The end of a term...

It is with extreme gratitude that I write this to you, our Median volunteers, friends & family. Yesterday we had Median’s Annual General Meeting. In it we discussed our past year’s activity and I made my very big announcement. Yesterday, I formally stepped down from my position as Median Fundraising’s President and from my role as a board member.

Although Median had just celebrated 3 years in February that was simply just our incorporation anniversary. Median was started before then, so in fact we are in our 6th year of operations. And I can truly say that I spent all of my energy and being ensuring that Median continued to run forward. My term has run out - my resources have been depleted and my strength to forge Median forward has been used up. It was a very difficult and sad decision for me to make but definitely one that was necessary for myself and of course for Median.

While I am not on the board of directors, I still exercise the privilege in my humanity to continue to volunteer for greater social good. We still have our Live Music Fundraiser for Beauty Night this Friday and I would love to see you there.

Sincerely,

Maria Margarita P. Bernardo

Saturday Morning

This morning I was supposed to have Median Fundraising's Annual General Meeting but due to scheduling conflicts it had to be rescheduled. I have been feeling sad, torn and exhausted with Median. I felt like I was losing my passion.

Instead of the meeting, I dragged myself to a cafe to sit and read everything I could to figure out how to make Median better. In the process of reading I became more and more stressed out with the thought that if I wanted Median to be better it felt like I would be doing all the work - and there is so much of it. I started to question why, why does Median exist? Are we able to fulfill our mission? We want to provide support to struggling local charities and causes but here I was struggling on my own. 

After reading for a solid two hours I decided to take a break and walk down the street. As I walked down Granville I met Inda standing outside a Starbucks asking for change. It was too beautiful of a day to say no but I had no change so instead bought him a cake and a hot chocolate. I said goodbye to Inda (yes I took his photo and he was eager); upon walking out the door the Starbucks barista stopped to thank me and continue to 'pay it forward' with a giftcard.

It was at this moment, that I realized I will always have a natural passion for wanting to help other people whether through Median or my own personal life. And it felt really good to help Inda - not because of the giftcard but because the thought that sharing this story might inspire others to 'pay it forward'.

Median exists to support local community organizations/causes with issues related to  health and socio-economic challenges. And it was through the inception of Median that I wanted to inspire the community to create change. With my momentary exchange this morning I feel reinvigorated to find a way to make sustainable changes for Median - and myself.

In sincerity,

Maria

Do you wish to create social impact? Do you want to know more about Median? 

Contact me at maria@medianfundraising.com 

A day for love

On this day we are reminded to celebrate love. I think the Hallmark & Hershey companies of this world have over taken the media and somehow branded this day to be related to buying gifts of chocolate (..etc) for loved ones but to me Valentines day, while it is like any other day, is just an internationally day to recognize those we love in our lives.

So today, I am choosing to recognize the love I have for the people and charities in our community. Median Fundraising was created as a means of providing help to charities/organizations that lacked funding. There are some amazing people doing wonderful things for our community. While I could talk about my love for our volunteers and their desire to organize/plan events to inspire community engagement I am choosing today to talk about Beauty Night Society.

Last night I met with the lovely Caroline MacGillivray, founder of Beauty Night Society. Beauty Night has been a pillar of strength and support in the Downtown Eastside Vancouver Community for 15 years. They've now expanded their programs of wellness throughout the urban centres of the Lower Mainland.

I was just completed blown away by their accomplishments. But what I love about this organization is their mission and their volunteers' ability to see every person as equal within our very polarized society to provide building blocks of self esteem to those who need it most but are often denied it as they are in poverty.

This April 15th we are hosting our annual Live Music Fundraiser for Beauty Night Society and all the wonderful and amazing work they do! Please email us and we'll keep you updated on event details.

Happy 2016!

I can't believe how fast the time has gone. We're almost at our 3rd year and are exponentially growing!!  I'm so amazing and full of gratitude for how far Median Fundraising has come with the help of our board members and of course our volunteers. I can never express how grateful I am for these people!

With growth comes growing pains. We have outgrown our resources so now is a time to reassess, re-plan/formulate and start our discussion! We are also looking for more volunteers in our search to create a "circle" of growth in our community.

If you are looking for a rewarding opportunity to contribute to our community, gain experience and network please send us a message maria@medianfundraising.com

See our volunteer posting on Charity Village

xo,
Maria

Email maria@medianfundraising.com