to turn an ordinary moment into something unforgettable.

Even during Covid, when the boys returned home from college and the world felt so uncertain, Mrs. Fink brought comfort. “Let’s take her for a drive,” they would say, and off we’d go, circling town with the wind in our hair, letting her magic lift our spirits.

But time has a way of changing things. Mrs. Fink grew more valuable, more delicate. Insurance made it difficult to take her out for ordinary errands. She began collecting dust in the garage. The dog and I were the only one driving her every now and again.

Then last week, my oldest son took Mrs. Fink out when her brakes failed. By some miracle, he guided her safely into a lot. Shaken but safe, strangers helped him out. He later posted a photo of Mrs. Fink on a tow truck with the caption: “Bad day for the Fink but a good day for humanity.” That was Mrs. Fink. Even broken down, she inspired kindness and perspective.

A car collector friend of my sons saw the post and asked about the car. My son told him that Mrs. Fink was his mom’s car and not for sale. The car collector continued to reach out asking about the car and made an offer. After much conversation, we accepted. The realization was the time had come. Just like our children, we are only temporary custodians. We cannot hold onto things or people forever, only our memories. It would be selfish for her to sit and collect dust and not be enjoyed. It was time to share her joy with someone else.

Saying Goodbye

Today, I said goodbye to Mrs. Fink.

As I signed the paperwork, I realized something remarkable: she had arrived on September 22nd, and she was leaving on September 22nd, two decades later. Life has a funny way of coming full circle.

I took her out for one last drive. The sun was shining and it was a gorgous first day of fall.  As the wind whipped through my hair, I whispered my gratitude to her.

Thank you for proving that dreams can come true.
Thank you for the joy, the laughter, and the memories.
Thank you for teaching my boys about spontaneity, gratitude, and joy.

Mrs. Fink was never just a car. She was a dream come true, a member of our family, a teacher of joy, and a symbol of belief. She showed us that life’s most beautiful gifts aren’t always about the thing itself, but about what it represents.

Because it was never about the car.

It was always about the dream.

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

Finding the Light

For almost 15 years every Sunday I have sat down to share a few thoughts. Most weeks the words flow from my fingers and I can’t seem to get my thoughts out quick enough. This week the thoughts are slow. The words are few and I’m still processing so much going on in our world as a larger context as well as in my own.

The irony is not lost on me that I wrote a best-selling book Change for Good and yet as I see so much change ahead of me I am scared, excited, nervous and unsure. As I wrote last year, “change always begins with loss.” There is so much loss happening all around me that I struggle to process it all. Those heavy feelings are like walking through mud as you try to make sense of everything. Each step heavy and unsteady because the path is not clear. It is too hard to see and so you trust as you slowly walk each deep and heavy step.

Somehow you believe. You have faith in something bigger. In the kindness of people, in the goodness we show to one another and so you move forward into an unknown place. That faith acts like a flashlight as you navigate a new and unexplored path forward. You have not been this way before. You do not know the way but you have your faith…your flashlight to guide you, to light the way and to bring you from darkness into the light.

When I wrote Change for Good, I never claimed to have all the answers. What I did know then, and what I still know now, is that life guarantees us seasons of change. Sometimes we choose them….like a new job, a marriage, or a move….and sometimes they choose us, whether through loss, illness, or unexpected events. Either way, change asks us to let go of what we know in order to step into what we don’t. That is never easy.

What makes it bearable is the reminder that none of us walks through it alone. In the book, I shared stories of people who took their own moments of heartbreak and used them as a catalyst to create something good. That theme has echoed back to me countless times from readers who wrote to say, “I thought I was the only one.” None of us is the only one. We all walk this muddy road of loss, grief, hope, and renewal. The flashlight we carry……faith, kindness, connection…..is what keeps us going until the ground feels steady again.

Lately, I have been reminding myself of one of the simplest truths I wrote about: kindness heals. When the world feels overwhelming, when the future feels uncertain, when I feel small in the face of so much loss, the antidote is often simple. It is in writing a note to a friend, holding a door open, saying thank you, showing up for someone else. Each small act is a reminder that even in the midst of chaos, we still have power……the power to love, to give, to create light.

