I would be lying if I said that I didn't sit in front of my laptop for hours on end trying to find the right words, the 600 words that would not only limit and pressure me to express myself, but also touch each of your hearts, help you not just understand, but actually feel what I feel when I come together with the team behind Beacon of Hope. All my life I was taught to be selfless, giving, loving, kind and compassionate and through these qualities I would find my happy place. I would fill bags of clothes and toys that I no longer found interest in and drop them off at my nearest donation center for someone that I would never meet. I would be untruthful if I said that the satisfaction that this gave me wasn't short lived as I never actually got to witness my act of kindness get fulfilled.
It wasn't until I teamed with BOH that I really began to understand what it was all about, what made it all worth it and gave meaning to my madness and obsession with putting others first. For over 8 years now, they give hope to the children in Latin America and the Caribbean by providing scholarships, recreational playgrounds, housing, psychological and medical services to those who would have never had the opportunity to receive it otherwise. They keep their sponsors in the loop of all their activities as well as everything that is done with the donations they receive through, emails, Facebook, twitter post and personal blogs while including pictures of the children and families in the program. Just in the last year, BOH raised nearly $9,000 to help Haiti recover from hurricane Matthews, provided 25 families with psychological services, gifted 55 students with backpacks filled with #supplies4success, 16 well deserved high school scholarships, three dual enrollment scholarships, added two classrooms to the community center and saw their first two graduates walk after completing their dual enrollment. I am a proud to say that my happiness stems from giving and providing what sometimes I take for granted. The little things like school supplies, a place to study or even hang out with friends, being part of a movement that this non-profit works so hard to make possible.
Since joining BOH, I have also committed to #run4hope every year during the #MiamiMarathon and get the feel of not only making personal donations but fundraising on my own for a new goal set out by BOH each year and knowing with my help, they can achieve it. I trust in BOH and know that they go above and beyond to give every child directly impacted within the community the opportunity to overcome poverty and reach their fullest potential. They work together with their sponsors and monthly donations to change the lives of the children and family in this program. Nonetheless, BOH never fails to grant me the opportunity to accomplish my selfless acts. Last year, I was given the chance to visit one of the communities that BOH works with and it gave me a feeling of satisfaction that no one can ever take away from me. I now wake up every morning finally knowing that miles away, there is a child directly affected by my donations getting ready for a better tomorrow. These are just some of the man
Review from #MyGivingStory