Operation Healing Forces – Saving Military Marriages

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By JohnPosted In: Charity Activity, Family, Military

It is well documented that military service can take a toll on family life. Special Forces soldiers, in particular, grapple with high divorce rates. Operation Healing Forces, a charity that assists injured Special Forces veterans and their spouses, is working to change that.

Brant Ireland joined the army in 2002. He spent 6 tours in Afghanistan, suffering a devastating injury in 2013. After 20 surgeries in just two-years, he made the decision to amputate his injured leg.

Understandably, this was a terrible time for Brant’s wife, Tanya, a pediatric trauma nurse, and the couple’s two daughters. The Irelands started to drift apart. Brant explained that they lived side by side, but they were living “entirely different lives.” 

Fortunately, Tanya and Brant discovered Operation Healing Forces, a nonprofit dedicated to helping America’s Special Operations Forces and their families to restore the relationships wounded by the call of duty. Founded by Gary Merkel, Operation Healing Forces offers resources and therapeutic marriage retreats to ease the effects of military service. To date they have held more than 250 retreats, serving over 1,000 couples.

Operation Healing Forces took the Irelands on a transformative retreat to the British Virgin Islands in 2016. Surrounded by other military couples who understood what they had been through, Brant and Tany were able to rebuild their marriage.

The Irelands took what they had learned from this experience and used it to reconstruct their lives. Brant regained confidence through adaptive sports, while Tanya transitioned careers, both finding new roles within their family dynamic.

Brant and Tanya are grateful to Merkel for his support and intervention during a dark time.

Solarpunk Simulator – Playing Video Games for Charity

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By DouglasPosted In: Charity Activity, Family, Poverty

In March 2023, Roblox unveiled its latest idea to help promote giving in the youth community. This online, social gaming platform has partnered with ComicRelief US to create the “Kids Relief Presents: Solarpunk Simulator” in an effort to help kids have fun while fighting poverty.

Solarpunk Simulator takes place in a peaceful future world. It features Jack Black as well as a host of Roblox influencers who encourage players to work towards the common goal of building a spaceship. When participants buy virtual items in the Solarpunk Simulator virtual store, money from their purchases goes to charity.

Kids Relief was built by Wonder Works Studio. CEO Zach Letter explained that the concept for the simulator is similar to that of the popular school fundraiser “Penny Wars”, which awards prizes to the classes that bring in the most pennies for charity. Solarpunk has teams of kids competing to collect parts of a spaceship, and the winners are awarded prizes, such as tickets to a virtual concert by singer BoyWithUke.

Letter explains that the game itself is fun and exciting, “It’s really satisfying to play and you always feel this sense of power over collecting the materials. You don’t want to be shoving charity in someone’s face and make it feel overwhelming and that it’s all about the donations. We really want kids to have a great time here and educate themselves.”

The Kids Relief campaign aims to raise $10 million over the next three years directed towards ending intergenerational poverty.

A Walk to Remember

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By DouglasPosted In: Charity Activity, Family, HealthTagged: ,

Losing a loved one is never easy, no matter what the cause. Many find comfort and meaning by raising awareness or funds in memory of those who have passed. When family or friends pass tragically or after battling illness, the drive to take action to help others often kicks in even stronger.

Mary Hersch, a 61-year-old Wisconsin native, embarked last September on a 1,439-mile walking journey from central Wisconsin to the Texas coast. Her mission was to raise awareness about pulmonary fibrosis, the lung disease that took her mother’s life 25 years ago. When her mother passed away, Hersch’s father requested that half of his ashes would join with her mother’s ashes in the gulf at Port Arkansas, when the time would come.

Since walking has always been a passion of Hersch’s and her mother loved the beach, the chosen route seemed most fitting. She partnered with the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation who managed the fundraising and helped her map out her voyage.

Along the way, Hersch often had some company. A couple of her friends accompanied her, driving along slowly in their motor home, as she walked. Many drivers stopped along the road to check if all was OK, if she needed water, and learned about Hersch’s undertaking at the same time. The poster of her mother’s picture hung on her friends’ RV sparked curiosity from passerby, triggering conversation and bonding among people.