That is what Change for Good has always been about. Not grand gestures, not sweeping reform, not changing the whole world at once. It is about the small, intentional acts of love and service that ripple outward in ways we may never see. It is about choosing, over and over again, to believe that our actions matter. That our light matters. That even when the road is muddy and uncertain, we can still place one foot in front of the other.

I know I am not the only one feeling the weight of change right now. Perhaps you are in your own season of transition. Maybe you too are carrying loss, fear, or uncertainty. If so, I want to remind you of what I often need to remind myself: you are not walking this road alone. We are walking it together, carrying our flashlights of faith and kindness, helping each other find the path.

The title Change for Good was always a double meaning. Change can be hard, yes, but it can also be for good….for the better. Good for our growth, good for our healing, good for the world. When we use the change in our lives to serve others, to lift them up, to bring light where there was darkness, we transform not just our own story but the larger story we are all part of.

So as I sit here with my slow words and heavy heart, I remind myself of the truth I wrote and believe: change is never easy, but it is always an invitation. An invitation to trust, to grow, to love, and ultimately to change for good.

And maybe, just maybe, that is enough light for today.

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 92: Shoulder Check

 

In the past fifteen years, I have not resent the same interview twice in one week. However, when I orginally scheduled this to be delivered last Thursday, September 11th I didn’t foresee all that would transpire the day before. The assassination of Charlie Kirk followed by the 24th anniversary of September 11th created so much noise that this very special story might have been missed. So, yes if you are seeing this twice it is intentional because I want you to have a bright light on your Sunday morning. Something to start your week to remind you of all the good in this world. So here you go….once again…

 In full disclosure, I know very little about hockey….especially as an LA girl…..but what I do know is that rare and extraordinary group of people who take unimaginable loss and somehow transform it into a mission for good. Today’s guest, Rob Thorsen, is one of those people. After the heartbreaking loss of his son Hayden, Rob chose to honor his memory by spreading kindness and compassion in the most powerful way.

Drawing from Hayden’s love of hockey, Rob used the term “Shoulder Check” not just as a sports reference but as the cornerstone for a movement. What began as a nod to the game has become a beautiful legacy of connection and care. Shoulder Check is about more than hockey…..it’s a mission and a movement about reaching out, checking in, and making contact with those around us. Rob’s story is one of resilience, love, and the reminder that even in the deepest grief, we can create something profoundly good. Take a listen and you will want to be a part of this…

 

 

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

 

Charity Matters: Tell us a little about what ShoulderCheck.ORG does?

Rob Thorsen:  ShoulderCheck.org is the first initiative of the HT40 Foundation, which we created to do one simple, specific thing: inspire and enable young people to check in on one another…regularly. We give them the language, tools, and motivation to make “checking in” a daily habit. The culture we’re pushing against is that paradox the U.S. Surgeon General called out in April 2023: we’re hyper-connected by tech, yet lonelier and more isolated than ever. Shoulder Check is our answer.

It started in hockey, our son Hayden played, and the community rallied around us after his death but it quickly became bigger than a sport. The signature gesture is literal: hand on a shoulder, paired with the refrain, “Reach out. Check in. Make contact.” We do this in locker rooms, at center ice, in school assemblies, classrooms, and community events. The goal is behavior change through a simple ritual and a shared brand language…something memorable enough to spread, practical enough to use, and human enough to matter.

Charity Matters: What were your early experiences in PHILANTHROPY?

Rob Thorsen: I didn’t come up through a lifetime of traditional volunteerism; I came out of marketing and advertising. I ran ad agencies. My wife did, too. Ideas, brand-building, behavior change….that’s our professional DNA. After we lost Hayden, I didn’t set out to “become a nonprofit founder.” I set out to develop an idea that could help people the way Hayden helped people….by making contact.

In that sense, Shoulder Check “just happens” to be a nonprofit vehicle. It is, first and foremost, an idea carried by a brand and a toolkit. From day one we treated it like a serious creative brief. Our team (pro bono) built language, design, rituals, and programs the way we would any world-class brand……with clarity, consistency, and heart.

Charity Matters: What was the moment you knew you needed to act and start ShoulderCheck.org?

