I have a personal connection with each of the organizations listed below. If you are looking for a deserving place to share, consider one of these.
The James F. Byrnes Foundation
The James F. Byrnes Foundation provides financial aid for college students who have lost one or both of their parents. My mother and her siblings were raised by a single mother after their father died when they were young. After high school, my mother and her twin sister were Byrnes Scholar recipients and got to know the Byrnes family personally. The uniqueness of the Byrnes organization is that it’s more than just giving money to pay the bills, there are beach retreats and gatherings where former scholars form relationships with those new scholars. It’s a family. I have personally seen the dedication and involvement my parents have had over the years for these deserving students. Learn more and donate here.
My good friend Skeeter saw an opportunity to serve adults with disabilities and created David’s Table to do it. His passion and love is unmatched.
Learn more at David’s Table
When my brothers and I were children, my mother took us on her meals on wheels routes. Those were formative and important times. There are many meaningful volunteer opportunities at your local Meals on Wheels, from packaging meals to delivery.
In March 20
15, I took my first trip to Haiti. For a week, I lived in the complex in Cange, Haiti, and visited schools and villages in the area. The focus of my trip was the small library there which is growing, and is in need of help to do that. When I was there, I saw students reading their school books and studying under outdoor lamps in the complex late into the evening. They love to learn, they want to learn, and an education is the best thing we give them. We are trying to raise money to build a larger library to serve the surrounding villages. Learn more and donate here.
Patio Projects, Guanajay, Cuba
My good friends, Javier Perez and Santiago Delgado run the Patio Projects, out of their church and home in Guanajay, Cuba. In 2009, a crazy group of us piled into a van and rode all over Cuba to see the growth of their seeds (figuratively and literally). The Patio Projects help communities and individuals turn wasted spaces into gardens and growing spaces, providing food, medicine, and turning lives around in the process. This spurred my own interest in gardening. I think anything we can do to reconnect people to a more direct involvement with Nature, and in where their food comes from, the better. Contact me for more information on how you can support this project.
Learn about the Patio Projects in this video
Roma Scholarships
In 2010 I joined my good friend and colleague, Glen Adkins, on a trip through the country of Hungary on a choir tour with his choir, made up of Roma students from the Gandhi School in Pecs, Hungary. This was my second trip to work with the students there. We were invited into their homes, fed wonderful meals, and treated to incredible music and a tour of the Hungarian country. From that trip, I put together a video documentary about the Roma people and the issues they face, which can be seen below. Contact me for more information about how you can best support the Roma.
Learn more about the Roma in this video
Bootie Cothran 