non-profit blog – Page 3 – Charity Matters

Charity Matters Inspiration May 1, 2015

Commitment Day

What is commitment day? It is one of the most important days in Watts all year. Commitment day is the day that the boys from Verbum Dei High School stand in front of their community and tell everyone where they will be attending college in the fall.

This might not seem like a big deal to many, but for these boys of South Central Los Angeles, this is a game changer. A moment that will alter their life course forever. These young men live in one of the most dangerous, poor and crime ridden neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Yet, 100% will be leaving because they are going to college, against all odds.

What makes their journey more unique than any other high school student? The obstacles that these young men must overcome are simply staggering. First, they must apply (if their parents allow them to or understand) to this amazing boy’s school and be accepted. Often times they are behind academically and students must catch up quickly. While other boys in these neighborhoods are joining gangs, the boys of Verbum Dei are putting on dress shirts and ties.

In addition to overcoming poverty, family issues, grades and gang pressures these young men are trained to work in corporate America. One day a week they board a van to their job where they work to help subsidize their education and more importantly see who they can become. After four years of studying, working, doing sports and becoming “Men for Others” these young men are proud to tell their family and friends that they are heading to a place most have never been, college.

Today is Commitment Day at Verbum Dei. These men will announce to their families, peers and school that they are on their way to schools such as Georgetown, USC and a host of others, all sharing bright future ahead.

The teachers, staff, parents and corporate sponsors have made commitments to these young men and now these young men are committing to the world that they are leaving the life they know and heading to incredible futures full of promise. This is Commitment day.

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2015 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

Charity Matters Quotes July 12, 2013

Charity Matters Quotes

“Love begins by taking care of the closest ones – the ones at home.”
Mother Teresa

In keeping with this weeks theme that “Charity starts at home,” I thought I would share a photo of our family a few years back, when we first moved into our house. This was the last time that we did serious home improvement. I hope this weekend finds you enjoying summer, wherever you maybe, I’ll be staying close to home.

Happy Friday Everyone!

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2013 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

Charity Matters Quotes June 17, 2013

Summertime!

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”

–F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby

To new beginnings and memories for a wonderful summer!

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2013 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

Uncategorized June 10, 2013

Ahhh…. birthdays!

Tomorrow is just another day like any other except that it is the marking of another year passing. I have so many friends that dread these days which justify the wrinkles and sadly few left that embrace their birthday. When we were little, we loved the cone-shaped hats, the friends, the candles. When and why did that change?

Well for me, it hasn’t. I am still a birthday girl. I love everything about them. First and foremost it is the friends and family that reach out, people I love, I miss or I just simply really enjoy. How fantastic to have one day a year when all those people simply say hello? Honestly, that is my favorite part of birthdays.

The other thing that birthdays have brought in the past few years is a time of reflection and gratitude. I am so grateful that I am alive, I am healthy and that I get to celebrate another magical year of living. That is a beautiful gift and one that I never take for granted.

Birthdays are also a time to see where I am. What have I accomplished this year? Being born in June, it’s a nice half-year assessment mark. Looking back and acknowledging any goal accomplished and looking ahead with all of the new ones I can’t wait to tackle.

I am in my late forties now and to me I’m just getting going. I have a whole second half of life beginning. How exciting is that? So tomorrow, I will be soaking up the calls, the friends, the love and the moments. Something we should all do everyday, even if it’s not our birthday.

I might pass on the cone-shaped hat this year but I will enjoy blowing out all those candles, even the extra one!

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2013 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

Charity Matters Quotes June 7, 2013

Congratulations graduates, yes, you old ones too!

Graduation is only a concept. In real life every day you graduate. Graduation is a process that goes on until the last day of your life. If you can grasp that, you’ll make a difference.

Arie Pencovici

With that I challenge all you graduates, new and old, to ask your selves. Are you graduating everyday? If so, are you making a difference?

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2013 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

Charity Matters Quotes May 31, 2013

Charity Matters Quotes

“It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.”

Vincent van Gogh

With final exams and graduations upon us, it made me think of just how much you can accomplish when you do what you love. It is simply the key to everything.

