Feel Good Friday - StoryCorps

While many people call the day after Thanksgiving Black Friday and spend it shopping, it’s also a day for The Great Thanksgiving Listen, created by today’s organization, StoryCorps.

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the mission of StoryCorps is “to help us believe in each other by illuminating the humanity and possibility in us all—one story at a time.” 

Since its founding, StoryCorps has helped nearly 700,000 people across the country have meaningful conversations about their lives, with recordings collected in the U.S. Library of Congress in what is now the largest single collection of human voices ever gathered. To hear how StoryCorps works directly from the founder, Dave Isay, watch this 3-minute animated Introduction to StoryCorps video.

In 2008, StoryCorps launched the National Day of Listening, an initiative that asks Americans to set aside time to record the stories of their families, friends, and local communities. It occurs on the Friday after Thanksgiving as an alternative to Black Friday shopping. In 2015, StoryCorps evolved the project into The Great Thanksgiving Listen and began encouraging intergenerational conversations, with young people interviewing elders, mentors, and those they admire.

Additional programs include the Military Voices Initiative for veterans and military families, the Memory Loss Initiative for individuals with Alzheimer's and other forms of memory loss, and the Griot Initiative preserving the voices and experiences of African Americans. You can see their full list of programs here. 

If you’re curious to hear stories from your older relatives, I encourage you to talk to them while you still can. You can record a conversation using the free StoryCorps mobile app or visit the MobileBooth as it tours the country. Select stories are shared with the public through weekly broadcasts, their podcast, animated shorts, digital platforms, and best-selling books. Listening to, or contributing, a story is a great way learn about what we have in common.

If you'd like to support StoryCorps, you can make a donation to help preserve the stories of our time in America and amplify their message on social media. Follow StoryCorps on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and subscribe to their YouTube channel. Happy Great Thanksgiving Listen!

Feel Good Friday - St. Mary's Food Bank

It’s the first Friday in September, which means it’s also National Food Bank Day. A perfect day to learn more about the organization that started it all, St. Mary’s Food Bank.

Founded in 1967 by John van Hengel and headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, St. Mary’s Food Bank is the world’s first food bank! Their mission is “bridging the gap for Arizona communities with nourishment for today and hope for tomorrow.”

As they explain on their website, food insecurity is a problem for 2 million Arizonans, which includes 1 in 5 children. To address this issue, St. Mary’s Food Bank provides food at no cost to over 900 partner agencies across Arizona. These include organizations such as food pantries, homeless shelters, meal centers, domestic violence shelters, afterschool programs for at-risk children and low-income senior living centers.

The programs run by St. Mary’s Food Bank and their partners include food distribution through both food banks and home delivery, child nutrition programs that provide healthy meals to children in daily after-school programs and during the summer, and a skills center that provides tailored job training in the culinary and foodservice industry as well as the warehouse and logistics industry.

Working with their partner agencies, St. Mary’s Food Bank distributes over 300,000 pounds of food each day. In fiscal year 2023, the total was more than 123,000,000 pounds of food, which is the equivalent of 93,000,000 meals! This food has been a lifeline for so many families across Arizona. You can read individual stories at this link.

If you’d like to support St. Mary’s Food Bank on National Food Bank Day, or any other, there are many ways to do so. People in Phoenix can volunteer their time and the rest of us can donate our money. Everyone can raise awareness by engaging on social media. Follow St. Mary’s Food Bank on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and subscribe to their YouTube channel. 

Feel Good Friday - Family Promise

Winter weather can be challenging, especially for those who are experiencing homelessness. That’s the inspiration to highlight Family Promise, an organization working to end family homelessness across the United States.

Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Summit, New Jersey, Family Promise “prevents and ends homelessness for families with children and helps them achieve sustainable independence through a community-based response.” 

Family Promise is the largest nonprofit addressing family homelessness in the nation and there is a great need for their services. According to information shared in videos and posts in 2023, 42.9 million households spent more than 30% of their income on housing costs and 21.5 million spent more than 50% of their income on housing. In addition, 3 million children in the United States experience homelessness every year. 

Family Promise has 200 Affiliates in 43 states, staffed by over 180,000 volunteers. Together they run a variety of shelter, prevention, and stabilization programs such as the examples below.

