Life Could Be So Sweet...: Charitable Activities

Inroads 22nd Annual "Building the Future" Awards Banquet

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 23:55:50 GMT

I had the opportunity attend the banquet for this non-profit organization, one whom I had not worked with in the past.

What I saw absolutely floored me -- the organization's charter is to help businesses gain greater access to diverse talent through continuous leadership development of outstanding ethnically diverse students and placement of those students in internships at many of North America's top corporations, firms and organizations.

Represented were organizations such as Toyota, Kaiser, Disney, Beckman Coulter, and KPMG.

The show was hosted by interns themselves, they were so eloquent -- many of them giving speeches that could floor you with their emotion and honesty. In that room were America's future, some of the best and brightest, I was sitting next to an intern at ABC Studios who was actually able to use the word "Non sequitur" in a conversation with me. Not even old enough to drink, he explained how he had developed a new HR benefits proposal for his department, and even held responsibility for budgeting and scheduling of top shows such as Desperate Housewives, etc. This was in addition to the 400 page novel that he had written and hoped to publish.

I remembered when I was his age, I thought having a 3.7 GPA was some type of feat, I am humbled -- what I saw last night was true determination and talent. And for that I am proud to have had the opportunity to participate in this event which celebrates the professional accomplishments of our college youth.

Organization: INROADS

Website: www.inroads.org

YMCA 125th Anniversary Meeting and Distinguished Golden Triangle Awards in San Diego

Fri, 18 May 2007 23:24:01 GMT

On May 10th, I attended the YMCA 125th Anniversary Meeting and Distinguished Golden Triangle Awards in San Diego, CA to celebrate one of the largest YMCA chapters in the U.S. Held the U.S. Grant hotel, it was an amazing venue.

There was a parade during the event as well, comprised of YMCA children from several different chapters as well as the US Marine Corps band (hubba hubba). The night of course, was not complete without an orchestral rendition of the "Y-M-C-A"...

Despite having had dinner at the event, I was being gluttonous and my friend took me to Bertrands at Mister A's thereafter, a restaurant which overlooks the entire San Diego skyline...fun event, great food, amazing view, and good friends, life is simply sweet...

Tiffany's Make A Wish "Princess" Party

Tue, 08 May 2007 05:28:51 GMT

After months of planning, I finally hosted a "Princess" party for a young girl named Tiffany as part of my Make A Wish volunteer activities.

I put my heart and soul into this event, because this young girl -- suffering from a very rare type of cancer: Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor -- was so sweet and wonderful -- I simply wanted to make her dreams come true.

We shopped for hours across 2 weekends to find the perfect Disney princess gifts for each "princess" attendee. My fiance and I spent our Saturday decorating the house, draping blue chiffon from the ceilings and setting up a long banquet table for Princess Tiffy and her "royal court". One of my closest friends spent time setting up his camera equipment and printer to be ready to print out photos during the party, even bringing over his Nintendo WII for the children's entertainment.

I spent 3 hours making 54 cupcakes in pastel blue, pink, and green with sprinkles (her favorite colors) and placed them on a tiered maribou cupcake tray.

Tiffy arrived in royal fashion in a beautiful costume she had put together -- we applauded as she came in and with so many cameras clicking away -- it was as if she were surrounded by paparazzi. As she was seated at the banquet table, we had another surprise for her -- a grand entrance by a stunning Cinderella. This Cinderella, from "Once Upon a Princess" was AMAZING. She had the look, the demeanor, and even the VOICE of Cinderella as she sang "Once Upon A Dream". Many of the adults were moved to tears with how happy the children were, one of them, a 3 year old girl didn't want to let Cinderella go.

We set up a Nintendo WII to entertain the princesses while we cleared off the banquet table and set up the desserts. I had Tiffy put on one of my blue evening gowns where she then made a grand entrance at the staircase. She is soooo BEAUTIFUL! We even had a single blue Cinderella shoe for her to pose next to.

Everyone kept thanking me for my efforts, but all I felt was -- there is no place in the world I would rather be. I had so much joy inside to see how happy everyone in her family was, I could not ask for anything more. I was so grateful to Audrey (the other wish granter), to Cinderella (for donating her time), to my fiance, my friend, Tiffy's family for their help.

This is why life is worth living -- and always sweeter when you give.