Rob Thorsen: When Hayden died by suicide in May 2022, our lives were instantly and permanently altered. The first feeling was compulsion: we have to do something. I reached out to a national mental-health nonprofit whose executive director told me, bluntly, “Leave interventions to the professionals.” It stung, but at the same time, it focused me. She was right: I’m not an interventionist. I am a professional in another realm.

A few months later I sketched a simple thought in a notebook: “I have a hand to give. I could use a hand.” That became our north star. We began gathering with 30–70 kids at a time, at home, at the community center and iterating together. We wanted this to be everyone’s idea, not mine. The first crystallized concept to emerge was Shoulder Check: make kindness a contact sport, give everyone a role in the dialogue, and make the ask actionable.

Charity Matters: What are your biggest challenges?

Rob Thorsen: Processing grief and launching a nonprofit at the same time…..there’s no handbook for that. You’re building a startup out of a garage emotionally and literally, while processing the heaviest thing you’ll ever carry. We’re not clinicians. We’re not event producers. Yet we’re running programs and putting on major events because that’s what the idea requires to spread.

Operationally, the work is exhausting….production, follow-up, stakeholder care, constant outreach. Conceptually, the challenge is staying disciplined: we’re not trying to “do everything mental health.” We’re doing one thing well which is equipping friends to check on friends. The saving grace is that the idea is a virtuous circle. The very act of placing a hand on a shoulder….giving or receiving….feeds the work that sustains us.

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

Rob Thorsen: The stories. Constantly. We hear from people who finally knew how to start a hard conversation and did it……and from people who were struggling and felt their friends show up. Nearly everyone will accept help from a friend; Shoulder Check gives those friends simple language and a moment to step in.

And the ritual itself is its own therapy. When hundreds or thousands of people put hands on shoulders and say “Reach out. Check in. Make contact,” there’s a tangible lift in the room. You feel the possibility of a culture shift……one conversation at a time.

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

Rob Thorsen: I know it in two ways. First, in the micro: when a young kid writes to say, “I went home and checked on someone because of Shoulder Check….and it mattered.” Or, “My friends came to me, and I didn’t feel alone.” That’s the point.

Second, in the macro moments. At our events, 2,500 people….families, players, kids….all link up and speak the refrain together. You watch the posture in the building change. You hear “Lean on Me” sung by an arena and feel the message land. Those moments are catalytic….but they exist to seed a million small, private ones later: on buses, in bleachers, down hallways, at kitchen tables.

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

Rob Thorsen: We launched the idea with the Shoulder Check Showcase in August 2023; this year we hosted our third annual showcase. It’s a community-run charity game anchored by NHL players who’ve believed in the mission from day one….people like Chris Kreider, Kevin Shattenkirk, Trevor Zegras, and many others who donate a week of their time to play, meet kids, sign, and amplify the message.

Each year, 2,500 people pack the arena. Before the puck drops, everyone places a hand on a neighbor’s shoulder and repeats our refrain. The response has been overwhelming…..an emotional jolt you can see and hear. This year, New York Rangers anthem singer John Brancy performed the National Anthem and led a “Lean on Me” sing-along. The NHL, the NHLPA, teams, and media have all helped carry the message; we’ve appeared on Good Morning America two years running. The Showcase fuels grassroots adoption…..teams, schools, and communities taking the toolkit and making it theirs. That’s the impact we care about most: replication and daily habit.

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

Rob Thorsen: I want Shoulder Check to become cultural shorthand for empathy…..like a color you instantly associate with a cause. Think Komen’s pink for women’s health or Movember’s mustache for men’s health. Our teal-aqua should say “kindness, connection, and awareness.” Not as a merch play, but as a signal that prompts action: check on someone right now.

I imagine late-August/September activations timed to back-to-school and fall sports….teams, classrooms, clubs, workplaces…….all making commitments to one another. I want the toolkit to be accessible and flexible: bake sales, 5Ks, pre-game rituals, morning meetings…..however a community wants to manifest it. We’re not raising dollars for a lab; we’re raising awareness for each other. If Shoulder Check becomes the universal cue for “I’m here…..let’s talk,” that’s the dream.

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

Rob Thorsen: I’ve learned presence over control. In the immediate aftermath, your mind tries to script the unanswerable: Why did this happen? What will my life be a year from now? You can’t solve those questions. What you can do is show up….in this hour, with these people, for this work. When you do that, you give yourself something better than certainty: integrity.

