Donating to Charity... My Charities and Why They are Important to Me

As a kid when I was growing up I remember my parents donating to various charities over the years and I remember wondering why they did it.  As I grew up and graduated from college and started my journey into "adulthood" I discovered the importance of donating to charity on my own.  Now I am not saying that I am an expert on donating to charity, nor do I think that everyone should always donate to charity... I am just saying that this is something that is important to me and I want to explain why I do it.

My donating to charity started after college when I decided to do the Memory Walk for the Alzheimer's Association in memory of my grandfather and in honor of my Gram who we had recently found out was exhibiting signs of early onset Alzheimer's.  Since that walk I have continued to donate money to the Alzheimer's Association and M and I even have been giving a donation to them as part of our wedding favors to our guests.  Giving to the Alzheimer's Association is so important to me because having one grandparent die from it and two more diagnosed with early onset of the disease I want researchers to have the funding to be able to find a cure for it.  They say that the disease skips a generation which means I could be next to have this debilitating disease.  Sure I may not know I have it for many years to come, and sure I may not have the genetic mutations that allow for this disease to take over my body, but then again I may.  I also know how hard it is to watch someone suffer from this disease, so if I can help fun research so that people don't have to go through what my family and I have gone through in the past, then well I am all for that!

At the Memory Walk

This past Monday I participated in the ALS ice bucket challenge and made my donation to the ALS foundation.  I know tons of people are participating in the ice bucket challenge because it looks fun and because all of their friends are doing it and I know many people who disagree with the whole premise behind all of this.  Personally I think it is amazing that something so small has been able to spread the word about ALS and I only hope that those who are participating/making donations have looked into what ALS is and what their donations are going to help.  I have known two people who have passed away from this horrific disease and both of their lives were taken way too soon.  I did the ice bucket challenge in their memory and made my donation because I do think it is important to fund ALS research so that one day we may have a cure for this horrible disease.

Lastly, I recently signed up to do the 2014 Walk-for-Wishes at the Philadelphia Zoo this October. I have been doing the Walk-for-Wishes and have been involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation since back in 2004 when I joined Chi Omega.  The Make-A-Wish Foundation is Chi Omega's national philanthropy and as a Chi Omega I have been fortunate to have been able to help to grant the wish of various children throughout the years.  During my time in college we even sent one of our wish children to Disney on vacation with her family.  It is so amazing to see the reactions of our wish kids once their wishes have been granted... the smiles on their faces are priceless and the amount of gratitude their families have is something that you can't describe in words.  I have set a goal for myself to raise $250.00 for the Make-A-Wish foundation through this walk.  If you are interested in donating you can feel free to make a donation here or by clicking the link on my sidebar with my thermometer that is keeping track of my fundraising abilities!

Chi Omega ladies at the last Walk-For-Wishes

As you can see I donate to charity because the cause means something to me.  I don't donate to make myself feel better, I don't donate because I think it makes me a better person, I don't donate just to say that I donate to charity.  I donate to charity because I believe in what my donation is funding.  I believe in donating to help researchers find a cure for debilitating diseases who have claimed the lives of those I have loved.  I believe in donating to help children with terminal illnesses have one last wish granted.  I believe in donating to help discover the causes of premature births, miscarriages, etc. so that those I know who have experienced the pain of those things may not have to ever experience it again.  I donate because I am hoping that even a small donation will help make a big difference one of these days.

Do you have any charities that you donate to because they mean something to you? 

"The Notebook"... why can't I just turn it off??

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I feel as though every female on the face of the planet has seen the movie "The Notebook" but I feel like most of them are not drawn to it in the way that I am.  This movie for me is like a bad train wreck... I see it coming, but I just can't stop myself. This is one of those movies that no matter how many times I have seen it, any time... and I mean ANY TIME... it is on TV I have to turn it on.  Even though I know that turns it on means that I am in for two hours of almost non-stop tears.  Yet I just can't stop myself.  I have to put it on.

Some might say that this is a form of addiction.  I'll admit it... I am an addict.  I am addicted to watching "The Notebook"  I also think I am a glutton for punishment because I KNOW that this movie is going to make me cry.. I KNOW that this movie is going to stir up all sorts of emotions in me... I KNOW that this movie is going to make me think about my family members... yet I just CAN'T TURN IT OFF.