On the 89th day of her journey, Hersch received word that her father had died of a heart attack. While she took the news very hard and had considered delaying her projected end date, she gained strength knowing he was rooting for her and felt his presence along each step. She experienced a newfound push to pull through, and had planned to have family meet her half a mile before the coast with her father’s ashes.

Hersch arrived at Port Arkansas on December 30. She scattered her father’s ashes into the sea, and her parents were reunited. She walked for 107 days and raised over $34,000 for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.

Firefighter Challenge 2022

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By M. MarksPosted In: Charity Activity, Family

This year’s annual Firefighter Challenge event took place over the weekend in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The fundraiser began with a relay on Friday night, and continued with individual competitions on Saturday, attracting over 250 people. Team competitions were scheduled for Sunday. Over $85,000 has already been raised for the Grand Rapids Fire Department Fire Prevention Foundation, which will go toward smoke detectors and other safety measures to keep locals safe.

The event brought in firefighters from over 1,300 miles away. Organizers reported that the Firefighter Challenge is also an opportunity for people to learn more about the work firefighters do, and even recruit interest. By the end of Saturday, over a dozen attendees were considering the line of work.

What do the competitions at the event actually look like? The purpose is to simulate real life scenarios. In one timed course, the participants carried a bunch of heavy hoses while climbing up five flights of stairs. They then returned downstairs to the street, broke through a door, and lugged a water hose through the doorway, spraying at the target. In the last stage, the firefighters simulated the rescue of a trapped person, pulling a 175-pound man to the finish line 100 feet away.

In addition to the competitions aimed at firefighters, the Firefighter Challenge is also designed to attract families. There are a variety of fun activities for children, such as the Kid’s Challenge Course and others which promote fire safety. An array of dining options are offered, including food trucks and a beer tent.

If you missed this year’s Firefighter Challenge, be sure to check back in a few months to see where next year’s event will be held!

London FoodCycle to Open Six New Locations

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By DouglasPosted In: Family, PovertyTagged:

With the cost of living rising across England, more citizens are finding themselves in need of basic necessities. Unfortunately, an increasing number of residents are finding it impossible to provide their families with three meals a day.

FoodCycle is a London-based organization that offers meals on a weekly basis to whomever needs. Their 11 centers across the capital work to transform surplus groceries into three-course vegetarian meals. Thanks to a generous grant of £174,800 from City Trust Bridge charity funder, FoodCycle plans to expand its service by opening six new centers over the next year. The goal is to feed over 4,000 people in 30 districts within London by 2024. The organization estimates it will be using more than 126,000kg of surplus groceries – that is the equivalent of the weight of 25 African elephants!

In addition to providing the physical sustenance needed for survival, the support offered by FoodCycle goes much further. Tom Osborne, FoodCycle Trusts and Foundations Manager, explains: “Our meals help our guests eat more healthily, try new foods and save money. They also have a really important benefit of helping people feel less lonely and more connected with their community by coming together in a safe space and making new friends.”

Given the help of volunteers and the team at FoodCycle, thousands of people are able to continue their daily lives knowing their physical needs will be met encompassed by a support system.

Family-Owned Businesses Making Philanthropic Commitments

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By JohnPosted In: Charity Activity, Charity in Business, FamilyTagged: , , , ,

Family-owned companies are including philanthropy as a fundamental part of their business model, dedicating significant funds to worthy charities and causes.

Evan Metropoulos and Warren Buffett
Evan Metropoulos, left, with Warren Buffett. Metropoulos & Co. has signed Buffett’s Giving Pledge.

Evan Metropoulos, of Metropoulos & Co., says his family has translated its core values and principles to active charitable giving. The company became a signatory to The Giving Pledge, an initiative of billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates, pledging more than half of the company’s wealth to philanthropy. According to Mr. Metropoulos, the company takes pride in its giving and its role in modeling good corporate practices.

“It has proven to be good for business, too. We are recruiting and keeping fantastic employees who are committed to what we stand for and give to. Our clients and the wider community want to be a part of generating positive change in the world.”