Prevention and diversion programs aim to keep families out of shelters by providing services such as temporary hotel stays, landlord mediation or rental assistance. Emergency shelter is offered on a rotational model which means mobilizing volunteers to help house families in community space. Stabilization programs focus on tenancy training, financial capability and other educational initiatives. Housing programs include master leasing, transitional in place programming, and housing choice vouchers. Finally, when needed local communities organize to provide services such as food pantries, furniture donation and holiday gift drives.

The results from using this holistic approach are impressive. 63,000 families were served in 2023 and over 80% of families in the Family Promise shelter program exit into stable housing.

If you’d like to get involved, look for an affiliate in your community and volunteer. You can also make a monetary donation and help amplify their work by spreading the word on social media. Follow Family Promise on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Feel Good Friday - Family Equality Council

Pride month is in full swing and it’s a great time to learn about organizations supporting the LGBTQ+ community. The focus of today’s Feel Good Friday is Family Equality Council.

Founded in 1979 as the Gay Fathers Coalition and headquartered in New York City, the organization officially changed its name to Family Equality Council in 2007. The mission of Family Equality is “to ensure that everyone has the freedom to find, form, and sustain their families by advancing equality for the LGBTQ+ community.”

In order to achieve the goals of their mission, Family Equality has several strategic priorities that inform their work such as advancing racial and social justice, shaping the LGBTQ+ family narrative through storytelling, and building resilient communities. They advocate for policy changes at both state and federal levels, develop programmatic initiatives to protect LGBTQ+ families and youth from discrimination in schools, and help families share their own stories. These stories are given to decision-makers and the media so they have the tools they need to treat families with dignity and respect. You can view some examples in the story library, including this one from Niecy Nash.

Family Equality also provides LGBTQ+ diversity and inclusion training for employers and professionals involved in family-building such as healthcare providers, family law practitioners and social workers. With an estimated 3.9 million LGBTQ+ millennials planning to build their families in the next few years, it’s important that providers are equipped to support these families.

People looking for connection and resources can find both on the Family Equality website. For those interested in starting a family there is information on all the ways to do so, as well as a provider directory. There are also virtual peer support spaces and in-person events to help families build community. 

If you’d like to help Family Equality protect love, family and freedom, there are many ways to do so. Share your story, shop for merch, donate your money and amplify their work on social medial. Follow Family Equality Council on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn and subscribe to their YouTube channel.

Feel Good Friday - Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation

Monday is Memorial Day in the United States, a holiday to honor U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. That’s why today’s Feel Good Friday organization is Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation.

Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Virginia, the mission of Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation (Fallen Patriots) is “to provide college scholarships and educational counseling to military children who have lost a parent in the line of duty.”

As they explain on their website, “approximately 25,000 children have lost an active-duty parent in the military over the last 35 years. 97% of casualties are men, leaving behind single mothers to care for their families. Of those families, 60% report having trouble making ends meet.” 

This is where Fallen Patriots comes in. Their vision is to ensure these children receive all necessary college funding. They provide scholarships that fill the gap between benefits offered by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, other grants, and the total cost of college.

Fallen Patriots supports Gold Star families in all 51 states and territories, in all branches of the military. Scholarships include, but are not limited to room and board, tutoring, summer courses, study abroad courses, living expenses, books, and a one-time $1000 computer stipend. On average, students are eligible for up to $6,250 in scholarship assistance per academic year. If you know a student who would be eligible for one of these scholarships, they can fill out this enrollment form.

Since they began, Fallen Patriots has provided more than $75 million in support to over 3,200 students. This interactive map of graduates shows how widespread their impact has been and you can hear from the graduates themselves in this 2-minute video. Their website also has resources for scholars and a job board to help new graduates find work.

If you want help Fallen Patriots ensure that every child of a fallen patriot receives the funding they need to attend college, there are many ways you can support the mission. Shop for merch, donate your money and spread the world on social media. Follow Fallen Patriots on Facebook and Instagram, and subscribe to their YouTube channel.

Feel Good Friday - Doing Good Together

Many people spend their time off during the holiday season doing volunteer work. If you’ve been looking for a way get your family involved in an activity, look no further than Doing Good Together.

