2022 Service Work
Annual Non-Profit
2022: FRIENDS OF NGONG ROAD ANNUAL SPONSORSHIP OF A YOUNG GIRL Friends of Ngong Road (FoNR), a Minnesota-based 501(c)(3), and Ngong Road Children Association (NRCA), a registered Kenya NGO, operate with the shared mission of providing education and support for impoverished Nairobi children whose families have been affected by HIV/AIDS. The devastation
caused by HIV/AIDS in Kenya has left the country with approximately 1 million orphaned children and many more living with a surviving HIV+ parent. Children in this program all live in the slums of Dagoretti, Nairobi where the median household income is under two dollars per day. Approximately 50% of the children in the program are orphans and the other 50% live with a surviving HIV+ parent; 5% of children in the program are themselves HIV+. Without the opportunity provided by a high-quality education, these children would be sentenced to lives of continuing poverty and would be an economic drag on Kenyan society. Unfortunately, Kenya’s public education system is not up to the task as it is woefully underfunded and inconsistent in quality. FoNR believes that placing at-risk children in high-performing private schools for primary education and public high schools gives them the best chance of success and will have a long-term positive ripple effect on Kenya, Africa and the world. To learn more, click HERE.
Also in February 2014, and continuing now in 2022, we began an annual sponsorship of a child with the ANGEL’S IN NEED organization whose mission is to serve children with special needs and their families both locally and abroad. Our goal is to enrich the lives of these children and families by supporting already existing programs and organizations devoted to our cause as well as aiding in the
development, implementation and financial support of programs where they are non-existent, all in an attempt to provide the children with opportunity and a sense of community in which to blossom. Angel’s in Need, Inc. operates on a strictly volunteer basis. We are a 100% volunteer, 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. For more information on ANGEL’S IN NEED or to make a donation, please click HERE.
Non-Profit Of The Month
DECEMBER 2022: VECINA
VECINA seeks to empower immigrant justice advocates by mentoring attorneys, educating communities, and mobilizing volunteers.
Immigrants are facing one of the most difficult times in our nation’s history, so it’s more important than ever that immigrant justice advocates fight on behalf of immigrants’ rights. Immigrant justice advocates are battling fierce opposition, fatigue, and a constantly-changing landscape.
Many attorneys are looking for ways to help but don’t have the tools necessary to provide effective representation. VECINA has expert mentors and training attorneys ready to equip pro bono attorneys with the necessary knowledge and skills to provide zealous advocacy.
Additionally, misinformation about immigrants and immigration law has become widespread and difficult to combat. VECINA provides community education at events and community meetings so that the truth can spread.
DECEMBER 2022: LOUISIANA KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
Together, we’re empowering Catholic men to live their faith at home, in their parish, at work and in their community.
Our goal is to help men, their families and their parishes grow closer to Christ. Through our programs and resources, we provide opportunities to live and spread the Catholic faith.
Whatever cause you contribute to, such as providing a child the gift of warmth, advocating for a culture of life, giving persecuted religious minorities food and medical care, or helping rebuild after natural disasters, and more. Your donation goes directly to those we serve through our charitable programs.
NOVEMBER 2022: VALLEY CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER
Valley CAC clients are child victims of sexual and severe physical abuse. These young and vulnerable individuals will find that their needs are placed above all others and that our approach is approach is compassionate, yet efficient. Throughout the intervention, investigation, prosecution, and treatment, Valley CAC provides no-cost services to child victims and their non-offending family members. All services are designed to reduce present trauma, better navigate the systems involved, and promote healing.
Our mission is to build resilience, inspire healing, and lower the impact of trauma for survivors of child abuse and their families through collaboration with a multidisciplinary team, utilization of evidence-based practices, and education to create an empowered community.
OCTOBER 2022: A. C. LEWIS YMCA
The A. C. Lewis YMCA is a mid-city branch that has been serving the community since 1963. The Y is more than a gym. We are an inclusive organization inspiring people of all ages, abilities and incomes to live healthier in spirit, mind and body. At the Y, we don’t just provide programs and services, we transform lives.
The Y is a nonprofit, community service organization with a focus on strengthening the community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The Y nurtures the potential of every youth and teen, improves the nation’s health and well-being and provides opportunities to give back and support neighbors. The Y makes sure that everyone, regardless of age, income, religion or background, has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive.
SEPTEMBER 2022: GIGI'S PLAYHOUSE NEW ORLEANS
GiGi’s Playhouse New Orleans Down Syndrome Achievement Center opened as the 50th location in the GiGi’s Playhouse national network in October 2020. Although we were contending with a global pandemic, we believed it was important to open the first achievement center for individuals with Down syndrome in Louisiana! Gigi’s Playhouse New Orleans provides free purposeful programs to individuals with Down syndrome from birth through adulthood. Our team is proud to be able to help individuals with Down syndrome and their families and to change the way the world views Down syndrome.
GiGi’s Playhouse New Orleans Down Syndrome Achievement Center is a place where parents can go to for good information when they first receive a Down syndrome diagnosis; where infants and toddlers with Down syndrome attend group enrichment programs; where school-age children receive tutoring which specifically addresses the learning difficulties that often accompany the diagnosis; where teens and adults make friends while participating in fitness programs specially designed to complement their joint laxity and congenitally low muscle tone; where families meet to discuss best-practices; and where members of the community come to teach and learn from people different than themselves in order to create a more inclusive city.
