Meet Living by Giving Royalty: Jenna Edwards

I first met Jenna Edwards in New York City, while there to participate as a speaker in New York Entrepreneur Week.  As two young founders, we were set-up by a mutual friend to meet and chat about our respective experiences.  Little did I know, I was about to meet giving royalty.  After all, Jenna is a former beauty queen, a beautiful model, and has appeared on Oprah and in People.  But her royalty in my eyes comes from the thousands of children's lives she has changed through her For a Day Foundation. 

Upon first meeting, it didn't take long before we were comfortably sharing our fun and entertaining stories about our social entrepreneurial adventures.  Advice was exchanged and visions were shared.  Most significantly, a wonderful friendship was formed. 

I am so excited Jenna agreed to share a little about her story here...she is truly living by giving!

Kate: Hi Jenna, thanks for your time to share with us a little more about the For a Day Foundation.  I was so inspired by your story and your work, I really wanted to help spread the word.  Now, people should know that you started this organization 10 years ago, at the young age of 18.  It was then the Queen for a Day Foundation.  Tell us what you all do.

Jenna:  Yes, you are right we are now officially the For a Day Foundation and we are excited about this next chapter of growth in our organization.  The For a Day Foundation strives to offer respite for pediatric patients to remind them that they are still kids and all kids deserve the joy of play. 

Kate: So true. That sounds awesome. And you started this amazing organization 10 years ago at such a young age.  What was your inspiration to start the Foundation?Jenna and Rhanda

Jenna: As an 18-year-old Miss Teen All American, I just wanted to give back to my community. I knew as a beauty queen the joys of wearing a crown but there were many causes to support. I found my purpose in life while interning at the local Children’s Miracle Network Telethon.  It was there that I met 7-year-old brain tumor patient Rhanda. Her excitement and overall glow from receiving one of my tiaras was an inspiration and I decided to launch, Queen for a Day.

Kate:  I love it.  If I got to wear a tiara I would feel like a Queen too!  What a great way to use your recognition from the pageant to channel your desire to give back to help others. 

Jenna:  The launch of Queen for a Day enabled me to help so many young girls deal with self-esteem and self-image issues that I also dealt with in late high school/early college.  Ultimately, a little bit of positive attention goes a long way in uplifting the soul and when I started helping others, I noticed my own issues faded away.

Kate: It’s amazing how many people have gotten involved and wanted to help. How many chapters do you have now around the US?

Jenna: It’s been wonderful to see the response from people wanting to be involved! I never expected it would grow to this level!  We have 25 local chapters throughout the US and a partnership with a wish-granting foundation in South Africa, Reach for a Dream. Each chapter has anywhere from 5-50 volunteers consistently participating in hospital visits and fund-raisers. Over 10 years, we have reached over 4,500 kids!

Kate: That’s amazing. Let me ask, why is GIVING so important to you in your life?

Jenna: I almost died as a toddler. The airways in my lungs were being squeezed shut by swelling in the glands around them. I whistled when I inhaled and exhaled. My mother made a deal with God that she would make sure I was in church every Sunday if He would save me. After 8 doctors, we finally found one who took a different approach. Long story short, the medicine he gave me decreased the swelling and I eventually stopped whistling all together. To this day, we don’t know what caused it, but my mother instilled in me from that day forward that I was put on this earth to make a difference.

Giving is just my PURPOSE.

Kate:  I'm not sure you had told me that story.  Wow! You continue to amaze me.  And what a great purpose to have.  You are a dream-maker for these kids, so what is your dream for the Foundation?

Jenna: I get excited about the future, because the sky is the limit.  The For a Day Foundation has an opportunity to become a resource for hospitals and treatment facilities to outsource their alternative therapies. We would have professionals directing and developing therapies and offering them on a weekly basis to facilities. I can see opportunity for very special programs and events featuring patients outside of hospital visits too.

Kate: So as someone who has found her PURPOSE in her giving life, what advice would you give to someone who is looking to start giving back? 