Founded in 2004, Doing Good Together (DGT) is a national nonprofit based in Minnesota “that works to make volunteering and service, along with daily kindness, easy for every family.” Their mission is “empowering families to raise children who care and contribute.” 

Studies show that, while parents want their children to be kind and compassionate, children aren’t getting the message and there has been a 40% decline in empathy among college students compared with peers from 10 years ago. The good news is that empathy is like a muscle you can build and DGT is here to help. Learn more about their programs in this short video or keep reading.

A great place to start your involvement is with the Big-Hearted Families Toolkit. This toolkit has ideas for service projects, kindness activities, empathy building book lists and talking tips and tools. Visit the printables page for free resources such as activity books, kindness challenges and ideas of how to add kindness to family routines. If you need to do some last minute shopping, you can view this page to get ideas for gifts that support DGT’s mission.

When you and your family are ready to volunteer together, you can pick a project by the topic of focus, such as fighting poverty, caring for animals or healing the Earth. Check out this list of 12 Holiday Volunteering Tips if you’re looking for something to do now. DGT also shares monthly, family-friendly volunteer opportunities in 10 metro areas around the United States including Silicon Valley, California, Twin Cities, Minnesota, and New York City. See the full list here.

If you’re ready to help Doing Good Together instill the spirit of giving in a new generation, there are many ways to do so. Become a member of the DGT family, make a donation, and amplify their message on social media. Follow Doing Good Together on Facebook and Instagram, and subscribe to their YouTube Channel and blog. You’ll never run out of ideas on how you can do something good together!

Feel Good Friday - Operation Christmas Spirit

With Christmas only one week away, today’s Feel Good Friday blog is all about spreading the Christmas spirit with… Operation Christmas Spirit. 

 

It’s starts with Operation Help a Hero, a non-profit dedicated to the well-being and care of American military members and their families. One of their signature programs is Operation Christmas Spirit (OCS).

 

Now in its 17^th year, OCS supports military families with holiday gratitude. This can take many forms including, “family "adoptions," single service member gifts, unit Christmas party support, volunteer opportunities, and toy collections for children of service members.”

 

The most important piece of this program is the family adoptions. In mid-November, families are vetted through unit nominations and/or applications for Christmas assistance. Once approved, they fill out a family wish list which is shared with the donors they are paired with. Gifts can be mailed, or collected at drive through pick up events, created for these socially distant times. 

The focus is on families living in Southern California, the DC Metro Area, North Carolina, San Antonio, Colorado and ​Tampa. A note on the website indicates that as of December 5^th, all the original families for this year have been adopted and the volunteers at OCS are now working their way through the waiting list and requesting online donations and gift cards. 

If you’ve got a soft spot in your heart for all the single service members, who often get called to serve on Christmas so families can be together, you can support them too. OCS delivers surprise gift packages to those on duty on and around Christmas. No wish list to follow, anything you buy will be a surprise and a delight. 

 

Other ways to get involved include hosting a toy drive or gift card collection. While toys are great for the kids, often families prefer gift cards they can use to buy gas, groceries, clothing and household goods. You can also volunteer or make a straight up donation and let the volunteers at OCS do the shopping for you.

 

Help spread the word of the good work being done by the volunteers at Operation Christmas Spirit by following Operation Help a Hero on social media. Like their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter @OHHVolunteer.

Feel Good Friday - National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

As I write this Feel Good Friday post, there are hundreds of fires burning in the western United States and thousands of firefighters working to contain them. Given this situation and the fact that it’s September 11^th, it seems like a great day to profile the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

 

Created by Congress in 1992 to lead a nationwide effort to honor America’s fallen firefighters, the mission of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) is “to honor and remember America’s fallen fire heroes, to provide resources to assist their families rebuilding their lives, and work within the fire service community to reduce firefighter deaths and injuries.”

 

Fire service programs provided by the NFFF include a set of initiatives to prevent line-of-duty deaths called Everyone Goes Home, a community risk reduction program that encourages the public to be proactive in fire safety, and a network for fire chiefs to support each other and share information.