Why do I do this to myself? I have no idea? Well maybe I do.  Maybe I can't stop watching it because it makes me think of my Grandpa who we lost to Alzheimer's back in 1996.  Maybe I can't stop watching it because it makes me think of my Grammy who is exhibiting the early stages of Alzheimer's.  Maybe I can't stop watching it because my Gram is also exhibiting some of the early stages of Alzheimer's.  Maybe I can't stop watching it because I know that Alzheimer's is a genetic disease and I know that there is potential that I may one day develop this heartbreaking disease.

While watching the movie today I told MD that maybe we should start keeping a journal so that he can read it to me one day to help me remember everything.  He laughed.  Only problem is, I was kind of being serious.  I KNOW that Alzheimer's is a genetic disease and since it runs on both sides of my family I am definitely genetically predisposed to getting it.  I worry that one day I won't remember MD and I am afraid of putting him through what so many members of my family have gone through when our loved ones don't remember who we are.  I know what it feels like to have the grandparent you love so much not remember who you are and to have your little kid heart breaking because they don't remember you.  I don't want to put anyone through that.

I hate that I have lived through losing one grandparent to this horrible disease and I hate the knowledge that I am slowly losing other grandparents to this disease.  I worry that by the time MD and I get married they won't really know what is going on... as is there are days where they don't even remember that we are getting married.

I know I can't obsess over this and that there is no way of telling what the future will bring. So I guess I will just have to roll with it and hope for the best.  Because hoping for the best is all anyone really can do.

Walking to End Alzheimer's

If you've been following my blog these past couple of months (basically since I started it) you know that last Saturday was the Alzheimer's Association 2010 Memory Walk in Wilmington, DE.  I was really excited about this walk because I was excited to be doing something to help those with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.  The bf and I ended up raising $775 for the walk... our team goal was $750... so we were able to exceed that which made me super happy!

The Memory Walk was not at all what I expected because never in a million years did I think that so many people would be there to walk.  Sure I know that lots of people do things like this, but they are usually to support breast cancer, leukemia, etc., you don't hear about the walks that are in support of the lesser known diseases (like Alzheimer's). 

Park Full of People Waiting for the Walk to Start

People Walking Behind Us During the Walk

The 3 miles went really quickly and I was really glad that we were able to do this.  It was also really nice that one of my best friends came down from Philly to walk with the bf and I.  Having the support and encouragement of so many of my friends is definitely what made this walk all the more special for me.

NS, the bf, & I Before the Walk Started

NS & I at the End of the Walk with the Pirate Ship

Overall the walk was very successful and I felt GREAT after it was over.  A BIG THANKS to everyone who supported and encouraged me throughout this.  Can't wait until Memory Walk 2011!!

The Spirit of Giving

Once again this having a lot of free time on my hands has made me think... I want to get back into volunteering.  I used to volunteer ALL the time when I was at Bucknell.  Partially because being a Chi O meant that because of Bucknell's Plan for Prominence I had to do a certain number of hours of community service to avoid facing consequences in the sorority, but also because I enjoyed doing it.  I enjoyed helping others and always went above and beyond the number of required hours.  So in remembering that spirit of giving that I embraced while I was in college, I decided to start volunteering again. 

The first thing I have decided to do is to sign up to do a Memory Walk on October 9, 2010 in Wilmington, DE.  The Memory Walk is a 3 mile walk that is organized by the Alzheimer's Association to raise money and awareness about Alzheimer's disease.  For anyone who has read my previous post you know that this is something that is very important to me and I'm actually super excited to do this walk.  I'm forming a team... so anyone who wants to join check out My Memory Walk Page from which you can get to the team page to sign up to walk with me!  From my page you can also make donations to the cause.  Any help and support that I get for this will be greatly appreciated.

I have also decided to fill out a volunteer application for the Delaware Make-a-Wish chapter.  Chi Omega is nationally affiliated with Make-a-Wish and during my time at Bucknell I participated in a number of events that went to benefit our wish children.  To me that was so gratifying, being able to help a sick child obtain their one last wish.  I think it will be a great opportunity for me to get re-involved with Make-a-Wish and I'm really hoping that they have something that I can help with.

Though being unemployed is scary, it is also giving me some good insight into what I want to do with my life.  I remember why I loved helping people and it makes me realize that I probably am best suited to a job in some sort of public service... be it at the Attorney General's office, the Public Defender's office (who am I kidding, I'd make a horrible PD, but ya never know), or some sort of legal aid agency, I think I was meant to use my law degree to help people and will not be pursuing my original goal of working for a corporate firm or some international business.  Of course I could change my mind about this all again, but something tells me that I really was meant to use my degree to help people, and for now, that's what I'm going to try to do.

