Charity
I always feel in my heart that we have a purpose and one of those for me is to give back to those less fortunate. I strongly believe that we are given certain talents and gifts to share with those unable to do for themselves. I didn’t realize until my late 20′s (perhaps because I stopped being selfish), that it’s not about me, rather the world as whole and bettering our community. I come from a poor, destitute 3rd world island where food is rationed. To that end, I have a personal obligation to pay it forward through philanthropic and artistic work and feeding the hungry.
ANNUAL CHARITY EVENT
CreativeCause™ was created when I saw a need for a local platform for designers, artists and creative souls to expose their works. I’m an artist and my mother is a designer. It was only natural that I wanted to offer something to the artistic community as I kept our own efforts in mind. While coming up with the concept for the event, it made complete sense to have the event serve as an dual platform for causes I’m passionate about. At the time I created CreativeCause™, I was involved in AIDS awareness and activism. The 2006 and 2007 events benefitted local and national non-profit AIDs organizations.
CreativeCause™ is an electrifying and entertaining evening full of haute music, art, culinary musings, fashion, live performances and silent auction to raise money and awareness. Partial proceeds from the door go to a designated beneficiaries. 100% of the proceeds from the silent auction go the beneficiaries. This year, CreativeCause™ will be stronger with a bigger platform and its cause being to bring local and global hunger awareness to the Atlanta community. I also decided to benefit a non-profit music preservation foundation. I was fortunate enough to have music programs introduced to me in elementary school, which led to my classical musical training. Art is the grand door to seeing the world and all the beautiful cultures. Without, we are closed minded, intolerant and uncultured. Music is a universal language and we can not afford to keep it from children being exposed to its magic.
ENDING HUNGER
One Comment. One Eats.
I remember seeing a ration book in Cuba for the first time 10 years ago. I was stunned and amazed that in this century, people are told what they can eat, if anything. I’ve personally not suffered from hunger, butI know my parents’ teenage years were spent standing in 3 hour long lines just to grab 1 lb. of rice and maybe some milk. Global images of children starving to death are disturbing, heartbreaking and simply unfathomable. But, we don’t need to go overseas to see the damage hunger imparts. Look at your poor neighborhoods and see how hunger affects us all. Hunger has to be obliterated and it’s one of my missions to use my voice and energy to do something about it. Through my blog, Flanboyant Eats™, I launched Hunger Lives No More: One Comment. One Eats.™ For each comment left on the first post of each month, I personally donate a food item to a local food bank or family in need. Imagine what 50 comments can do for a small family of 4! It’s my simple way of ensuring that someone doesn’t go to bed hungry. I hope to take One. Comment. One Eats. to other cities and get national local communities involved by doing the same thing. It just takes one persons’ vision to make a difference. I invite you to read more about One Comment. One Eats. via the link below.
Share Our Strength
I have partnered up with Share Our Strength, a D.C.-based non-profit organization whose mission is to end hunger in the United States. Their goal is to end hunger by 2015. To that end, SOS has partnered up with the Obama administration to see that happens. My relationship with SOS is simple: to spread knowledge and information about hunger to impoverished and underserved communities. I volunteer as a chef with their Cooking Matters™ program which hosts a series of seminars and cooking classes on on cooking better at home, choosing healthier foods, purchasing the right kinds of foods, nutrition and basic food knowledge. The gold is to not allow our fellow neighbor to be short of food.
DIFFERENTLY ABLED CHILDREN
Amputee Adventure Camp
Music, hunger and art are my obvious interests, but I love to delve into other needy causes. My sister is the director of a national camp for amputee children, ages 7-16. This amazing 5-day adventure camp is held in the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina. For 5 days, volunteer counselors and selfless staff, spend life-changing moments with children whose lives have been impacted by illness or traumatic accidents. The camp allows the children to bear no inhibitions and offers and incredible opportunity to be the majority. For me, it creates moments to renew my sense of appreciation, understanding of differently abled people and enjoy my inner child.
For more information on Adventure Amputee Camp, please visit their site here.
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I’m involved with a variety of other non-profit organizations that see to ending hunger, preserving art and music and serving the underprivileged. If you are interested in partnering up on any one of these endeavors or would like for me to speak and address audiences on any of these causes, please contact me directly.
My Charity Sites
