When Julie Grimes saw the harrowing headlines following a string of deadly storms that battered a fragile Haiti last year, the local hotelier knew she could not simply sit idle. But Grimes, the owner-representative of Miami's Doubletree Grand and Hilton Bently on South Beach, wanted to do more than the usual relief drives. She wanted to build something that would save lives and help Haitian families better weather future storms.
Alfredo Benitez was just 5 when his mother died. By the time his father passed away four years later, the boy and his eight siblings were living in a home filled with other orphans.
Jello salad recipes and mimeographed pages are out, high production values, celebrity recipes, sleek food styling, national awards and serious cash are in.
Their most famous rescue is today a vibrant 17-year-old who looks past her disfiguration to see a bright future.
Twin sisters Ginette and Gina have devoted their lives to helping children in their Haitian homeland receive life-saving medical help. That they were able to help Marlie Casseus -- a teen who arrived in Miami from Haiti three years ago with a melon-size mass that nearly killed her -- is testimony to their strong Catholic faith.More casual cocktail parties, fewer black tie galas. Old-school coin canisters at checkout counters to help supplement dwindling corporate donations. And a renewed emphasis on the friends-and-family plan for bringing in cash.
Shortly after taking over the Dade Community Foundation July 1, Javier Soto was approached by the Miami Police Athletic League. In the midst of the worst financial crisis in 60 years, the league had lost funding to send 14 inner-city children to participate in the AAU Junior Olympics in Des Moines, Iowa.
The economy remains sketchy. Once-generous givers are more cautious than ever, and charitable donations trickle in at a dubious rate. What's a nonprofit to do to shake off the doldrums and stir a little interest?
The murder of 17-year-old student Juan Carlos Rivera at Coral Gables High School two months ago brought renewed attention to youth crime and school safety.
The hungry used to walk into the food bank at the Cooperative Feeding Program in Lauderhill.
Now they line up in cars down the street. ``Need,'' said CEO Marti Forman, ``is to the moon.''Debbie Zelman is a mother of three children, a lawyer and a philanthropist who plans to conquer stomach cancer and help others do the same.
In April, a year after Zelman, 42, learned she had the disease in an advanced stage, she launched a non-profit charity called Debbie's Dream Foundation. Its purpose is to fund innovative treatments for stomach cancer, but already it is accomplishing more.Top art, music and dance schools teach the elements of painting, sculpture, photography or choreography. But they don't teach how to negotiate a contract with a gallery owner or how to convert occasional ticket buyers into long-term subscribers.
Is the urge to give back something you're born with or is it a sensibility you acquire?
Adah Jaffer learned at her father's knee the importance of giving back to the community. At age 95, she's now the longest-giving contributor to the United Way of Miami-Dade.
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