Jenna:  Just do! I remember planning the first event with no thought of anyone saying no, with no thought of what happens next, with no fear of success. Let’s face it: we really aren’t afraid of failure; we’re afraid of success! So just “do” the moment, the impulse, the vision.

To learn more visit  www.QFAD.org and find out how to help a child with cancer.

Give it Up for GlamourGals Founder: Rachel Doyle

     She's been on Oprah.  Perez Hilton has been kind enough to blog about her cause.  And she was named the first ever “Cosmogirl of the Year” by Cosmogirl magazine.   Rachel Doyle is a gal you should know!  And I’m so excited to be able to introduce you to her.  Rachel is the young Founder and President of GlamourGals.  GlamourGals, affectionately known as GG, is a not-for-profit organization that exists to inspire and organize teens to provide ongoing complimentary beauty makeovers to elderly women living in senior homes.   I love how Rachel has created an amazing way to bridge the generations through empowerment and understanding that beauty comes from inside and out.  

I recently caught up with Rachel as she was gearing up for GG's 6th Annual Glammy Awards in New York City. We're talking hot pink carpet, makeovers, and gift bags...all true VIP awards show style.  I can hear Julia Roberts' character in Steel Magnolias, Shelby saying, "Pink is my signature color."  It certainly is the GamourGals'.

A busy, glamorous gal herself, Rachel generously gave me some of her time to answer a few questions.  She’s truly an inspiration and a role model for all of us looking to be Living by Giving. 

Kate:  Why did you start the GlamourGals Foundation?  What was your inspiration?

Rachel:  I started GlamourGals in high school as an idea that would honor the memory of my grandmother.  Now GlamourGals is an organization that captures beautiful, poignant moments that have tremendous meaning for two generations and provides a leadership structure to support those experiences.

Kate:  You have a big event coming up, the annual “Glammy's.”  Great name by the way.  Tell us a little about what goes on at the Glammy Awards.

Rachel: I am so EXCITED! It is our 6th annual awards!  Parents, volunteers, advisors and special guests are invited to walk the hot pink carpet to honor and recognize the hard work and dedication of our volunteers.  A special presentation is made to recognize extraordinary volunteer efforts with a Glammy Award and everyone leaves with a gift bag (if you have been to our events before YOU KNOW they are awesome!).  Guests have the opportunity to take part in our interactive beauty lounge, with Exuberance Beauty and if they buy any products 50% of the proceeds will go toward GG!

Kate: And you and I both know how important it is to recognize the volunteers.  You do this in a brilliantly fun way.  Let me ask, why is Giving so important to you in your life?

Rachel: I think when you can give something: time, money, ideas, even a compliment it allows you to take a moment and step back and see how lucky you are to be in the position “to give”.

Kate:  Love that.  You are right, giving someone even a compliment can be rewarding.  What advice would you give to someone who is looking to start giving back?  What’s the first step you would tell them to do?

Rachel: Go to www.glamourgals.org and check out “Get involved” or “Events” tabs or facebook.com/glamourgals and like and suggest it to friends!  We would love to welcome more people into our movement!

Kate:  Awesome!  You do have a great website that makes it very easy for people to join your cause and help.  Congrats Rachel on all of your success.  And best of luck to you in the coming weeks as you put the final signature touches on The Glammy’s.

Rachel:  Thanks Kate.  We’ll be sure to share pictures from the event! 

Check out the details below and click the postcard for more information on The Glammy’s and GlamourGals.

The Glammy Awards/NYC
May 15, 2010; 6pm-8pm
Helen Mills Theatre NYC

Pink Carpet Host: Stephanie Mattera

Awards' Host: Diem Brown

Musical Performance by: Nadine Loren 

An evening with Scott Harrison of charity: water

Lately I've noticed this new wave of rockstars in our culture. I like to call them the Rockstars of Giving.  They've got success, they've got lots of fans, they mingle with celebs, but most importantly they've got the most inspiring Living by Giving stories, which in my world is what gives them rockstar status.   A couple of weeks ago, I got to meet one rockstar, Blake MyCoskie, of TOMS Shoes.  Continuing on my tour, last night I got a chance to spend an evening with Scott Harrison, founder of charity: water. (Thanks to two of my fav Rockstars of Giving: Dan and Garrett!) 