I talk a lot about reflection vs. regret. Reflection is learning from what happened while knowing you did the best you could in the moment. Regret is knowing you didn’t. The line between them is presence. If we keep showing up as honestly as we can, we can live with the outcomes, even the imperfect ones, because we’re learning forward.

And I’ve learned about duality. The loss doesn’t lessen, but growth helps you understand where that loss lives with you. New people come into your life, new work emerges, and you hold both pain and purpose at once. That duality has become the constant: grief and goodness side by side. There is peace in knowing something beautiful can grow from tragedy, even if the sorrow never leaves.

Charity Matters: How has this journey changed you?

Rob Thorsen: This experience has changed me completely. I sometimes think of myself in three chapters: original Rob 1.0, then Rob 2.0 after Hayden’s death, and now something new….a version who carries both. I wouldn’t say I live in the world in a totally different way, but I see differently. A part of me that was smaller before has been amplified. The idea itself feels like Hayden. Shoulder Check is Hayden. So I feel a duty of care, as if tending this work is tending him.

That sense of duality shapes me too. Pain and purpose live together now. When I watch a stadium of people place hands on shoulders and say our refrain, I think: How did this happen? It’s beautiful, and it’s born of heartbreak. Holding those together has become who I am.

And practically, I’ve changed in how I manage time, people, and vision. We’ve been naïve in believing that a good idea will just travel….and in many ways, that faith has worked. But we’re also at the point where we need to manage like a real business, with intention and sustainability. It’s a “big small business,” and its next stage requires maturity. That responsibility makes me a different leader and a different person.

Ultimately, the change is clarity. Less time for what doesn’t matter, more devotion to what does. More comfort in knowing that if I keep showing up honestly, this work and Hayden’s legacy will keep growing. And if my legacy is simply that people checked in on one another more often, that would be a life well-lived.

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
What Matters?

September

While the calendar insists summer doesn’t officially end until September 22nd, we all know in our hearts that it’s already over. The long, light-filled days are shortening, the back-to-school commercials have returned, and change is everywhere you look. The air feels different. There’s a sense of closing one chapter and opening another. That’s what September is about transitions, beginnings, endings, and the beauty of change.

Change isn’t always easy. In fact, sometimes it’s downright hard. We cling to what’s familiar because it feels safe and comfortable. Letting go of summer feels like letting go of freedom, sunshine, and ease. Yet, what we so often forget is that there are no endings without beginnings. Every door that closes makes way for another to open, often to something we never could have imagined. September reminds us of this truth.

For some, that beginning comes in the form of a new school year. Lunchboxes are packed, backpacks are zipped, and nervous energy fills the air.  It’s the end of summer play and the beginning of structure, growth, and discovery. For others, change looks like a new job or a new opportunity a leap of faith into something unfamiliar yet filled with possibility.

And for my son, this fall marks a beginning of the most beautiful kind: marriage. Watching him prepare for this milestone fills me with both joy and awe. This is the end of his chapter as a single man and the beginning of a new adventure as a husband. For my husband and me, it means welcoming an amazing daughter into our family is a gift beyond measure. Change like this is bittersweet, but more than anything, it is joyous. It reminds us that life is meant to grow, evolve, and expand.

Charity Matters is also beginning a new season….Season 9 of our podcast. Nine seasons! That number alone makes me pause. Fourteen years ago, Charity Matters was nothing more than an idea, a simple thought that maybe sharing stories of good could make a difference. That idea grew into a blog, then a community on social media, and eventually, a podcast that has been ranked in the top 5% of charity podcasts. I smile just writing that because it is proof of what happens when you lean into change, when you say yes to new beginnings.

Each season of the podcast brings its own lessons, growth, and yes, change. We stretch, we improve, and we try to make each season better than the last. That stretching has led us to consider something new this fall: sponsorships. For years, I’ve said “no” to countless offers…..everything from yoga pants to dog toys…..because it didn’t align with our mission. But now, we are having conversations with organizations that share our values, partners who could help expand our reach while amplifying stories of service and kindness. The idea of building new partnerships excites me, not just for what it means for Charity Matters, but for the broader ripple effect of good it could create.