 

Resources for families of fallen firefighters include virtual support groups and self-care and wellness videos. Full family programs range from bereavement camps for children to financial assistance for post-secondary education and access to the fire hero family network.

 

To honor and remember fallen fire heroes, every October, the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland hosts the official national tribute to all firefighters who died in the line of duty during the previous year. This year, in lieu of an in person gathering, a National Tribute to Honor America’s Fallen Firefighters will be broadcast on October 4^th at 10:00am EDT. 

 

Other events that support National Fallen Firefighters Foundation include golf tournaments, racing events and 9/11 Memorial Stair Climbs that honor the FDNY firefighters who gave their lives on September 11^th, 2001. Today’s event is virtual, and the money raised helps the NFFF create and maintain the programs that support fire service survivors. 

 

If you’d like to support the work of NFFF you can make a donation, shop for gear and share the love on social media by liking their Facebook page and following them on Twitter @NFFF_News.

Feel Good Friday - Soldier's Angels

How was your Halloween? If you've got leftover candy that you would rather donate than eat, I've got a Feel Good Friday recommendation for you... Soldiers' Angels.

As explained on their website "Soldiers' Angels provides aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and their families." It was founded in 2003 by Patti Patton-Bader, after she realized other soldiers serving in the Army alongside her son would appreciate care packages like the ones she was sending him.

In the early days, a small team assembled and sent care packages to the troops. Today, Soldiers' Angels has teams that operate internationally. Their programs are broken into categories based on the populations they serve: veterans, deployed, wounded and families.

Examples include visiting patients in VA hospitals, writing cards and letters to deployed soldiers, providing adaptive laptops for the severely wounded or injured, adopting and supporting a family during the Christmas holiday and sending sympathy and remembrance cards to families who lose a loved one in the line of duty.

Finally, there's the Treats for Troops Halloween candy collection program. Local businesses, often dental offices, accept donations of Halloween candy from kids in exchange for buyback prizes. Soldiers' Angels takes that candy and adds it to care packages for deployed service members.

Details of all the programs can be found at this link and if you want to register for services you can do that here.

In 2018 alone, Soldiers' Angels supported over 500,000 service members, veterans and family members. Since their founding they've sent over 850,000 care packages, over 6,000 voice-controlled/adaptive laptops and sent 1.8 million cards and letters!

If you want to support the work being done by Soldiers' Angels, you can look for a candy drop-off location, make a monetary donation, become an Angel volunteer, and support them on social media by liking their Facebook page and following them Twitter @soldiersangels.

Feel Good Friday - Raphael House

Have you ever wondered how I keep coming up with Feel Good Friday organizations every week? Well, sometimes I talk about places where people I know work or volunteer, sometimes I try to be topical and other times I see an ad on the side of a MUNI bus. Well played, Raphael House, well played.

Located in San Francisco, CA, the motto of Raphael House is "Inspiring Families. Illuminating hope." Their mission is "to help at-risk families achieve stable housing and financial independence while strengthening family bonds and personal dignity."

The history section of their website explains that Raphael House began in 1971 as "an emergency shelter for single mothers and their children" and, after relocating to bigger space in 1997 they became "the first homeless shelter for families in Northern California."

They offer a variety of programs in the community. The residential shelter program provides not only a family-centered shelter, but also case management, job placement services, mental-health counseling and educational workshops. Up to 60 families per year participate and 85% of those find stable housing. Support for these families continues through the bridge program, which serves over 300 families per year. Children staying at Raphael House can participate in an interactive children's' program and an academic enrichment program which includes tutoring, mentoring and scholarships for extracurricular pursuits. 

To increase the good feelings on a Friday that could really use it (ooh, vague yet topical), check out the success stories and news pages. From two college-bound teens who participated in the academic enrichment program to two girls who sold lemonade for $0.50/cup and donated their $40 in profits to Raphael House there are plenty of stories to make you feel good.

So now that you love Raphael House, how do you support them? They have both short and long term volunteer opportunities for those of you living in the Bay Area. You can also make a donation no matter where you live. 

As always, be sure to stay in the social media loop by liking their Facebook page and following them on Twitter @RaphaelHouseSF. I've done both of those things and am now going to the store. I've got a sudden craving for lemonade.