Love.

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2013 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

What Matters? May 22, 2013

Charity always matters, especially now

Each week I write about people who change other people’s lives. Regular people with passion and conviction. Today, as I watch the recovery efforts in Oklahoma there are thousands of those people everywhere. No, they haven’t started an official organization but they have organized.

They are neighbors helping neighbors, survivors helping strangers, first responders digging through schools and hospitals that were destroyed by the massive tornado. They are organized.

In a matter of minutes, thousands of lives were forever altered, homes destroyed, a life’s worth of work simply wiped away with the wind. Yet, when you hear the people of Moore, Oklahoma speak, they are resilient, they are caring for one another and they are determined to begin again.

The definition of charity is an organization set up to provide help, volunteering and giving of help and lastly, kindness and tolerance. All of these matter, now Moore than ever.

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2013 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

Charity Matters Quotes May 17, 2013

Charity Matters Quotes

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”

Marcel Proust

Wishing you a beautiful spring weekend surrounded by those whose make you happy!

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2013 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

Ways to make a difference May 8, 2013

Help A Mother Out

Since this week is Mother’s Day, I thought it was important to take a moment to look at an amazing non-profit making a difference for mothers. There are thousands of organizations that help women around the globe but this organization started with a single purpose and its name says it all, Help A Mother Out.Org

That single purpose was to provide disposable diapers for low-income mothers, which Food Stamps do not provide for. Mothers can not take their children to daycare or school without providing disposable diapers. Since these diapers can cost up to $100- per month, many struggling mothers were jeopardizing their children’s health by trying to stretch their diaper supply.

So in May 2009, two friends from the Bay Area, Lisa Truong and Rachel Fudge had an idea after seeing reports of families struggling during the recession. As a young mothers, they called some local shelters and asked what was needed and the answer was diapers.

On Mother’s Day 2009, the two decided to hold their first diaper drive and gathered over 15,000 diapers. Today, Help A Mother Out has provided over 1,000,000 diapers! They are a non-profit organization based in San Francisco with chapters in Southern California and work on diaper drives in other states like Washington and Arizona.

As we all know motherhood can be a dirty business but with organizations like Help A Mother Out women and children will all be sitting pretty this Mother’s Day.

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2013 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

Charity Matters Inspiration May 3, 2013

And the Medal goes to….

On Wednesday, I shared the beautiful story of Brent Cunningham’s giving his Boston Marathon medal to a stranger who hadn’t finished due to the terrorist attack. That story lead me to this and it seems that medals bring out the best in everyone.

Something that Dr. Steven Isenberg realized the day after he finished the 2003 Chicago Marathon, and went to visit a friend who was hospitalized. Unsure of what to say, even as a surgeon, Dr. Isenberg pulled his finishers’ medal from his pocket and placed it around his friend’s neck. “I want you to have this,” he said. “You are running a much more difficult marathon than the one I completed.”

Sadly, his friend didn’t win his race but had told Dr. Isenberg how much he treasured the medal. Those words were the inspiration to start Medals4Mettle. So in 2005, Dr. Isenberg formed the non-profit, to collect runner’s medals which could be donated to those who are battling serious illnesses and who have demonstrated courage and mettle in fighting their battle.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj_WeXtK5XM]

Today, Medals4Mettle had awarded over 18,000 medals to recipients across the world. Medals have been awarded by Indy 500 race car drivers, Olympic athletes and individuals who want to experience the incredible joy of giving their hard-earned finisher’s medals to courageous human beings.

Currently, Medals4Mettle is humbly accepting donations of Boston Marathon finishers’ medals from this year, or past years, to be sent to their Boston area chapters. They will then place Medals4Mettle ribbons on them and award them to the courageous victims of the 2013 Boston Marathon and the first responders that raced to help them while respecting the privacy of all victims and family members.

I think everyone is a winner in this race.

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2013 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

Charity Matters Inspiration May 1, 2013

Love always wins, especially in Boston

As I have mentioned before my husband is both a tri-athlete and a marathon runner. He has never run the Boston Marathon but when he saw this story on Facebook, as many of you did, he shared it.

