The only gift is a portion of thyself.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Copyright © 2012 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.
Since this week was Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday I thought it only fitting to share with you my “I have dream” post.
I have always been labeled a big dreamer and as the years roll by, it is a label that I am increasingly proud of. My dream is to continue to share with you inspiring stories of people that have taken their tragedy and turned into something much bigger. In many cases, it is the story of the small non-profit that began from someone’s pain.
I am familiar with this story and this journey because it it also my own. When life hands you a tragedy you are given a choice, to let it destroy you or to define you. I hope my life is used doing the latter. In these moments you realize just how little time it is that you have on this planet to really make a difference. As Dr. King said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
Silent is not my strong suit. There is much that matters. There is much to do. The non-profit that sprouted from my tragedy (created with an incredible group of people) is called The Spiritual Care Guild at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Being a part of building a non-profit and being able to provide chaplains to children and families at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles has been a defining moment and a dream that has become a reality.
Like all big dreamers, somehow the dreams become bigger. That big dream is to help to give a voice to these stories with Charity Matters. There are 1.7 million non-profits in the United States and many of them started from a tragedy, as mine did. These stories need to be told.
Dr. King used his voice to spread a message of hope. It is my dream to use my voice to continue to spread the message of these non-profits and the bigger message that Charity Matters. I think its a dream that Dr. King would approve.
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I was recently reading Glamour magazine and came across the amazing story of Jessica Melore. She is so inspiring that I needed to share it with you.
Jessica was 16 when she suffered a massive heart attack. She waited 9 months for a miracle, a heart transplant.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iggsojoIlAg]
Today, Jessica is 30 and due to the gift of life she has attended Princeton University, interned at Good Morning America, Sesame Street, and New York City’s Lincoln Center. She is an advocate for youth with disabilities and a beacon of hope for the 110,000 people waiting for an organ donation today.
Jessica is working with Donate Life America on their 20 Million in 2012 campaign, to increase donor registration in state registries. “I am so proud to be part of Donate Life America’s 20 Million in 2012 campaign. Real life stories like mine can inspire people to sign up to be organ, eye and tissue donors, and provide hope to the more than 110,000 men, women and children on the organ transplant waiting list.”
Jessica is committed to giving every person waiting for a transplant a second chance at life. Will you? I just did.
Charity Matters.
Copyright © 2012 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.
In the past few months since the launch of Charity Matters I have been asked by a number of people for resources to get involved. So many people want to help but just don’t know where to start.
There is a great resource called All For Good that is about a year old. All for Good’s mission is to bring together volunteerism and community service. In order to do that they developed a custom volunteer opportunity oriented search engine that is powered by the largest database of volunteer opportunities on the Internet.
Translation: you can just plug in a date or a zip code and they can connect you with non-profits looking for help.
I think its All for Good and Charity that Matters!
Can one person really make a difference? Take a look and see. Click below and enjoy!
http://www.bkconnection.com/stepping-up/steppingup.swf
We can all make the difference together or as one.
Charity Matters.
Copyright © 2012 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.
I just got a Facebook posts a few minutes ago that Jessie Rees passed away at 12 years old from an inoperable brain tumor. Jessie was an incredible girl, who in her 12 short years touched thousands of lives. Her motto, “Never Ever Give Up!” In her battle, she created a non-profit aptly named just that the TheNEGUFoundation.Org
Jessie was determined to help others rather than worry about herself. She wanted to be better not bitter, according to her Dad. During her battle with brain cancer Jessie created Joy Jars, jars filed with play dough, crayons and little treasures to give sick children joy and comfort during their time in the hospital.
This is her story and you just might need to grab the kleenex.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c95EUjw28KM&feature=endscreen&NR=1]
Jessie handed out over 2,500 Joy Jars during her short life, created a non-profit to inspire thousands of children with pediatric cancer, made over 50,000 Facebook friends that she referred to as her prayers and left us all a legacy of compassion, love and inspiration. Thank you Jessie for showing us all that Charity Matters. May you rest in peace, sweet angel.
Copyright © 2012 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.
A new oath holds pretty well; but… when it is become old, and frayed out, and damaged by a dozen annual retrieving of its remains, it ceases to be serviceable; any little strain will snap it.
Mark Twain
I don’t know about you, but I know I over did it this year with a little too much holiday cheer. With New Years resolutions abounding about giving up sugar, flour and all things decadent I thought this would be the perfect time to share this amazing story about a Hollywood producer who took skipping it to a whole different level.
Her name is Shelene Bryan and she was a producer, a mom and someone with a big heart. Today, she is still a mom but her newest title is founder of a non-profit called Skip1.Org.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4tfX6gC_ks]
It is people like Shelene that are my heros. Everyday people just like you and me, who have a passion and use it to create change in such simple ways. So when you decide what you are going to give up this New Year, perhaps, rather than giving something up, you can simply Skip1. Nothing feels better than giving something up and giving to someone else at the same time. Simple Charity Matters.
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“How do you an eat an elephant?” One of my husband’s favorite phrases. The answer, “One bite at a time, of course.” As a triathlete, he is accustomed to breaking down his goals and resolutions into small steps or bites. Something particularly relevant as we all set our plans in motion for the New Year.