Evan Metropoulos, Metropoulos & Co.
van Metropoulos at the Clinton Foundation
Evan Metropoulos, left, with members of the Clinton family at a Clinton Foundation Millennium Network event.

giveSPORTS Equipment Drive Honors Aurora Victim

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By JohnPosted In: FamilyTagged: , , , , ,

Jessica Redfield Ghawi, a victim of the Aurora shooting, is being commemorated with a charity sports equipment drive this weekend. The event, called the Jessica Redfield Ghawi giveSPORTS Equipment Drive, will be launched by the Colorado Avalanche through Kroenke Sports Charity.

The idea for the charity came from Jessica herself, following some brutal wildfires in Colorado. The teen aimed to help affected families by replacing lost sports equipment. Now, the charity has expanded to support local Denver children with A Precious Child, another non-profit organization.

Jay Meloff, Jessica’s old boyfriend, explains her mission on the event’s website, saying:

“Jessi realized that it’s the little things that make a big difference. She had such a passion for sports and she knew what an important role sports played in communities. She knew that sports are something that can really help kids bounce back, give them something to look forward to even in the worst of circumstances. Jessi was the most incredible giver I’ve ever met, and she was always looking to help others even when it wasn’t in her best interest to help. Her main focus was making sure that all these families that lost everything had the little things.”

Glass Slipper Charity Event to Support Autism Speaks

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By JohnPosted In: FamilyTagged: , , , ,

After a few years’ break, Lisa Friday McCastlain is launching another Glass Slipper luncheon fashion show for charity.

This year’s event, which is to be held at the Tuskawilla Country Club, will benefit the Autism Speaks organization. Jim Payne, news anchor of WESH 2 News, will host the event, which includes a charity auction and a fashion show.

McClain began the Glass Slipper in 2001 after the loss of her husband with hopes of keeping herself busy and supporting others in need. The event benefits different charities every year.

“The event has always been a labor of love for me,” she says. “We don’t hold money back so I bank roll it every year- it’s sort of a leap of faith putting it on. We rely on the community to donate and they always come through. I’m so thankful.”

She explained:

“I started Glass Slipper because I realized if I’m going through something difficult, others are too. This year, I can really speak to the cause. My brother has a beautiful child with Autism. I also found that I have many friends who have been touched by this cause so I knew we has to help.”

The Glass Slipper event will be ‘fun and girly’ in hopes of gathering mothers, daughters and friends.

“Everyone knows we’re there to support, but we want to do it while making it a joyous day,” McCastlain explained.

Red Robin Launches Charity Car Wash for Aurora Victims

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By JohnPosted In: FamilyTagged: , , , ,

Eau Claire’s Red Robin restaurant has launched a car wash in support of the Aurora shooting victims and their families.

The event hopes to raise money to help with medical bills and physical therapy, according to Christopher Pirelli, the venue’s general manager.

Other restaurants throughout the country are also adding their efforts to the cause with similar car-washing charities this week.

 WQOW TV: Eau Claire, WI NEWS18 News, Weather, and Sports

 

Guns & Hoses Softball Tournament Raises Money for Youth Programs

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By JohnPosted In: FamilyTagged: , , , , , ,

August 18th marks this year’s Guns & Hoses charity event, which combines the efforts of the Great Falls Police Department and Great Falls Fire Rescue in a softball tournament.

All proceeds from the event, which include the admission fee of $7 and a can of food, are donated to local youth programs and food banks. Tickets are being sold at the Great Falls Police Department and Centene Stadium.

Katie Cunnigham, a police officer, explained:

“It’s important for 100 percent of the donations and proceeds go straight back into the community for youth-based organizations such as ‘Shop with a Cop’ graduation parties, CASA-CAN, all those types of things. It goes straight back into the community.”

The Fire Rescue feels the same way. Fireman J.D. Kulbeck said:

“Just good to show that the cops and firemen do actually get along though there’s kind of that friendly rivalry. But most importantly it’s to raise money for the charities.”

Last year’s competition ended with a 31-15 win for the Fire Rescue. This year Cunningham believes the police are “planning on bringing their best game,” while the Fire Rescue team vows to keep up their winning streak.