This was Laura Wellington’s Facebook post, about her experience moments from the finish line in the Boston Marathon.

As some of you know, I was 1/2 mile from the finish line when the explosion went off. I had no idea what was going on until I finally stopped and asked someone. Knowing that my family was at the finish line waiting for me, I started panicking, trying to call them. I started walking down Mass Ave towards Symphony Hall still not knowing where my family was.

I was able to get in touch with Bryan and found out he was with my family and they were safe. I was just so happy to hear his voice that I sat down and started crying. Just couldn’t hold it back. At that moment, a couple walking by stopped. The woman took the space tent off her husband, who had finished the marathon, and wrapped it around me.

She asked me if I was okay, if I knew where my family was. I reassured her I knew where they were and I would be ok. The man then asked me if I finished to which I nodded “no.” He then proceeded to take the medal off from around his neck and placed it around mine. He told me “you are a finisher in my eyes.” I was barely able to choke out a “thank you” between my tears.

Odds are I will never see this couple again, but I’m reaching out with the slim chance that I will be able to express to them just what this gesture meant to me. I was so in need of a familiar face at that point in time. This couple reassured me that even though such a terrible thing had happened, everything was going to be ok.

That couple was Brent Cunningham and his wife, from Sitka, Alaska. After Laura’s post went viral, ABC News tracked him down and Brent flew back to Boston to meet the stranger once again. Brent gave a tearful Laura a huge hug and said, “Evil may have won the battle but they’re not gonna win the war. Love wins. Game over.”

Charity Matters.

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/boston-marathon-bombing-evil-win-19006669

Copyright © 2013 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

Uncategorized April 29, 2013

Make A Wish Day

Welcome to the new look of Charity Matters! We have been working hard behind the scenes to create a fresh, exciting and engaging new platform that we hope continues to inspire you.

As I mentioned on friday, I made a promise or a wish that this day would come and I find it particularly exciting that our new web-site is launching on International Make A Wish Day.

World Wish Day is organized by Make-A-Wish to commemorate the anniversary of the wish that inspired the creation of what is now one of the world’s leading children’s charities. Seven-year-old Chris Greicius’ wish to be a police officer was granted in Phoenix, Arizona by volunteers on April 29, 1980.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtUSTkJxrHQ]

Since Chris’ wish in 1980, more than 300,000 children around the world have had their fondest wishes fulfilled by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Every 23 minutes, Make-A-Wish grants the wish of a child with a life-threatening medical condition somewhere in the world. Make A Wish Foundation’s mission is to “enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.”

My wish has already come true because you are here with me on this journey and I am so grateful to all of who continue to share Charity Matters on Facebook, like us, tweet, follow on Linkedin and everything in between. I am humbled and grateful for each you. Thank you for continuing to be a part of making my wishes come true.

What’s your wish?

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2013 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

Charity Matters Quotes April 26, 2013

Ch, Ch, Ch, Changes….

“Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights.”

Pauline R. Kezer

Change, something that is inevitable. Some of us thrive on it and others are terrified but regardless of your feelings, it is a fact of life. The one constant we can count on and that is change.

I fall somewhere in the middle on the topic. There are some things that would devastate me if they ever changed (Reeses Peanut Butter Cups come to mind) and other things like moving furniture that exhilarate me. Change is growth, whether you run towards it or away from it, you will grow from it.

Back in January, I made a New Year’s Resolution to you, with plans to update my web-site. I have been working hard the past few months to keep my promise. So come Monday, April 29th Charity Matters will launch our new web-site.

My hope is that this facelift gives you the same great content, inspiration and excitement with a fresh new look. Thank you for growing with me on this journey.

Now that’s change that’s exciting!

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2013 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

Charity Matters Quotes April 19, 2013

What Matters?

“Being human always points, and is directed, to something or someone, other than oneself — be it a meaning to fulfill or another human being to encounter. The more one forgets himself — by giving himself to a cause to serve or another person to love — the more human he is.”

Viktor E. Frankl

To being more human.

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2013 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