The mission for this online gallery and my artwork is to bring awareness to causes closest to my heart, with a portion of sale proceeds going to support my favorite nonprofits and charities. They include Joni and Friends (Bay Area Ministry), Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF), and Drive 4 Change. Below is more information on these organizations and my personal connection to them.
2015 Thailand WFTW
The distrubition outreach was in Chiangmai (Northern Thailand). This young boy received a new wheelchair that was fitted for his needs allowing him to be independent and attend school. I served as the support person interviewing recipients and logging their story. Each manual wheelchair that is distributed is one that is donated and assigned a number. Donors can find out who receive their wheelchair and know about their background based on the assigned number.
Joni and Friends Bay Area Ministry - Since 2003, I have volunteered with Joni and Friends with their “Wheels for the World (WFTW)” outreaches traveling to Vietnam (2003), Thailand (2005, 2013, 2015) and Ghana (2018), helping to distribute wheelchairs and bibles to children and adults living with disabilities. In 2010 & 2011, I served at their Family Retreats as a buddy to children with special needs in Scotts Valley (Santa Cruz) and Twin Rocks (Oregon). Through these camps, I heard about local respites events hosted by churches in the Bay and been involved ever since. I get to see God move so powerfully by meeting, inpired by and learning from these resilient children, adults and their families. Praise the Lord!
Our NorCal adaptive crossfit crew did a demo on adaptive crossfit at the annual San Diego Triathlon Competition. CAF is headquartered in San Diego and ths is their marquee annual fundraising event.
Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) – “CAF provides opportunities and support to people with permanent physical challenges, so they can pursue active lifestyles through physical fitness and competitive athletics. The Challenged Athletes Foundation believes that involvement in sports at any level increases self-esteem, encourages independence and enhances quality of life.” I love sports and been involved with CAF since 2016 as a grant recipient and volunteered to help grow our NorCal region. I have found an incredible community and opportunity to help others who can benefit from CAF. As an someone who is a polio survivor, sports & competition was not something I felt I could participate in. CAF has helped changed this and since, I participate in many of their adaptive sports clinics like crossfit, swimming, sailing, running, hiking, pickle ball and golf (my favorite sport) here in Northern California.
Drive 4 Change, Inc – “Drive 4 Change is a non-profit organization focused on Sports, Technical Training, Social & Community Development. We believe that sports, and technical training should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their background, ability, or limited ability. As we celebrate the birth of Drive 4 Change, Inc. it's important to delve into what truly sets us apart. Yes, we are rooted in golf, but our essence and impact stretch far beyond the fairways. We're not just about perfecting swings; we're a community development organization committed to creating substantial, lasting change through a diverse range of services, partnerships, and opportunities.” I currently serve on their board.