I have been fortunate to work with The Real Gift Foundation on several of their charitable fundraisers. This non-profit serves the homeless school children in Maricopa County, AZ. This November was their 12th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner Drive.
This is not your typical drive. They don’t ask the community to drop off turkeys or fixings.
The Real Gift Foundation orders pre-cooked Thanksgiving dinners complete with an 8-10 pound turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, veggies, and more. Each dinner feeds a family of six. Because of the nature of the event, they fundraise AFTER they have already placed the order, months before they will be delivered on the elementary school district warehouse docks.
Talk about FAITH IN ACTION! The foundation staff, volunteers and teachers deliver 3,650 dinners to homeless school children (and their families) who attend over 70 public schools throughout the Valley feeding over 22,000 people! This meant raising just over $80,000 to pay for all the meals that would be distributed on November, 22.
Conde Rogers, President of The Real Gift Foundation, is steadfast in her knowing that the community will learn of our efforts through our public relations campaign and the money will be raised. The donations to the foundation were significantly lower when we started this year compared to last year at this time. The economy hit everyone hard. Yet, Conde sets the bar and knows that the community will stand to meet it.
We had new stories to be told through the media. There were many first time homeless families due to the economy. One family’s daughter had cancer and due to her treatment and the loss of one of her parent’s jobs, they were living in their car.
The stories were shared by television, radio magazine and newspaper reporters. The social media campaign was successful in getting the word out as well and the money was raised. See the story on local FOX affiliate KSAZ.
Cory’s Corner The Real Gift Foundation’s Thanksgiving Dinner Drive
Yes, I love doing the PR campaign, yet I also get the joy of being on site to watch families come to pick up their Thanksgiving dinners. To see the looks and hear the words of gratitude filling the air brings a tear to my eye. Plus to watch the gratitude pouring out of the hearts of the volunteers and teachers who were at the school district warehouse facility at 6am with huge smiles awaiting the opportunity to serve this community.
Gratitude is a two-way street, for the giver and the receiver. I am blessed to have been a part of it.
