St. Lazaros Shelter

I had the honor of being invited to the St. Lazaros Shelter (a safe haven for the homeless in Downtown L.A.) yesterday for a post-Thanksgiving donation drive sponsored by UNFUCK THE WORLD. 

The invitation: "With winter just around the corner, they desperately need warm clothes, shoes, blankets, non perishable food, bottled water, feminine hygiene products, condoms, underwear (women's and men's), towels, sheets, toilet paper - anything will help and will be greatly appreciated. Of course you are also welcome to write a check ... :-)

You can stop by anytime, any day; Rey's store at the corner of 7th Street & San Julian is open 24/7."

Please consider donating to this worthy cause.

Thank you.

20th Annual PALLOWEEN at The Barker Hangar

What: The Westside Premiere Halloween Event for families on Halloween night! Featuring, in fantasy-come-true surroundings, costume contests, trick-ortreat lane, haunted house, tot area, and game booths.

When: Monday, October 31st, 2011 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Where: Barker Hangar 3021 Airport Avenue Santa Monica Airport

Why: To provide a safe and fun place for kids to be on Halloween.

Who: Estimate more than 6,500 guests including children and their families.

Please click for more information on how you can support and participate in the 2011 PALLOWEEN event!

LA Take Steps Be Heard For Crohn's & Colitis

My friend Ashley challenged me to join her on the LA Take Steps Be Heard For Crohn's & Colitis 5 days before the event which took place at Griffith Park on June 13, 2010. When I questioned the timing of 5 days, she kindly responded, "Don't worry about raising the money. We'll split the $250 goal. Just come and walk with me." Always up to the challenge of supporting a good cause, and especially because Ashley & I share the bliss of having chronic gastro-intestinal related conditions, I signed up on Wednesday for a Sunday walk at Griffith Park, added the link to my Facebook and twitter page and emailed my friends and family to spread the word.

My aunt who was in town visiting immediately handed me $20 to encourage me to get started and within 5 days, I'm proud to announce that Ashley & I raised $770 combined for the cause. HUGE WIN!!! Thank you so much to all the supporters & contributors to our cause. The incredible support & generosity of my friends and family encourages and inspires me daily to push forward, live well and make a difference every day with or without Colitis.

Take Steps for Crohn’s & Colitis is CCFA’s national evening walk and celebration of the nation’s largest event dedicated to finding cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Over 1.4 million American adults and children are affected by digestive diseases ~ one in every 200 Americans! While many suffer in silence, Take Steps brings together this community and encourages them to make noise and be heard. The money we raised through Take Steps helps support patient programs, education efforts, and furthers crucial research. In the past two years alone, they have been able to bring together over 75,000 people and raise over $13 million to help further our mission.

Here's a pic of us at the LA event... Now let's be heard and find a cure so no one else has to suffer through the daily life disruptions of living with Crohn's or Colitis!

 

Moment of Surrender by U2

On October 25, 2009, I volunteered to serve food and beer at The Rose Bowl to raise money for my brother's school music program during the U2 concert. Since they are in high school, they need adults over 21 to server liquor. One of the other adult volunteers cancelled sick last minute that morning and so I was able to attend in her place.

The Rose Bowl offers a great program in the local community where various groups sponsor each of the Rose Bowl's stands as volunteers. In return, a percentage of each food stand's earnings is donated to these local community groups at events such as the Pasadena flea-market, UCLA games, concerts, etc. After we finished serving a completely sold-out concert for an on-our-feet exhausting 5 hours straight (the lines never broke the entire time), my brother and I watched the end of the concert. I don't think I could have picked a better event to volunteer at than a U2 concert, especially since I lived in Dublin, Ireland for 18 months in a beautiful condo on the coast in Blackrock that was actually owned by one of U2's accountants. I earned over $400 in tips alone, all donated to the school's music program and with total earnings, it was the largest single fundraising event for the school's music program to-date. So many thanks to U2 and The Rose Bowl for helping support and continue my brother's music education program. :)

This is U2 performing Moment of Surrender live at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA.