Skip to main content

True Love: Give to Those Kids and Families In Need This Valentine's Day and Beyond




https://thevalentineproject.org/


Almost a year ago, I was in attendance of what would be my last large in-person conference for a while (unbeknownst to me). 

It was Sunday, March 8, 2020. I was invited to attend an all-day Diversity Equity Inclusion & Leadership Conference in Akron, Ohio, put on by EWAW (Elite Women Around the World)I felt honored to be invited to it, as I believe strongly in equality and human rights. (For more on these click here)

This was a well-rounded and well thought out event with both women and men sharing their experiences in their job searches, careers, organizations, schools, etc. This didn't just cover minorities of color or ethnicity, it covered all ranges of exclusion and prejudice.

There is simply no way, to sum up in this one blog post, just how many amazing people (including the person who invited me) I heard from, or how much I learned that day! Each person shared what they have witnessed, first hand, and/or are advocates for in regard to issues with inequality and exclusion. It was an eye-opener for sure and I was grateful to be there, even though I was a bit nervous since Covid had been in the U.S. for a bit.

While we were seated in our (pre-social distancing) round table groups, I was able to get to know some of the other attendees better. One organization that I will highlight briefly today, in the essence of Valentine's Day and their name, is The Valentine Project. (It's not what you think, so please read on.)

When I asked The Valentine Project President & CEO, Andrea Margida, to explain what they do, she offered me not only the backstory but also how they work with the community to help children in need. If you know me, or have read my Family Matters with Amber column and blog for any amount of time, you will know kids are also up there on my list of concerns. 

Please read on to see how Andrea, her family, the organization, and their many volunteers are contributing during the pandemic: 

The Valentine Project works year-round to cultivate compassion while spreading love, hope, and joy to children affected by pediatric cancer or chronic illness and their families. It's that time of year when we shift into high gear as we prepare to make Valentine's Day and beyond magical for hundreds of children who face extreme challenges every single day. The pandemic has certainly been challenging for all of us, and these children and their families have been hit hard. We know these precious children need us now more than ever and The Valentine Project is determined to come through for each child on our long list.


This Valentine’s Day over 600 children will receive a package from The Valentine Project. Our volunteer-driven nonprofit sure could use your help! We are always thrilled to welcome people to The Valentine Project family! In  order to keep everyone safe we are not able to welcome volunteers at the Valentine House during the pandemic.  The population we serve is particularly vulnerable and we believe it is important to follow the same guidelines these children must follow.  There are still many ways you can help! 


  • Donate through PayPal Giving Fund to The Valentine Project, a charitable 501©3, with a GOLD transparency rating by GuideStarAll donations support The Valentine Project Kids.
  • We can also accept donations through Venmo: @thevalentineproject  
  • Click here to register to be a Valentine. Open your heart to a child on our list (or even a few), and donate $50 to sponsor your chosen child for a Valentine's Day gift package, delivered to their doorstep.
  • Shop our Wishlist to help with much needed supplies. There are a variety of items on our Wishlist with different price points.
  • There is not a deadline this year to donate $50 and Be a Valentine, so you can continue to sponsor a child/donate even after Valentine's Day. 
  • Visit our website to learn about year-round volunteer opportunities, including our Kindness Card Program and Pillowcase Partners
  • Checks can be made out to The Valentine Project and sent to:

             The Valentine House

11592 McCallum Avenue

Alliance, OH 44601


Thank you so much for any help you can offer The Valentine Project Kids.  
Please spread the word so that we can spread the love!

 

The Valentine Project plays a small role in helping children and families know they are not alone and that there are many kind, caring people in the world.  I hope you will visit our website and register your daughter for our Kindness Card Program.  During this period of social distancing TVP kids sure are enjoying getting cards in the mail." 
                                            -Andrea Margida
                                               President & CEO, The Valentine Project
                                                www.thevalentineproject.org

Thank you, Andrea, for sharing this with our community and thank you for all your love and concern for these children and their families.



Popular posts from this blog

Back to School Anxiety: Bullying

Download “School Boy Being Stressed” by David Castillo Dominici via freedigitalphotos.net I recently wrote about how to help your child if they’re struggling with going back to school because they were bullied. My biggest most important tip was to listen, because I honestly could not write a ‘How-to-make-them-not-afraid’ column. Frankly I thought that was absurd. Fear is sometimes real. Anxiety is sometimes truly there, and for a good reason. Our job as parents isn’t to try to make it go away, it’s to try to find out the true source of those worrisome feelings. If you’d like to read more, click here. And if you’re child is struggling to find excitement about the new school year, don’t deny it, just accept it and move forward gently. Here’s some more on bullying: Family Matters Links: A Touching Story/Song Bullying: A thing of the past A Peace Poem By My Teenage Daughter A Deeper Insight into My Thoughts on People Who Bring Harm to Others Other Links: Stop Bul

Green Punch Buggy....!!!!

Green Punch Buggy...No Punch Back! As I was writing this blog post, my son came to me showing off his Lego creation. And don't you know I got hit at least five times since on my computer screen was displaying at least five different punch buggies, of five different colors thanks to Google Images. (Bad timing I'm thinking...) How can we possibly have world peace with these silly cars in the world!? ;) Don't the owners of these cute-but-obnoxious-cars understand that driving these things around town promotes violence!? ;) Anyhow.... The original purpose of this blog was to ask parents everywhere this question: Do you find yourself saying 'PUNCH BUGGY *BLANK-COLOR*! '  to yourself, even when the kids are not in the car??? I do! Isn't it funny how those games we used to play as a child are still around? I bet our parents say the same thing.... HAPPY FRIIIIIIDAAAAYYYY! P.S. I got hit at least ten more times, since as my son stood beside

Good Customer Service At Home

Over the years, my careers have mainly been customer service based. I started in a family business and then moved on up through the rungs from waitress, to hostess, to sales associate, manager and eventually the GM of a hotel. In all my years, my training taught me that you should always do your best to take your customer all the way to what they need, make them happy, and never leave them until they are done with you. I pride myself on my customer service abilities. Though the other day, I think I failed at customer service in my own home! I was getting ready to cut my daughter's hair and because of how long it had gotten (she's been growing it out for a year!) I felt this time it would be best  if instead of me spritzing it with water, she could wash and condition it real quick. She was fully clothed so I just suggested she run into the bathroom and wash her hair in the tub. She’s fourteen. I suppose I just assumed that she knew how to kneel over the tub and do it.