AUGUST 2022: HYDROCEPHALUS ASSOCIATION
Founded in 1983 by the parents of children with hydrocephalus, the Hydrocephalus Association (HA) is the nation’s largest and most widely respected organization dedicated to hydrocephalus. We fund high-impact research, provide support and educational resources for patients and caregivers, and advocate on behalf of the hydrocephalus community on key policies and legislation.
Since 2009, HA has invested over $13 million in cutting-edge research, making us the largest non-profit, non-governmental funder of hydrocephalus research in the United States.
HA’s mission is to find a cure for hydrocephalus and improve the lives of those impacted by the condition.
Hydrocephalus comes from the Greek words: “Hydro” meaning water and “cephalus” meaning head.
Hydrocephalus is a chronic, neurological condition caused by an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within cavities of the brain called ventricles, resulting in pressure on the brain.
It affects over 1 million Americans, ranging from infants and older children to young and middle-aged adults, as well as seniors.
There is currently no cure for hydrocephalus, but it can be treatable.
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is produced in the ventricles and in the choroid plexus. It circulates through the ventricular system in the brain and is absorbed into the bloodstream. CSF is in constant circulation and has many functions. It surrounds the brain and spinal cord and acts as a protective cushion against injury. CSF contains nutrients and proteins that are needed for the nourishment and normal function of the brain. It carries waste products away from surrounding tissues.
Hydrocephalus occurs when there is an imbalance between the amount of CSF that is produced and the rate at which it is absorbed. As the CSF builds up, it causes the ventricles to enlarge and the pressure inside the head to increase.
JULY 2022: CHARLOTTE SAPIR'S 2022 MAN & WOMAN OF THE YEAR FUNDRAISER FOR THE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY
Please join me in supporting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) by making a donation to my fundraising campaign for Man & Woman of the Year!
I have joined a team that is driven to find cures for blood cancer. Our team is working to raise as much as possible over the next 10 weeks.
As you know, everyone wins when cancer loses. Thanks to your support, my efforts will help fund therapies and treatments that are saving lives. Over the years, support from people like you has been responsible for the blood cancer advancements that have doubled, tripled, and in some cases quadrupled the survival rate for some blood cancers.
Many LLS supported therapies not only help blood cancer patients but are also now used to treat patients with rare forms of stomach and skin cancers and are in clinical trials for patients with lung, brain, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancers. And LLS funded drugs like targeted therapies and immunotherapies are now saving thousands of lives every day.
We truly are getting close to our goal of a world without blood cancers!
All donations are greatly appreciated and tax-deductible. They’ll not only support LLS research, but patient services, advocacy, public and professional education, and community services as well.
Please visit my website often and tell friends who would also like to donate!
On behalf of blood cancer patients everywhere, thank you for your support! For more information about LLS, please visit www.lls.org
JUNE 2022: NEW ORLEANS DYNAMO FOOTBALL CLUB
MAY 2022: THE NATIONAL WWII MUSEUM
The National WWII Museum tells the story of the American experience in the war that changed the world—why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today—so that all generations will understand the price of freedom and be inspired by what they learn.
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APRIL 2022: NORTH SHORE OF MASSACHUSETTS FOR THE PAJAMA PROGRAM
Pajama Program is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes and supports a comforting bedtime routine and healthy sleep for all children to help them thrive. Since 2001, Pajama Program has delivered over 7 million good nights for good days to children facing adversity by providing new pajamas, storybooks, and resources for caregivers. In 2020, Pajama Program enhanced its services by assuming the programs and staff of Sweet Dreamzzz, Inc., a nonprofit widely recognized for its evidence-based sleep health education. Pajama Program offers bedtime resources and sleep education nationwide, as well as through local programs in New York City, Atlanta, and metro-Detroit. To achieve its mission, Pajama Program relies on a national network of volunteers, generous donors, and partnerships with 4,000 community-based organizations across the United States and Puerto Rico. After all, Good Nights Are Good Days.
MARCH 2022: ST. JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL
St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Consistent with the vision of our founder Danny Thomas, no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family’s ability to pay.
FEBRUARY 2022: AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION, GO RED FOR WOMEN
Losing one woman to heart disease and stroke is too many.
The Go Red for Women experience continues to be the cornerstone of the Go Red for Women movement in local communities. This empowering gathering focuses on preventing heart disease and stroke, sharing stories of people impacted by cardiovascular disease and raises critically needed funds to save more lives.
Since 2004, the Go Red for Women movement has educated millions of women as to their No. 1 health threat: cardiovascular disease. But now we face a new challenge, younger women and women of color are not aware that this threat is real. We continue to innovate ways to ensure all women are aware of their greatest health threat, their risks and what they can do to reduce them. Good health is a journey, not a destination, and we want to walk hand in hand with women throughout their lifetimes as their trusted wellness partner.
Go Red for Women has evolved into a global movement and is a driving force in the world of health equity. We accelerate science, advance public health policy, and address the multitude of gender and racial gaps for women in research, healthcare and more, all thanks to supporters like you.
JANUARY 2022: LOUISIANA CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S RIGHTS - CELEBRATION FOR CHILDREN'S RIGHTS
Using direct representation and advocacy, the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights fights to keep children out of the justice system so that they can thrive in their homes and communities. We envision a Louisiana where every child, no matter their race or class, is free to be a kid and supported in becoming a healthy adult.
Through this event, we celebrate the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights’ most significant accomplishments for children in Louisiana’s legal system.
