MAS by Vendita

Charity

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The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy protects habitats by purchasing land as it becomes available or helping private landowners to keep land available for wildlife and the preservation of ecosystems. In my home state of Ohio, thanks to efforts by the Nature Conservancy and other conservation focused organizations, the Bald Eagle has staged a come-back from only four pairs in 1979 to over 700 pairs in 2020. I am proud to support a charity that does so much for wildlife and the natural world.

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St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

St. Jude Research Hospital is a charity that I have been personally involved in for many years. Being a mother of three children, it would be unimaginable to have a doctor diagnose my child with cancer. I cannot imagine the fear, uncertainty and helplessness you would feel as the parent. The fact that the family never gets a bill for any services that a child receives from St. Jude is amazing. The only thing the family needs to focus on is their child getting better. The tireless research that the hospital does has increased the childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to 80%. That is an incredible statistic. One thing that the child and parents alike really need is hope and St. Jude provides the hope and support to fight these cancers head on. In addition, the research is shared worldwide so we can continue to successfully battle the childhood cancers that are most common. I feel privileged to give a monthly donation to such a wonderful organization!

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Bruce Elementary School

My mom has been in education since I was very young. She has always taught at an inner city or low or below poverty line school in my hometown of Macon, Georgia. For the past 15+ years I have “adopted” her kindergarten classroom for Christmas to help give the kids gifts and necessities that they wouldn’t otherwise receive. In the past five years I have expanded my donations beyond just Christmas and donated thousands in cash, school supplies, books, clothing, school uniforms, gifts, decorations and funds for events, hundreds of volunteer hours, and even purchased their school mascot costume.

It is my heart’s work to give back as much as I possibly can and provide these kids with the necessities that they need and more. I want them to be able to go to school and not have to worry about having the basics that they need to succeed. My goal is to expand this to the Tampa Bay Area, my home for the past 12 years, and help as many school aged kids as possible. It is so incredibly important to give these kids the basics so that they can begin to build a solid foundation at a young age. I want them to feel empowered and taken care of rather than forgotten, overlooked or lost in the system.

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Shriners Hospitals for Children

Thousands of children suffer with burns, spinal injuries, craniofacial and orthopedic problems each year. In additional to the unimaginable pain associated with these conditions, they endure emotional trauma that is just as devastating. As a parent, it is very difficult to watch a child experience that pain and suffering. It’s even worse when you’re unable to help them. The care they will require far exceeds what most parents and caregivers can provide. Thankfully, there’s Shriners Hospital for Children.

Since 1922, Shriners Hospitals for Children have treated more than 1 million children from around the world, regardless of the family’s ability to pay. With 22 locations throughout North America, Shriners Hospitals for Children specialize in the treatment of:

  • Craniofacial and cleft lip/palate
  • Pediatric burns
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Pediatric neuromuscular conditions
  • Pediatric orthopedic conditions
  • Pediatric spinal cord injury
  • Pediatric sports injury and fractures
  • Spina bifida

In addition to the medical and surgical treatments for these conditions, they provide on-going therapy and rehabilitation care for patients, often through their 18th birthday. Their commitment to improving the lives of their patients does not end with treatment. Shriners Hospitals for Children’s researchers have made significant breakthroughs in orthopedics, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip/palates that have garnered worldwide recognition.

Shriners Hospitals for Children is changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research and outstanding medical education. It is a great source of pride for me that I can help support their work.

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The Turtle Hospital Marathon

The Turtle Hospital in Marathon Key, Florida was created in 1986 to provide the services and care needed for sea turtles. They also provide funding to help educate the public about the effects of their actions, for example, the use of plastic straws. Research is also very important in helping further aid specialists on turtle health. They are currently researching the causes of fibropapilloma, a common disease in sea turtles which creates tumors throughout their bodies. I support this charity because I know that my funding and efforts are endlessly being put towards the hardworking individuals who fight every day for the care of this species.

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Children’s Miracle Network

The Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital is one of the hospitals that the Children’s Miracle Network is affiliated with and supports. I got involved with this organization two years ago through my fraternity at the University of South Florida, and I have been supporting it ever since. I am the Chapter President of Zeta Beta Tau at USF; it is our national philanthropy and I have made it my goal to push my chapter to continue to raise money for this great organization. To date, Children’s Miracle Network has raised more than $7 billion to help support the financial burden that families face when a child becomes hospitalized. It is a privilege to support this organization and I will continue to support even after I graduate from college.

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Captains for Clean Water

Water is the lifeblood of Florida; it is our most precious resource. Unfortunately, we’ve been mismanaging it for decades. This can be seen in the massive red tide and blue-green algae blooms that have resulted from discharges of polluted freshwater from Lake Okeechobee through the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie waterways. This, coupled with the restriction of Lake Okeechobee’s natural southern flow through the Everglades, has resulted in massive fish kills and environmental degradation. This, coupled with the restriction of Lake Okeechobee’s natural southern flow through the Everglades, has resulted in massive fish kills and environmental degradation. Captains for Clean Water was founded by a band of captains and guides who aim to raise awareness of Florida’s water quality/management issues and ultimately reverse the course of reckless disregard that has resulted in a massive environmental crisis. As an avid outdoorsman, I support this organization because they’re fighting to ensure that Florida’s water is clean and that myself and future generations can enjoy it.

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