So much gratitude and sense of community from one event.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

You would think that after an insanely packed day and even more crazy week/month that I would be passed out like a log at this time ...nope. The adrenaline of the Charity Craft Fair is still pumping through my blood - or that might have been the cups of coffee I consumed.

When I think of the Charity Craft Fair, I imagine the cliché image of a world with people holding hands together forming a circle. Life is a cycle and in it we have the opportunity to impact everyone we come across.

• The amazing organizations involved this year (listed below) do so much amazing work for the greater good of our community.
• The small business vendors (listed below) that participated at this year’s event, and some annual supporters, were essential to our ability to provide these charities with a venue to share their cause and assist with funding their projects.
• The sponsors (listed below) who provided so much to ensure that the event not only happened but provided a greater sense of community through their contribution.
• The shoppers who came by, not only supported small business and the charity causes but conveyed a message to their loved one that their present was of value not just to the receiver, but also to those they purchased the gift from.  
• And most of all the amazing volunteers, my friends, who have continually given so much of their lives to this event. I don’t know that I could write a conclusive paragraph on how much profound gratitude I have for these people for supporting my mission to raise awareness and funds for Pancreatic Cancer Canada through this event.

And just like the image of this cliché world with people holding hands together in a circle, every person/ group involved was vital to ensure that this cycle of creating a nurturing community continues to go around. It is this thought manifested into an event that leaves my adrenaline charged with so much gratitude and hope for our world.

People left feeling great about their purchase for it’s uniqueness, excited to give it to their loved one, and exuded the warmth they felt for contributing to such amazing causes. It’s a whirlwind to organize but once the day ends, all rentals are picked up and I get to sit back on my couch I end off the night feeling so much genuine love for everyone involved.

Details on the event report, photos and proceeds for Pancreatic Cancer Canada to come in the following weeks.

Until next year, xo,

Maria

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Charity Craft Fair Sponsors:

• Venue Sponsor: Westbank (Vancouver)
• Event Sponsor: AMES Tiles (Burnaby)
• Beverage Sponsor: BC Eye Care (Maple Ridge)
• Door Prized Gift Basket Contributors:
• Cartems
• Nuba
• JJ Bean Gastown
• Scarves by Vanessa
• Grazyna Wolski "Brilliant Blossoms" 2016 Calendar

Our wonderful small businesses:

• Ashley Caitlin Crafts (annual vendor)
• East Vanity (annual vendor)
• The Intersection
• Frese’n’ Grape
• Color by Amber
• TessaManu Photography
• reMzo Apparel
• Big Village
• Amy Tom Art Design
• Georgina Baker Design
• Bespoke Cakes
• Scarves by Vaness & Cards by Courtney
• DnA Workshop
• Arbonne
• Great Spirit Designs

The amazing charities & non-profits in our community:

• African Aids Angels
• Shanti Uganda
• Maya Skills Project
• Tradeworks
• 411 Seniors Society
• Paws for Hope
• Bead for Life
• Passion Foundation
• Downtown Eastside Neighborhood House
• Eastside Community Artists

World Pancreatic Cancer Day

Today is World Pancreatic Cancer Day. While we seem to have acquired a national celebratory day for almost every day of the year, this one is quite close to my heart.

Social media and our alarmingly small world of a network seems to bombard us daily with what each day is supposed to celebrate. Between National Donut Day to months dedicated to a cause, it's hard for every day people to actually grasp what it is that's happening. To be honest, living in a common wealth leads to social saturation. We are inundated with who and what to support, what to wear and what event to attend. It's quite overwhelming if all you know is life here ... but it becomes different when you know someone, especially a loved one, that has been affected by a deadly disease. Until then it seems that every cause is asking for your support and you have no personal tie to anything. And if that is the case for your situation then you are truly fortunate.

Most of us have lost someone important or know that someone we love is fighting for their lives. It really is a first world problem, and something that I celebrate having, to be rallying support or promoting a cause that doesn't affect us immediately.

Today, I wear purple to show my support for Pancreatic Cancer Canada in raising awareness for pancreatic cancer. When two, three, hundreds of people are wearing something in united stand to raise awareness for a disease that has taken a loved one it is a powerful message. Not everyone knows of this disease. Up until the last four years I didn't know what it was until my eight year old cousin Noel lost his fight to this disease. Soon after Steve Jobs, Patrick Swayze and Jack Poole - the man who helped bring the Olympics to Vancouver. So just wearing purple for me is not enough.

Next Saturday November 21st we have organized the Charity Craft Fair to help raise awareness pancreatic cancer and support research. Please come and invite your friends to do some holiday shopping. We will have Ornaments of Hope available and admission proceeds will be donated to Pancreatic Cancer Canada's research at the BC Pancreatic Centre.

It's a life long mission of mine to spread awareness and support research for pancreatic cancer. It's the only way I feel I can carry on Noel's legacy.

Our Volunteers

Median Fundraising is 100% volunteer driven. What does this mean? This means that everything you see from our social media posts, our websites, to the events that are executed are run by volunteers.

When I started Median, I started it with an aim to provide support to needy community organizations that lack resources to hire a salaried fundraiser or event planner. More importantly I created Median to be a hub for individuals wanting to expand their experience whether for career purposes or just to develop their person as someone who wants to give back to their community. Little did I know the funding would come from me for the first two years. Every event put forward meant expenses and I've put everything out for it. You could say I consider this my baby. And like the old African proverb, yes, it does take a village to raise a child.

I lack financial resources to hire salaried employees but I've continually found some amazing individuals who want to give back or have found a cause that I felt passionate about fundraising for. Yes, we are re-visiting our business model and yes, it is my goal to hire someone in the next couple of years but for now I am choosing to write about the amazing people that have helped to shape Median into what it is today.

Our volunteers are very passionate people - and I can say with confidence that I know our volunteers beyond their first and last names. I'm actually quite honoured to call Median's volunteers my friends. It's quite rare to find people in this world who want to see others succeed and even harder to find people who work towards doing so. I have to make this clear as prior to this year all of our event proceeds have been donated and in the most case we actually have paid a portion of the expense. The business moguls out there are shaking their heads but we've valued every cause and connection we've made.

Yes, we are clearly young and inexperienced but I can gratefully say that in this journey of growing we have made some amazing friendships --- this is what Median is; not based on money but on social growth and development for our volunteers and our community.

Want to volunteer? Email James our Non-Profit Coordinator: james@medianfundraising.com

Tis the Season

It's back. The Charity Craft Fair returns this year on Saturday November 21st at the Woodwards Atrium. As always, our aim is to provide holiday shoppers with a socially conscious venue to buy gifts for loved ones. This fair becomes bigger and better every year. It's probably the most fun event that Median Fundraising organizes but it also requires so much work.

The craft fair began three years ago. It was October 31st 2013 and I started thinking about what I would gift for my family. My presents typically included gifts of greater good; for example buying a calf for a village or pencils for a school. I would then attach the slip of paper that said 'I bought a calf for village to provide them with milk for the year as your Christmas present' along with a little trinket. My family valued this more than any set of pyjamas or box of chocolates I could buy them. I thought, I had over done those gifts they were of value but lacked creativity and become generic. Earlier that year we had lost my 8 year old cousin to pancreatic cancer. I wanted to find a way to find a gift that benefited pancreatic cancer research.

I was an avid craft fair goer - always gravitating towards vendors selling beautiful products that funded a social program. And so with this, I called three of some amazing girls I knew at the time and within the span of 3 weeks we planned and executed the very first Charity Craft Fair.

Like us on Facebook to get up to date details on this year's Charity Craft Fair: www.facebook.com/charitycraftfairvancouver