Ten years ago, you would have found Scott Harrison hanging out with the uber-wealthy and the uber-celebrity as one of New York's top club promoters.  A decision to take a year of his life and dedicate it to helping others overseas, changed the course of his future for good.  No longer drinking the finest Cristal, Scott embarked on a mission around clean water for all.  Three years ago, he formalized his concept and started charity: water.

After this small gathering with friends, I came away entertained, inspired, and newly informed of just how vital his business and the movement following him is to our global community. The guy is as passionate about water, as rockstars are about their music.  Almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean drinking water. That’s one in eight of us! charity:water is a solution to the crisis through its mission to bring clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations.

What makes Scott a unique social entrepreneur is that as he launched his socially-driven business model, he knew he wanted to build a charitable company that answered all of the speculation and criticism often thrown around by his friends..."How much of my donation goes to the project vs. overhead costs?"  " How do I know my donation is making a difference?"  Scott's answer was two-fold: he would guarantee that 100% of public donations would go to his projects, and his non-profit would be as transparent as possible.  (You can find his financial statements visibly posted on the website.)

In three years, he has not only stuck to his word, but he has reached unimanigable success.  Here are some of my favorite things I learned:

-- With five weeks of operating $$ in the bank, Scott's dream was almost over after its first year.  But thanks to a $1m gift from the Founder of Bebo, instead of closing the door, his venture took off at an amazing pace. (Can you imagine receiving that email? I dream of it.)

-- I love their Birthday campaign. They have developed a tool on their website that allows people to set-up pages for their birthday and ask friends and family to donate in honor of the big day.  Celebs such as Alyssa Milano have even participated. You can start your page here: http://mycharitywater.org/p/signin

-- Since 2006, get this...charity: water has funded the construction of more than 2,321 projects that, when completed, will provide clean drinking water to over 1,000,000 people.  $20 can give a person in Africa clean, safe drinking water for 20 years.

Check out this cool PSA with Jennifer Connelly:

Today: World AIDS Day

   Today, December 1st is World AIDS Day - a day where people all over the world bring awareness and attention to one of today's leading health epidemics.  The first World AIDS day was held in 1988.  We certainly have come a long way in both treatment and education, but I am still amazed by the damage this disease does to all ages, all walks of life, all over the world.  In the spirit of the day, here are 5 stunning statistics about the HIV virus and AIDS epidemic.

1.) 33.4 million people are living with HIV worldwide; more than 2 million are under the age of 15

2.) More than 2.4 million people were diagnosed with HIV in 2008

3.) More than 25 million people have died of AIDS since 1981.

4.) Africa has over 14 million AIDS orphans.

5.) At the end of 2008, women accounted for 50% of all adults living with HIV worldwide

Babette's Corner: Seven-year-old cooks up a storm to raise money for cancer

I found this amazing story the other day on the Huffington Post and knew I needed to share it.  Eight-year-old Jack Witherspoon is not the average kid that I normally find when searching for kids doing good.  He himself is fighting a battle with leukemia, so I would expect a story about others helping him.  Not this young man.  What makes Jack so special is that he decided after his cancer was in remission that he was going to help raise money for children’s cancer research.  

In 2008, he raised $36,000 by doing what he loves to do best, cooking. He plans on working on a cookbook called “twist it up,” with the profits all going to leukemia research!

I can’t wait to get my hands on this young Top Chef's recipes.

For his full story, be sure to check out:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/05/seven-year-old-jack-withe_n_346903.html

(I'm Babette, Kate's sidekick. Every once in a while I get to share my voice and my stories of living a charitable life.  I hope you enjoy!  For more about me, check this out...Five Questions with Babette.)