i’m very excited to announce that i have just been accepted as one of the photographers for the littlest heroes project! i am proud to join forces with an amazing team of photographers who donate their time + talents to this worthy organization. the littlest heroes project is a non-profit organization that matches photographers with families of children suffering from serious illnesses and/or life altering disabilities. through complimentary photo sessions, the project aims to capture the happiness + love of the children and their families – showing the children that they are true heroes to so many people! the project honors their bravery and their struggle by sharing their inspirational stories + photos with the world. 

a huge thanks to natalie franke (an amazing young woman and very passionate photographer!) for sharing this organization with me and inspiring me to join!

hundreds of stylish young philanthropists came out for the annual dancing after dark event at POSH last weekend. it was a classy evening of cocktails, dessert + dancing to benefit children’s national medical center (CNMC). the infamous dr. bear even made an appearance, delighting everyone! i had a wonderful time covering this event for the second time in a row (the 2008 event was a blast as well!) and adore working with CNMC – it’s by far my favorite organization in DC, not only because of the *amazing* work they do, but because i absolutely love everyone who works there. it is such an outstanding group of individuals and i’m continually honored to do so much with them. 

enjoy!

above: feed 100 bag :: www.feedprojects.org

LEAVE A COMMENT, MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

with the holidays upon us, and christmas right around the corner, everyone is super busy preparing for their celebrations and gatherings with family + friends. however, no one works harder during this time of year than the charity organizations who serve the neediest members of our communities. i try to make charity work a year-round effort, yet the holiday season always brings the less fortunate to the forefront of my attention.

as i take inventory of all that i am thankful for this year, i also realize how much i have to share. i believe it is my civic responsibility to help my community, both locally + globally, in every way that i can. more importantly, i’ve realized along the way that donating doesn’t have to be complicated or extravagant in order to be effective. in fact, i’ve been so impressed this season with all the creative ways that retailers are making donating *easy* for customers. i’m thrilled that williams-sonoma and other shops are enabling lots of people to donate a little (just $1!) to awesome organizations like st. jude’s research hospital at the register, and are raising millions. i loved how easy anthropologie made it for me to participate in their local toy drive by offering adorable stuffed animals for around $15 to add to my purchase at check out. and just this week i discovered that for the cost of the ingredients for a few batches of christmas cookies, i was able to purchase a feed 100 bag (above) from whole foods which will provide meals for 100 school children in rwanda.

i feel great about all the little ways i’ve helped to make a difference through these donations. however, what i really love is the ability to make a visible impact by volunteering. my favorite organizations to volunteer with are habitat for humanity (the dc chapter is amazing!) local food kitchens like miriam’s kitchen, and any organization that works with children + education. doing this type of work makes me happier than anything else – i feel fulfilled knowing i am making a positive impact through my efforts. i believe that everyone needs to feel a sense of purpose and a connection to the world that can be achieved through volunteerism, and that this work is essential to the human spirit.

because volunteerism is so important to me i love hearing the ways in which people give back in their lives. there are people who give their time, people who share their talents, people who donate money, and people who devote their entire lives to helping others. from the venerable duties of the hospice volunteers, to the incredible efforts of the food bank workers, the tireless social workers, the driven community organizers, and the quiet philanthropists everywhere – i applaud you, and i thank you.

i honestly believe we shape our lives by the choices we make. therefore, i choose to be inspired by that which is good in this world. 

so today i say to you: INSPIRE ME!

i’m asking that everyone leave a comment and share your feelings about volunteering. tell me about your favorite charity or organization or someone that inspires you through their service. or better yet, share a personal experience volunteering and how it made a difference in someone’s life. 

there are two reasons why your comment is important, check it out…

1) i hope to learn about some fantastic new charities + organizations and to be inspired by your stories of goodwill.  

2) i plan to donate $1 for every comment left on this post to one lucky commenter’s charity of choice, in their name!

so what are you waiting for? leave a comment, and then pass this post on to a friend, and tell them to leave a comment! remember, the more comments left the more i donate!

let’s make a difference together – one comment, one idea, one dollar at a time! 

close friends have started the ZINKE FUND to support the family, and have organized a ride & stride for next saturday april 5th. participants will run/walk/bike a 3.5 mile stretch of cornonado beach to raise money for this deserving young family. click here to participate or learn more about how you can help by sponsoring a participant.

saturday night the mayflower foundation threw its spring gala at the university club. it was a fantastic evening, dc’s young professionals rallied once again for a great cause: the youth leadership foundation. killer 80′s pop/rock band judo chop rocked the crowd and kept the dancefloor crazy…spectacular showing.

enjoy!

