Those of you who don’t know me will probably find me SUPER CHEESY. But hey, that’s OKAY with me. I am writing a blog to share things in my life that I really believe in… that I really believe can make a difference in ALL our lives.
I have to admit, I LOVE being a part of charity events and doing good things for great causes.
My top three list is rather simple:
- Animals
- Children
- Veterans
My heart melts for any and all animals. So much, in fact, that I just can’t look at some of the PETA and Mercy For Animals content they post on social media. It’s so heart breaking and disturbing that people could actually treat beautiful creatures in such awful ways. The same goes for children and our amazing veterans.
Maybe it has something to do with the fact that children and animals are so innocent. They believe the best in the world and oftentimes, are shown the worst. I just cannot stand this.
And veterans, whether you are for a war or against it, every one of our veterans deserves our utmost respect, encouragement and help when needed. I’ve met so many wonderful men and women who have served our country, who have fought on the battlefield in places like the Middle East (not once but several times), and who are so humble about their service. They all say if they could do it over, they’d do it again for our country. That really amazes and wow’s me.
I believe when we perform acts of charity we are not only helping others, but ourselves as well. Doing charity work puts our own lives in perspective and shows us how great we really do have it. Charity work also allows us to give back to our communities and to make a difference in the world. Just think of how many billions of people there are in the world. If each of us could contribute one act of charitable kindness a year, the world would be in much better shape.
The particular charity event I was a part of in these pictures is an event held each year in San Diego aboard the retired aircraft carrier, the USS Midway. I was asked to be a part of a very special team of workout professionals lead by my friend and fitness guru, Cindy Whitmarsh. Each of us taught a segment of a bootcamp atop the ship to hundreds of veterans, both active and retired, and individuals who paid a fee to join the workout. What was so great about this workout? We got to kick everyone’s butts by giving them a safe, fun, calorie burning workout and make money for the veterans!
What I LOVE about this charity is that 100% of the proceeds went to homeless veterans! All of us teachers donated our time and instruction. College kids, fraternities and sororities from SDSU all helped to sell tickets and raise money for our cause. Afterwards, we stayed aboard for a while and took pictures with the military, chatted with them and thanked them about 10000 times and more for their service. Once again, these men and women were all so humble and kind. It was an incredible experience.
I would like to encourage all of you to be kind and thank the next military man or woman you meet up with for their service. (If you take Lyft or Uber like we do, you may not realize how many of your drivers are actually retired or active military). You’d be surprised by how many of these incredible individuals are so shy and really appreciate the gratitude. It’s something they’re not always used to hearing.
SO… how else can we show gratitude and get each other involved in something meaningful? There are so many ways! I donate anything from my time to dance instruction and personal training to the charities I have researched and know are legitimate.
If I’m super busy with work, I’ll sweep through my closets and grab any clothes, towels, bath rugs and dog toys we don’t use and donate them to one of my favorite organizations.
I’m a fan of smaller grass roots organizations that do not require fancy parties to raise funds. So often these fancy parties cost thousands of dollars to create and hundreds of dollars for guests to participate in. You may think you’re donating a few hundred dollars to the charity of your choice by buying an expensive ticket to a beautiful gala, but the reality is… very little of your money actually goes to the charity. How do I know? I’ve made the mistake of doing it myself. I’ve also served on committees and seen where the money goes and how much money actually gets collected for the charity. It’s surprisingly not what you would hope for.
In fact, my attitude towards charity gala events is quite different now. If I want to get dressed up and go to a fancy gala, I go knowing I’m paying for the fancy party, entertainment and drinks. If I want to donate to my favorite charities, such as Thrive Animal Rescue or K9’s For Warriors, I will write a check and send it directly to them or foster a dog until I can find them the perfect home.
Send me your thoughts! Is there a favorite charity you’d like to share with my readers? Is there an awesome one you know I’d love to check out? Anyone local in San Diego who could help Thrive Animal Rescue foster some pups or make some donations to our Marines at Camp Pendleton?
xx Shanna