Charity

While it's always nice to receive it also feels great to give. While I work for a non-profit organization that I feel my passion building for, my charity of choice is very different. When I got out of school the Epilepsy Support Centre gave me my first job. I knew nothing about epilepsy or seizures going into the postion of Volunteer/Special Events Coordinator, and it took me about a month before seeing my first seizure and knowing that I was where I was suppose to be.

The seizure was in a boy of about 7 at the time, his 5 year old sister kept me calm and went to get her mom who was in a session with our support services coordinator. This was not the first, likely not even the first that day for this family, and it would not be the last, likely not the last that day either. At that moment I found passion, a passion to help.

I stayed with the organization for 5 years! Yikes, in the world of non-profit that's a lifetime plus some. I became the Public Education/Public Relations Coordinator and helped to educate those on our community about seizure disorders. It wasn't until my husband and I got married that I had to leave my job, we were moving an hour away and while I drove for many months back and forth it just wasn't realisitic anymore.

So where is all this leading . . . . charity. I still to this day feel fortunate that I am healthy. I have family members who are affected by epilepsy and who are fortunate enough to have control over their seizures (they never told me until I started working at the centre, it's funny how families keep things to themselves). Every year the Epilepsy Support Centre has a gala, including live and silent auctions. This is the first time in 8 years that I am not able to attend, due to my dad's 60th birthday, and I'm heartbroken. So what will I do?

I will give! I finished the little birdie to match the previous post's blanket as one auction prize and I finished another blanket last night that will be added to the lot. I hope they will bring something in for the charity that I still feel tugs at my heart strings.

I would love if you would visit the link above and see how this amazing little charity is not only supporting those living with epilepsy or a seizure disorder, but helping those dealing with both things celebrate the wonderful lives they have ahead of them. If you have the means, send a donation, their summer camp for kids affected and their siblings could always use some extra funds, considering that most children with seizures are turned away from traditional day camps because of something they can't control. Can you imagine being a kid and not going to summer camp, I certainly can't. No matter what the economic times and troubles, I think that we are all in the position to be thankful for what we have, and to be able to share just a little with someone else.

Food for thought today. Tell me about your charity of choice, I'd love to hear who you are supporting.