Shining a Light on Community
“Don’t lose hope - you got this.”
Community. Neighborhood. Congregation. Gathering.
Whatever you want to call it, when individuals join up for a larger purpose, it is a FORCE to be reckoned with!
If you know my story, then you know how deeply I believe in the power of people coming together. It’s only through your support, the support of our community, that we’ve been able to provide over $700,000 in grants impacting more than 8,500 people since 2017. And it was only through that same support that we were able to help give a very special girl the birthday gift of a lifetime.
Early this month, we had the privilege of organizing a remarkable surprise birthday gift for Brighton native Maddie Odum, a courageous 21-year-old battling a rare Stage 4 cancer. We wanted to shine a light of hope by granting her an awesome experience – the chance to see Taylor Swift perform in Detroit. Amid the heaviness of Maddie’s battle with cancer, this birthday surprise provided her and her family with light, joy, and a reminder that brighter days lie ahead.
This gift was a testament to the fact that support comes in many forms - sometimes, it's the experiences that bring the most extraordinary hope to someone's life.
So many individuals and organizations stepped up to help us give Maddie this incredible experience, including:
UTEC President Kevin Van Kannel donating the UTEC suite at Ford Field for Maddie’s friends & family
Barb Binkley at Cooper & Binkley Diamond Jewelry providing beautiful earrings for Maddie to wear to the concert
A shopping trip at Brass & Oak
Brighton Fire Department providing Maddie’s whole crew with a memorable escort to Ford Field
Reporter Rhonda Walker, who wrapped her arms around this beautiful story and made sure it was able to reach and inspire people across Michigan
From start to finish, this was a celebration of COMMUNITY. It was yet another reminder for all of us here at Fund a Life - and hopefully you, too - just how powerful and moving and life-changing our community can be when we come together for a bigger purpose, like igniting hope for someone who desperately needs it. In the heaviness of battle, together we can shine a light.
So what’s next? How can you become a long-term partner of Fund a Life, and not just a one-week hero?
We have a few ideas for you:
Register for the upcoming Warriors for Hope event on July 15th. This one-of-a-kind of event is a fantastic opportunity to support our organization, learn more about the incredible impact your support has on individuals and families facing overwhelming obstacles, and HAVE A BLAST!! This event is going to be ROCKIN’ and ROLLIN’ (probably literally!), so make sure you sign up soon.
Host your own Fund a Life Fundraiser! With our new Fundraiser Toolkit, it’s almost too easy. And anyone can do it! Your kids want to host a lemonade stand fundraiser for Fund a Life? We love it! Your business wants to have Jeans for Cause on Fridays for Fund a Life? Sounds great! Love the idea of a fundraiser but can’t think of what to do? We’ve got you covered with a full list of suggestions in the toolkit. Learn more and get started today here.
For businesses or organizations feeling inspired to make a major impact this year, we’d love to invite you to become a Mission Partner. We love ALL of our supporting organizations, but our Mission Partners are something extra special. Consider whether this would be a good fit for you, and reach out to me today.
Lastly, we always want to leave you with a little extra hope and inspiration - and what’s more inspiring than a group of awesome and adorable 2nd graders?!
Recently, we stopped by Mrs. Halliburton’s 2nd-grade class at Shepard of the Lakes school to ask her class to teach us a little more about the power of helping others - in their own words.
We wanted to know about their heroes, how it feels to help others, how it feels when someone helps you, and how these students would help someone in need. And their answers were incredible!
Listen to what they had to say, and be sure to share this sweet video with your friends and family! We were inspired, and I know you will be, too. I can’t wait to see how this special group of kids grows up to change the world.
“When someone does something nice for me, I feel nice, awesome, and I would say ‘thank you’ and ‘do you want to play soccer with me?’”
Until we see each other at Warriors for Hope in July - keep shining the light!