September is filled with reminders that life is about movement, not stillness. Change brings growth, growth brings new opportunities, and those opportunities bring joy. This fall, my joy is found in so many places: in the sound of college football filling the weekends, in the crispness of the morning air, in the sight of leaves beginning to turn, and in the celebrations of love and family that mark this season for us.

Of course, there’s a twinge of sadness too. I’ll miss the long days of summer, the ease of evenings outside, and the unhurried pace of the season. But if summer is about savoring, then fall is about celebrating. Celebrating growth, love, progress, and the courage it takes to embrace change.

As we step into September, my hope is that you see the changes in your life not as losses, but as invitations. Invitations to begin again, to stretch, to grow, and to trust that what lies ahead will be beautiful in its own way. Change is never the end….it’s simply the start of something new.

So let’s welcome the change together. Let’s embrace this season with gratitude, joy, and hope. Because while summer may be gone, what awaits us is even more extraordinary.

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
Non-Profit Heroes

Charity Matters Podcast Season 9 incoming…

Where did summer go? How are we already buying school supplies? What happened to June 1st until after Labor Day? When I find out who is in charge of shortening summer …well I have a few words for that guy. Here we are with Halloween decorations in the stores while filling our carts with crayons on hot “summer” days. It is all a little surreal how fast these past few weeks have flown by.

This time of year is a little bittersweet for me. Running a nonprofit thats programs end in early August makes summer a huge work push. Just as I am excited for summer and some play time, everyone I know is wrapping up travels and heading back to school and work.  August is my summer but it seems that I’m the only one.

In addition to wrapping up this past year’s nonprofit work we have been busy getting ready for Season 9 of the Charity Matters Podcast. It seems like yesterday that we decided to start the podcast and today,  4 years later we are in the top rated podcast in the space. It is so mind blowing to me. Honestly, this fact renews my faith in humanity because all of you believe in goodness and in helping one another. As this message grows so does all the love that goes with it.

Last season we met so many incredible founders. Stories like Terry Grahl’s Enchanted Makeovers, whose  life came full circle with her work helping women in shelters. Terry’s life inspires me to be more and do more.  Then we met so many awe inspiring parents who lost children and turned their pain into purpose. People like Elliot Kallen of A Brighter Day, who started a nonprofit that supports teenagers dealing with mental health challenges. There was Susan Shaw, founder of WBYC, an organization that provides grief support for grieving communities. Then there was the beautiful Mary Fagnano who created the nonprofit, Thrive N Joy to honor her son Nick’s beautiful legacy.

Each person shared their story, their loss and their life choice to go on through service to others. Every organization and their work is a reflection of their love….which endures in their work. These people and so many more not listed here inspire, lift and remind us what it means to love, to live and to serve.

Next week we will launch Season 9 with Episode 91 with the amazing Mindy Richenstein. I can’t wait for you to meet her and so many other wonderful humans this season. Each founder’s story is like opening a gift about life and how to live. There is nothing that brings me greater joy than sharing these gifts with you.

So thank you for being here for this wild ride, for believing in goodness and being a part of this movement. Each conversation, each share and every single tiny act of kindness moves us all forward together.

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
What Matters?

Vacation all I ever wanted

“Vacation, all I ever wanted… vacation, had to get away…” That epic Go-Go’s anthem has been the soundtrack running through my head these past few weeks. Maybe it’s the heat of August. Maybe it’s the exhaustion catching up with me from our summer work wrapping up. Or maybe it’s just that deep-down yearning for something we all crave but often overlook: rest.

After all, this is the season when the world finally exhales. The emails slow, the calendars loosen, and for a brief window of time, we’re allowed to step back. It’s the one time of year when the word “away” feels not only possible…but necessary.

If you’re someone who gives a lot, whether that’s to your family, your community, your nonprofit, your classroom, your cause……there is a chance that you likely don’t hit pause very often. Helpers tend to put others’ needs ahead of their own, believing there’s always one more thing that can be done, one more person to care for, one more task that can’t wait. The world often celebrates this drive, calling it noble or selfless. And yes, it is but only to a point. Because when we give and give without refueling, eventually… we run out of gas.

