My Nonprofit Reviews

StandUp For Kids. My first introduction to this organization coincided with my first attempt to raise a large amount of money for a cause that is near and dear to my heart – homeless kids. Creatively named by StandUp For Kids as the SOS2009 Tour (Segway Off ‘the’ Streets), it was important that I perform due diligence for my intended beneficiary a little more than typical online research. Two trips to the Atlanta National Headquarters and one to Chicago cemented my commitment to StandUp For Kids. On the trips to the Georgia headquarters, I met staff, some members of the Board of Directors (including a surprise – one of them was a good friend from Minnesota) and of course, many volunteers. Being face to face with leaders and staff was amazing, I have to say. But it was my trip to Chicago that really created a bond. It was here, at a two day training session for new volunteers to the Chicago Program, that I saw with my own eyes, heard with my own ears and felt with my own heart what StandUp For Kids is all about. This nationwide organization is made up of nearly all volunteers. But it’s what I saw and heard from these volunteers-in-training that, to this very day, creates a little mist (or something) in my eyes. Dedication and a burning desire to positively change the lives of homeless kids isn’t something a person can fake. And here, right before me, I was in the middle of a room full of promise. Right before me, there were 15 people of all ages ready to learn about homelessness – ready to take the fight to the streets of Chicago in order to make a difference. And this is why Responsible Referrals has designated StandUp For Kids as our 2013 Charity of the Year. This is why we plan to pour all of our efforts into raising money for this organization. This is why I am so very thankful that in 2009, I made a phone call, did the research and became a life-long advocate for this organization.

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