Article: Open Hearts
We present to you an article of 4 nonprofit organizations that work to better the lives of others.
A week after Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we hope this inspires you in some way to reach out to others, to perform acts of kindness, and to get involved in nonprofit work to improve communities and lives.
Much love from the Sunlight Magazine team!
By Sophie Minello
“M.A.D. Club is an organization of students working together to build enthusiasm within their school and outside community by joining in a movement of creative ideas and volunteer time in order to make a positive difference in the lives of others” - MAD club site
Make a Difference club was created by my good friend Madison Wagner when she was in grade school and the name of this organization couldn’t be more fitting. I’ve had the privilege to work with her on her projects to better the lives of those in need and can faithfully say that I’ve felt the impact this club has made. Some of my favorite projects include the pancake breakfast fundraiser for military grade blankets for the homeless, the trips to Benjamin Franklin Community Gardens to harvest food for the hungry, and the clothing collections to donate to shelters. All the members are so passionate about helping people and constantly go out of their way to set an example and make a difference. This organization is in the process of becoming an official nonprofit and they need your help through it! Click here to make a difference and get involved: https://www.makeadifferenceclub.org/get-involved
National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA)
By Gabby Cabacab
“In the United States alone, 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from a clinical eating disorder including Anorexia Nervosa (AN), Bulimia Nervosa (BN), Binge Eating Disorder (BED), or an Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED)” NEDA is an American non-profit organization devoted to supporting individuals and families who are affected by eating disorders. Eating disorders are considered as an illness and not a lifestyle choice, however it is noted that there is a very significant lack in regards to education and funding to combat these illnesses.
This is where NEDA comes in. Their mission is to increase awareness, treatment accessibility, education and understanding of eating disorders, weight, and body image. They sponsor National Eating Disorders week which falls on the last week of February. Some resources that they offer is a website for teens in order to help promote a positive body image and encouraging healthy attitudes and habits in regards to food and weight (Proud2BMe.org). NEDA also has a toll-free helpline available for individuals and loved ones who are seeking appropriate treatment. NEDA also offers a wide array of resources and information, free to men and women, including important terms and definition in regards to eating disorders, along with warning signs and different means of prevention. Along with resources, they hold walks throughout the country multiple times in the year in order to fundraise and help support NEDA. An annual conference is held for those in recovery, supporting families, and professionals to meet and connect. Lastly they are responsible for the Media Watchdog program, which helps encourage companies to send a healthy message through the media in regards to body image.
By Sydney Wiggs
Love Hope Strength is an non-profit organization, started in 2007, that works to sign up people for the bone marrow registry at concerts and other major events through an initiative called “Get on the List”. Through this program, LHS uses volunteers to help advise concert goers on what it truly means to be on the registry and to get them signed up through a simple cheek swab. This process helps to provide lifesaving bone marrow transplants to people with blood cancers, like leukemia and lymphoma, if they find someone who is a perfect match. Through their ten years as an organization, LHS has been able to get hundreds of thousands of music fans, as well as artists, signed up for the registry and have had over 1,500 matches. Though predominantly doing shows located in Colorado, Love Hope Strength strive to do shows everywhere from Firefly Music Festival to the base camp of Mount Everest, so even if there’s not a show in your area that they’re covering right now, odds are that at some point, they will cover one. You can sign up to become a volunteer here or check out some of the events they’re helping out with here and stop by to hear more about their amazing cause. If there aren’t any shows in your area, you can also sign up here to have the kit mailed to your house. You never know when you could save someone’s life!
By Vinnie Holt
Time Out Youth is a non-profit youth center in Charlotte, North Carolina. They provide resources, meals, and an overall fun place to be for youth ages 11-20, with a focus on LGBTQ+ youth. Whether it be through their many fun outings to laser tag or a theme park, or their helpful programs like the Host Home Program which helps homeless youth get back on their feet, Time Out Youth is a save haven for many.
