A Valentine's Kind of Love

February 14^th has been dubbed by Hallmark as a day to buy presents and whisper sweet nothings to your significant other. It has spiraled to the extreme where singles are now solemnly reminded of the person they are lacking or missing. Instead of rambling about how this will be my first ever Valentines day in a relationship, I want to focus on highlighting the importance of loving yourself. 

When you love yourself everyone around you can sense it. You are genuine with your interactions and sincere with your words. When you love yourself in the most whole way you typically exert as much care about your community, family and friends.  Like being in a relationship, you can take this love for granted. It’s easy to overlook or assume it exists but it’s only after taking good care that you will come to understand it’s value. Here are simple tips that boost your self-love:

 

•  Lift those legs! Everyone knows your body physiology influences your health and of course your mind frame. Sticking to a daily work out routine helps boost your self confidence and decreases chances of health diseases. But don’t be too hard on yourself if your schedule right now is to crazy. Little things such as walking to the grocery store or taking stairs instead of the elevator are a great start to creating a routine.

•  Open those arms! Vancouver is a busy city. Everyone seems to be jetpacking to their next meeting or appointment. Take this time to assess your schedule and ensure you leave yourself enough time to get places. Observe your surroundings, take note of cherry blossoms peaking from their shoots and the moss sprouting from the trees. Open yourself to greeting and acknowledging the person you walk by as they are as much a human being as you are.  
• Straighten your back! The challenge I present to you is to take the time every week to stare at yourself in the mirror. As you stare into your reflection acknowledge the amazing and wonderful person you’ve become and that you are limitless to anything you want to set your mind to!

Happy Valentine's Day! 


 
 

It's a brand new year!

Every new year comes with such hope and anticipation of what's to come. And understandably, for some it also comes with a tinge of fear that comes with aging. This past week would have been Noel's birthday and he would have been 12 years old just shy from being considered a 'teen'. I've stopped to think about what he would be like if he were still around, probably still as mischievous as he was when he was eight but I firmly believe he would be so smart; His curiosity and ability to observe would have developed into a deeper understanding of the world and how he can change things for him and his mom. He would have been so brave to do what he believed to be the right thing - he would have turned into an amazing man.

And so, it is the thought of what he would have become that fuels what Median will be this year. There is so much growing that we aim to do and so much support we aim to provide. The last year has been quite the year. We grew so much faster than I ever expected thanks to all our volunteers and supporters.

February 22nd at 1pm we hope to invite all our current and past volunteers, supporters and donors to our Thank You Party and 2 Year Celebration. Venue is still TBA but please save the date.

We're looking for a new board member!

Median Fundraising is the middle party organization between donors and the organization conducting research or providing direct support to a needy community. We are a non-profit consultation service providing support to organizations financially unable to hire a salaried event planner or fundraising associate. We provide the following services related to fundraising in accordance to ethical standards in event planning/management, campaign promotion and market research. Our goal is to help raise awareness and support research towards issues surrounding health & socioeconomic inequalities that are lacking support. More information on our website: www.medianfundraising.com

We value individuals who are:

Passionate about giving back to society;

Collaborative with other members to achieve a communal goal;

Trustworthy & Reliable with those they work with.

We are seeking individuals with experience and knowledge in the following areas:

-       Marketing/Communications

-       Public Relations/Media

-       Finance/Accounting

Board of Director Responsibilities includes

• Participation in strategic direction for the organization
• Assist in monitoring the organization’s performance to achieve the vision and mission of Median Fundraising
• Assess financial viability and sustainability through participation of budget approvals
• Oversight of organizational financial reports,
• Assist with formulating and overseeing the constitution & by-laws
• Prepare for and attend monthly board meetings and participate in quarterly events
• Build and maintain relationships with external stakeholders including community organizations
• Collaborate with other Median Fundraising board members to assist in raising funds for the organization as well as other outreach initiatives

Expectations of Board Members

• Attend & participate during monthly meetings and special events as able.
• Participate in one major event per year.
• Help communicate and promote Median Fundraising services, mission and objectives.
• Every board member is in fiduciary relationship with the Association and is under an obligation to act in the utmost good faith toward the Association in their dealings with or on its behalf.

Length of Terms: One year, which may be renewed pending approval of the board.

Meetings & Time Commitment:

-       The board of directors meets once a month at an agreed upon venue.

-       Committees of the board meet an average of 6-10 times per year, pending their respective agendas.

To apply:

Please send your resume & letter of interest to Maria Bernardo (maria@medianfundraising.com)

Google Doodle

It's already December?!

The days go by so fast. I can’t believe it’s nearly the end of 2014.

This year has been evolutionary for Median. From hosting two large events to gaining so much volunteer interest and awareness in our community for Median. It is at this time that we need to shift our gears. We’re calling for all interested individuals with relevant experience in non-profit financials and program development to please apply to be part of our board. We also encourage those looking for non-profit management, event planning and community involvement experience to apply.

We are looking for passionate individuals who are wanting to make a difference in their community. Commitments are a one year term and involve quarterly meetings, occasional email or phone conferences equivalent to about 2-4 hours a month please see detailed posting on Charity Village here.

Please submit your application in the form of a resume and cover letter to maria@medianfundraising.com by Wednesday, December 31^st. Applications will be reviewed and interviewed in January and successful applicants will be notified by February.

Success!

Last month's Charity Craft Fair Vancouver was held at BCIT's Downtown Campus and raised $693 for Pancreatic Cancer Canada.

We also supported local charities such as the Shanti Uganda, Global Mothers, Leukemia Lymphoma Society, Flowers for Food, Girl Guides of Vancouver and many more!

See our Charity Craft Fair website to see a list of this year's vendors, sponsors and amazing volunteers!

The Charity Craft Fair is back!

The Charity Craft Fair is back this year! Happening on November 22nd at the BCIT Downtown Campus from 10-3pm.

This isn't going to be a repeated promo post about what you will find at the Charity Craft Fair but what I hope the Charity Craft Fair will mean. You see the constant posts on social media and maybe even see the posters at your local cafe constantly expressing how we aim to support local charities and bring our community together. This truly is what I hope this event accomplishes. It is one of life's most beautiful things: watching people help each other out of the goodness of their hearts. There are people within each organization that exist that have made it their career to support low-income seniors, to fundraise for cures and fight against marginalization. These amazing people have found the value of life not in the money they earn but the lives they impact.

Most people who know me might say I'm overly emotional, this might be true, but it genuinely provides so much meaning in my life to be surrounded by these selfless individuals and amazing organizations. I feel truly blessed and grateful to have this opportunity to provide our local charities a cost free venue to showcase what they do.

Come out and see what I am rambling about on Saturday November 22nd from 10-3pm at BCIT Downtown.

xoxo Maria

Awareness is key - human trafficking

I recently watched the movie Trade reminding me of the reality of human trafficking.

It was disturbing and deeply saddening that women, girls and boys can be purchased and exploited like a commodity. I sat there thinking what can I do? How can I attempt to create change so that perhaps in the future this social issue of perceiving people as entities that can be bought for sexual exploitation can be eradicated?

Here are a few things I came up as small steps towards creating change:

1. Spread awareness - prevent potential victims and deter predators 

2. Support organizations advocating for change in government & law enforcement services

3. Attend fundraising & education events supporting victims.

In British Columbia an organization called REED (Resist Expoloitation Embrace Dignity) does these exact things. Learn more about REED through their website and find out more about how you can make a difference: www.embracedignity.org