I know this feeling well. That running-on-empty sensation, when even the simplest things feel heavy. And yet, pausing still feels like a luxury we can’t quite justify. “Who will do it if I don’t?” we ask. But here’s the truth that’s taken me years to learn: We are no good to others when we are running on fumes.

Self-care isn’t indulgent. It’s not optional. For people who live their lives in service of others, it’s essential. I say that not as a motivational quote on a coffee mug, but as someone who has experienced firsthand what happens when we ignore that inner voice crying out for rest. Our bodies whisper… then nudge… and if we still don’t listen, they shout.

Think about it…would you let your car go 10,000 miles without an oil change? Would you expect a phone to last a week on one charge? Of course not. But somehow, we expect our hearts and minds to keep giving without ever recharging. And worse, we feel guilty when we try.

I want to flip that narrative.

Imagine for a moment that taking care of yourself isn’t selfish, but actually one of the most generous things you can do. Imagine that every walk you take, every nap you allow yourself, every chapter of a good book you read, or every afternoon you spend staring at the ocean, is a gift you are giving, not just to yourself, but to everyone you serve.

Because when we are rested, we are more present. We are more patient. We are more creative, more kind, more joyful. And isn’t that what the world really needs from us?

I’ve learned that vacation doesn’t always have to mean a plane ticket and a suitcase (though those are lovely). Sometimes it means carving out a morning to sit in silence. Sometimes it means saying “no” without guilt. Sometimes it’s a walk around the block, alone with your thoughts. Sometimes it’s stepping away from your inbox or turning off your phone for the afternoon. The point isn’t how long you get away…it’s that you get away. Even just for a little while.

We all have different ways of finding rest and renewal. For me, it’s water and simply being outside to play. Something about the water calms my soul. For others, it’s a mountain trail, a cozy blanket and a journal, or the hum of a favorite song in the background while the world slows down. The important thing is knowing what refuels you and honoring it.

If you’re someone who helps others, who shows up, gives back, volunteers, leads, or serves then please, let this be your permission slip: You are allowed to rest. You are allowed to turn down the noise and just be. You are allowed to have a moment…no, a whole season of care, not just for others, but for you.

Because when we care for ourselves, we’re not quitting. We’re strengthening our ability to keep going.

So yes, vacation is all I ever wanted. Not just the sandy toes and umbrella drinks (although those help too!) but the deeper kind of vacation. The kind where we find our center again, where we remember what matters most, and where we return to ourselves… so that we can return to others whole.

Here’s to rest. Here’s to renewal. And here’s to every helper who finally says, “I need a break” and actually takes one.

You deserve it!

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
Podcast

A little Blue Sky is good for everyone

Are you an optimist? I definitely am and I love meeting positive people who look at the world through slightly rose colored glasses. So I was especially thrilled when Bill Burke the founder of the Optimism Institute reached out to invite me on his incredible podcast, A Bit of Blue Sky.

Bill  founded The Optimism Institute in 2022 after an extensive media career. He was the CEO of The Weather Channel Companies and President of TBS Superstation. Bill co-authored Ted Turner’s top-10 New York Times Best-Selling autobiography Call Me Ted and is a lifelong optimist. He launched The Optimism Institute with a mission to inspire people with an optimistic, hopeful vision of the world and its future. In short, Bill is my people.

 

 

It is always terrific to talk to interesting people. Bill is more than just interesting, he is joyful. What I love about what he is doing with his Blue Sky podcast is trying to get all of us to focus on the good. That is exactly what we do here each week at Charity Matters. Life is challenging enough for all of us. When we focus on the positive we feel better, it lifts us up and gives us hope that things are going to get better.

Bill not only has his podcast, which I highly recommend. He also has his Blue Sky Bookshelf where he recommends uplifting books from his guests and others. So take a look here if you are looking for a summer read that inspires and uplifts.

We all can take a page from Bill’s message on optimism.  When we choose to focus on optimism, everything shifts. It’s not about ignoring the challenges or pretending life is perfect. Rather, it’s about seeing the light in the cracks, the possibility in the struggle, and the good that can still come from even the hardest moments. Optimism gives us the strength to keep going, to believe in something better, and to inspire that same hope in others. When we lead with optimism, we open the door to connection, to resilience, and to the kind of change that lifts everyone. It’s a mindset that doesn’t just help us survive but thrive.

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