*guests: to view complete photo gallery click here.*

the very simple and honorable mission of my new favorite website – freerice.com – which is actively working to put an end to world hunger – one word at a time.

for every word that you correctly define on the site, advertising dollars purchase 20 grains of rice through the united nations to help end world hunger.

the united nations estimates that the cost to end world hunger completely, along with diseases related to hunger and poverty, is about $195 billion a year. so far 22 countries have joined together to attain this goal.

freerice.com is the sister site to poverty.com – designed so that people can learn quickly about hunger and poverty. this site is pretty powerful, and both have a ton of interesting information.

i love this site and within just a few minutes donated about 4000 grains of rice and learned a ton of new words – including: circumlocutory = wordy!

try it today…you’ll be glad you did.

it was a wicked cold 30 degrees, and sunshine was definitely lacking – but it didn’t discourage the fantastically costumed and enthused plungers – and i can tell you it was the best beach party i’ve ever attended!

the plunging hons easily stole the show with their vibrant attention-grabbing costumes and proudly raised nearly $3000 in just over 2 weeks!

YAY HONS!

becoming a HON ain’t easy!

but it sure is worth it – just look at these hons!

the team poses with the polar bear mascot.

getting excited…

heidi with her floatie + a random fired up ravens plunger!

the hons hit the beach…

another spirited team of plungers!

PLUNGE TIME!

a seriously packed beach party, despite the freezing weather.

mr + mrs polar bear 2008 ?

team hon supporters cheered the plungers on from the sidelines, er shorelines.

i am so proud and honored to have been part of the 1st annual plunging hons!

the hon bar was the perfect place to host the plunging hons happy hour!

rita, our queen mother hon + kate, representing as elvis.


hons always like to look their best!


our infamous team members, heidi + rita ((best hon 2004 and 2003) pose with kate/elvis.


yay for pink flamingos!


cafe hon owner denise whiting makes one lucky raffle winner very happy!


many thanks to generous sponsors like dr. + mrs. dellon.


my blonde mamasita came out to support the team!


fabulous stylist nikki verdecchia (left) donated a cut + consult to the silent auction.


cafe hon from the avenue.


and my favorite thing about baltimore (besides hons!) is seeing BO wink at me as i drive away…

enjoy!

the great people from children’s hospital.

ashley taylor + katie tarbox made an appearance.

a few of the lovely ladies of the evening.

marybeth coleman + roby penn.

grace easby-smith + mike green.

i love her glasses.

i LOVE this photo.

there were happy couples everywhere i looked!

and now, the dancing:

possible my favorite photo of the night – representing with the random pooh hat…HILarious!

and of course, a big thanks to the awesome guys at POSH!

* * *
to see all the photos from this event please click here.

if you’re anything like me you have too many resolutions and goals for 2008 to even begin to count! personally, every year i hope to get more involved in charity – voluteering with some of the incredible organizations in the area, donating my time and talents and really making a difference in people’s lives. it’s not always as easy as it should be – until now.

it’s only january and i’ve already found an awesome way to start off the year – raising awareness and money for the special olympics through a local event with some incredible people.

* * *
on january 26th tons of crazy people will be participating in the annual MSP polar bear plunge to raise money for the special olympics. this year i have aligned myself with a local team – the plunging hons – to lend time, effort and publicity to this great event. the plunging hons will be jumping into the icy waters of the bay dressed in full hon regalia – and hope to make a HUGE splash – both with their festive costumes and a very large team contribution.

so here’s the deal: i have started a site for the plunging hons – check it out at: plunginghons.wordpress.com – its very cool, full of photos and information about the event, how to join the team, how to donate, as well as the super awesome happy hour we will be hosting on jan 24th at – of course – CAFE HON in hampden.

and the best part is you can help out too! here are 3 ways that your time will make a difference:

1. CLICK! at the very least i ask that you take a minute to check out the site – we are building (in a very short time) an online presence and our “click rates” are important to our cause.

2. JOIN US! if you are so inclined join our team! there are links to sign up and all are welcome – dress up, take the plunge, raise money, or just come to support! whatever you fancy!

3. DONATE! make a donation to the cause – you can click here and donate directly on my page, or attend the happy hour and make a contribution in person. we also hope to have a paypal widget on the blog ASAP!
ALL donations – no matter how small – $5, $10 – whatever you can spare is awesome. if everyone that reads this donated $10 i would probably quadrouple my fundraising goal of $1000. (which would be AMAZING btw!!)*PLUS* all donations qualify for courtesy promotion on the site! i have set up a SPONSORS page with links to your business or personal site and will also place your logo on the site. i’m more than happy to help you promote your business, your blog, whatever!