I recently read about a girl from London, Alexis Liming, who has created a large New Years resolution called 2012 for 2012. Alexis is planning on running 2,012 miles this year for charity. Her motivation, giving back to the hospital that helped her little brother during his battle with neuroblastoma. Her little brother didn’t survive his battle but his older sister, Alexis will run for him and others with the disease. A resolution as big as an elephant.
As we all set goals, big and small, its important to celebrate each step, each mile or each bite of our accomplishment. Whether you run 2012 miles, enter a charity race, give more time at your child’s school or just support something that touches your heart. Celebrate each moment, each step and every bite. Before you know it in 2012 you might be able to eat an elephant and make Charity Matter for something you care about.
Copyright © 2012 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.
Did you happen to visit Peet’s Coffee on Christmas Eve? If you did, you received a gift that truly spread the Christmas spirit. After ordering your drink (regardless of the size) the barista said,”Merry Christmas! Your drink is on the house. If you want to support Upward Bound House, we would be so grateful.”
What was Upward Bound House? I thought I would find out while waiting for my now donated latte. It turns out Upward Bound house is a non-profit that provides transitional housing to keep families together and off the streets.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u89vmBZcjsw]
Upward Bound House has a 95% success rate of getting families back on their feet and independently living on their own again. So, a little post holiday good will and cheer and a big hats off to Peet’s Coffee for showing us all that Charity Matters a latte!
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“Attention, K Mart Shoppers! It’s almost here! We are just two days til Christmas.” Whats really happening at K Mart? It is much more than holiday chaos, it’s giving.
Hundreds of stories of holiday giving have been spreading across our country the past few weeks at K Mart stores. K Mart shoppers who have been putting their children’s Christmas gifts on lay away, due to these difficult economic times, have been showing up to find their accounts have been paid in full by anonymous donors.
The executives at K Mart said it appears that this mystery giving began in Michigan and has now spread across 7 states according to the retail chain. Salima Yala, the Vice President of the company’s lay away division said, “It is honestly being driven by people wanting to do a good deed at this time of year.” These “Secret Santa’s” have been targeting lay away items that are specifically toys or children’s clothing.
So as you stop and drop money in the red buckets to ringing bells, send a little something extra to your favorite cause or even buy a sweater for that relative you rarely speak to, remember that giving is a wonderful feeling.
“So attention K Mart Shoppers, be on the look out for generous souls trying to spread holiday cheer. They could be in line behind you or the person in the parking lot. Goodness is everywhere and beware, its contagious too!”
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and thank you for making Charity Matter!
Copyright © 2011 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.
When I heard the name of this great organization, My Two Front Teeth.Org I was so excited to share it with you all this holiday season. This Bay Area non-profit organization reached out to needy children during the holidays to fulfill Christmas wishes. However, I received a present and a true symbol of the season when I discovered that this small non-profit merged with a bigger non-profit called The Family Giving Tree. The selfless reason, is that by merging and combining resources they would be able to reach even more children in need during the holidays.
The Family Giving Tree began in 1990 as a San Jose State University MBA class project. Jennifer Cullenbine and Todd Yoshida were asked to “create a program that adds value to someone else’s life.” They created the Family Giving Tree with the hope of providing holiday gifts to 300 children in East Palo Alto. Encouraged by the success of the first year, Jennifer decided to continue and expand the organization. In the 20th year of the program’s existence, the total number of gifts and backpacks donated had grown to over 700,000, making the Family Giving Tree the largest gift and backpack donation program in California.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRy96OTM_o4&feature=related]
So, whether its your two front teeth or a giving tree this holiday, it all gives to the magic of the season. Smiles on children’s faces is Charity that Matters!
Copyright © 2011 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.
Its not very often that I share about my own philanthropy or that of my children but as a proud mother I think its time. No, I promise this isn’t one of those painful maternal bragging moments. This is about my first born son, who like most first borns (myself included) likes to think that the sun sets only on him….that was until he went to Watts.
A few years back he was having a rough summer getting ready to go to high school. Getting tired of the pity party I called a friend down at a non-profit in South Central Los Angeles, called Urban Compass and asked if they could use some extra help. Urban Compass is a non-profit that works to combat poverty and violence and make a difference in the lives of children in Watts. My son had never left his bubble, let alone ventured to the housing projects in the most dangerous neighborhood in LA.
At 14, my redhead walked into Urban Compass and was embraced by these huge smiles and hugs, That was it, he was hooked. He spent that summer taking children to places like the beach, which they had never seen. He held children’s hands as he walked them back into the housing projects and they begged him not to take him home. He came back at vacations and Christmas time asking our family to adopt one of “his families”.
Now my son is 16, he is a part of a new junior board at Urban Compass and asked me if he could do something else for his required service hours. “Why, would you do that?” I asked. The response, “Because service hours are something you have to do and this is something I love to do.”
The miracle of Christmas has touched our home this season as I hope it touches yours. That seed of compassion was in there and it has sprouted and grown. True charity of the heart that matters!
Copyright © 2011 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.
“Christmas is forever, not for just one day,
for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away
like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf.
The good you do for others is good you do yourself…”
~Norman Wesley Brooks, “Let Every Day Be Christmas,” 1976
Copyright © 2011 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.