Talking About Grandma's Cooking Makes Me Think...

This is my Gram... a.k.a. one of the best cooks ever.  This picture of her is from her bday (the bday that my cousin and I took flowers from our Pop's garden to decorate her cake... don't think he was too happy about that).  This was also probably the last bday where she had her health.

My grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's this past year, and I'm ashamed to say that I have not been dealing with it well at all.  Lots of people have tried to comfort me and have tried to remind me that she will have moments where she remembers us all and remembers how much she loves us and remembers everything.  People have tried to tell me that I need to cherish those moments and to cherish the memories. I am trying my very best to do just that, but it's hard.  It's hard because I know what's coming.

I know it's hard to imagine that I know what's coming, but in a way I do.  When I was in 6th grade my Grandpa died from Alzheimer's.  Much of my life was spent making weekly visits to the nursing home where he slowly deteriorated to the point that he didn't recognize us anymore, then he couldn't take care of himself anymore, then it was like he was a lifeless lump who existed but didn't. As a child I found it very hard to visit him in the nursing home.  I didn't like the way it smelled, I didn't like all the "old people", and most of all (as horrible as this sounds) I just didn't like seeing my Grandpa.  Sure I loved him very much...in fact I do still love him... but it was just so hard to see him the way that he was.  It was painful to visit him and to know that the man who loved me so much no longer knew who I was an who pretty much didn't even know I was in the room when I was there.  There were times that I resented the fact that we had to go to the nursing home instead of being able to go other places and do fun things... especially in the summer.  When he died my biggest regret was that I hadn't treasured the moments I did get to spend with him and that I had resented him for making me spend part of my childhood visiting him in the nursing home.  To this day I still think that how I was with Grandpa when he got really sick is my biggest regret in life... and it pains me to know that there is really nothing that I can do about it.

With my grandma being sick, I'm afraid I'll make that same mistake again. The bf and I met up with the family to visit Gram for her bday on the 4th of July and going to see her in a nursing home was hard. When we first got to the nursing home all those familiar bad feelings came rushing back, but I knew I couldn't not see her.  I also knew that I didn't want to make the same mistake that I had with Grandpa, so I was going to go visit her no matter what.  This bday visit was the first time I had seen her since she had been flown up from FL to be back in NJ and was the first time I had seen her since she really started to deteriorate.  Needless to say, nothing... and I mean NOTHING could have prepared me for the person I saw in that room.  She looked so small, fragile, weak, and sick.  I'm not sure anyone besides the bf noticed it, but I almost started crying right then and there.  But I knew I had to hold it together because well this was our birthday celebration for her.  I couldn't let her see how upset I was... this was her special day.  I haven't been able to see her since her bday (studying for the bar exam pretty much consumed my life) and I have to say I'm kind of nervous about what the next visit will bring.  Yes I know what to expect, but I'm not sure I'm ready for another grandparent to go through this... it is really such a heartbreaking disease.

I know you probably thought this post was going to be about Grandma's Cooking, and her cooking is what made me start to think about all of this.  I've been obsessed with cooking since finishing the bar exam.  Last night the bf and I actually made some pretty good ham and cheese melts that I found a recipe for.  But what I really want to do is start making all of Gram's recipes that I have.  She was such a good cook and I loved cooking with her.  She had all kinds of cool gadgets and it was just always so much fun to cook with her or bake with her or to help out with whatever she was up to in the kitchen.  I have so many fond memories of waking up early when we were down at the shore to help her make a Bisquick coffee cake for breakfast... or the times that we made homemade bread together using the bread machine... or helping to make salads for dinner... or getting things together for the men to grill...going to Wegman's with her to do shopping... or to Delicious Orchards to get fruit for various things (like peach crunch... mmmm... my favorite).  It hurts to think that I'm never going to be able to do those things for her again.  But what I do know is that I'm going to keep on making her recipes to keep her alive in me.  I have those memories of me with her and nothing can take that away.  Cooking her dishes is going to be what keeps her alive in me long after she is gone.

I love you Gram!  And Grandpa, I miss you more than words and describe and can only hope that you are looking down on me from heaven and that you are proud of me.. I love you too!

PS,  Sorry for the depressing post, but sometimes you just need to get these things out.  Depressing as this post may have been, it definitely helped to make me feel better just thinking about Gram and my Grandpa!