This Valentine’s Day, we celebrate the love, joy, and care that the following nonprofits deliver to their beneficiaries. Of course, there are many nonprofits who serve with joy, but you may have never heard of these smaller organizations. They are doing remarkable work, and we are proud of their hard work and spirit.
Their mission is focused on spreading joy – their tagline: “The joy between hope and healing”. I first learned about their work when a friend of mine posted on Facebook. Her husband is battling cancer, and they pulled into their driveway one day to find the yard was decorated. Here’s what my friend shared:
“Every holiday, every birthday and sometimes, just because, they do something special for our family. Thoughtful holiday decorations, meals, gift cards and care packages are just a few of the things they’ve done to lighten our load and make us smile. As we’ve gone about our toughest days trying to keep our heads above water, they are planning the next gesture to help make our days sweeter, easier, and more memorable. They’ve also helped us with some very heavy lifting around the house… flower planting, lawn mowing, mulching, and deploying work crews to do spring and fall yard cleanup. They’ve hosted charming events to connect families dealing with serious illnesses and have showed up to celebrate important moments in our family. These women are truly angels walking by our side in this ordeal. Tonight, we came home to this adorable lantern display and reminder that they are always out there, like stars we can’t always see, shining bright and sprinkling their magical glitter this holiday season.”
Created in memory of Karen Wellington, the foundation’s mission is focused on the joy of life – more living, more giving, less cancer. I was recently introduced to their work through friends, who are both cancer survivors, and I was immediately drawn to their positive energy. Karen wanted to take a vacation after she beat cancer, then donate a vacation to another family also on the cancer journey.
Since 2007, the foundation has given over 2,000 gifts of travel, fun, and happy memories to recipients. The foundation now operates in 15 cities! What a legacy in Karen’s memory but also, what a testament to the power of joy.
Originally founded as Nellie’s Catwalk for Kids, NC4K has evolved to more than one fashion show for children with cancer. I was teaching at Ohio Dominican when I first learned about Nellie. She was an incoming student at the time and had started the organization when she was in high school. That remarkable beginning has created countless movements of joy.
The organization offers financial support, emotional support, and events for play. The fashion show, which started it all, had 70 models featured on the runway this past fall. So. Many. Smiles.
Who would you add to this list? Tag other nonprofits to recognize this Valentine’s Day in the comments below.
To the founders, visionaries, donors, volunteers, and families who serve these nonprofits and others like them, thank you for leading with love.