To learn more about this amazing young girl: http://supporttiffany.blogspot.com/2007/05/make-wish-reveal-party.html

Memories of a "Make A Wish" Child - Elli K

Tue, 08 May 2007 05:25:38 GMT

I began volunteering with Make A Wish last year, and I have been very passionate about my work with them ever since. Nothing brings me greater joy than to see the happiness on a child's face, and of the family when they are about to have their dreams coming true.

The very first wish presentation party I ever hosted took place the day before Christmas eve, December 23, 2006. It was for a young 13 year girl with Osteosarcoma, her dream was a Disney cruise with her family. I remember getting her profile sheet, Elli K was her name -- where she said she loved purple, Indian food, and candy.

I remember shopping all day, to find her a purple backpack, purple bath gels, jewelery, and even a purple sign that said "Nobody's perfect, But I'm as close as it gets". I had food ordered from Tandoori's, and a cupcake "cake" from Mrs. Beasleys with every flavor they had. We decorated her dining table with deep purple fabric, plates, napkins, etc.

As we moved into 2007, we received regular updates from her family. I then received the one that we all feared, Elli passed away on Monday April 23rd, at 5:00 pm. She left this world in peace and with no pain while overlooking her favorite painting of a little girl riding a purple dragonfly in the sky.

With all the joy that comes with volunteering with Make A Wish, the sadness also comes as part of the package. Elli K was a beautiful young girl and a survivor until her last breath. I am grateful to have had just that one afternoon to spend with her.

To read more about this wonderful young girl's life: http://www.ellnaz.com/

Women in Information & Computer Sciences (WICS) at UC Irvine

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 06:32:09 GMT

On April 26th, WICS hosted an on-campus gathering and asked me to attend to speak to students about my experience in I.T.

It was the first time I had stepped foot at UC Irvine to find a classroom in a long, long time. I was a bit envious of the young'uns with their backpacks and laughing and joking heading off to class. But then again, when my work day ends I don't have mid-terms or finals to contend with anymore.

The women of this organization explained to me the amazing work they've performed on campus: from working with eco-friendly applications which utilize Tablet PCs to teach kids about the environment to helping children tour the campus to learn about opportunities in I.T. In fact, that night they had received an award from "Girls Inc." for their efforts.

To learn more about this organization: http://www.ics.uci.edu/~wics/

About WICs: Women in Information And Computer Sciences (WICS) is a non-profit organization that has been established to help and encourage women to pursue a college degree and a successful career in the Computer Science fields. We work together with a common ambition: To meet, encourage and help each other succeed and gain equal opportunity for women in a challenging field.

California Coalition for Children's Internet Safety Event

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 00:31:53 GMT

Yesterday, alongside representatives from the FBI and www.iSafe.org, I was invited to present to an audience of parents about internet safety for children as part of the California Coalition for Children's Internet Safety from the Department of Consumer Affairs.

I spoke to the topics of: Securing your family, yourself, and your PC.

From others, I learned an incredible amount of information about re: the triggers that internet predators use to lure young children\teens, and the preventative measures parents can take, such as:

- Keep your child's computer in a general room where it can be seen by all, if your child is constantly minimizing their screen when you walk by, that should raise some red flags.

- Have very frank conversations with your children about what they do on the internet, get to know their internet friends as you would their real friends in school, etc.

- Beware of young teens posting too much content about themselves online, predators look for vulnerability, sadness, things they can take advantage of. If they post pictures online, don't post those with street names, house numbers, or license plates in the background.

It was great that many of the parents were truly absorbing the information and taking notes, I was saddened however to see the frustration in their eyes that they felt so helpless, as if they were at the mercy of technology. Many times children are the I.T. directors of the home (in fact one parent referenced that the child used AOL Parental controls to lock out the parents themselves). I'm committed to providing that feedback to my company, I hope in turn myspace and other sites will continue to strive towards making tools, classes, resources more readily available to help parents maintain vigilance on their children as the surf the internet.

The internet ranks up there with the advent of the wheel, nothing can compare to how much it has evolved our society with rapid, widespread, access to information. I believe adults have the right to view whatever content is desirable within legal parameters (yes, unfortunately that includes hate\racist sites, etc.). But with children, discretion shoud be exercised and organizations such as the below can help.

To learn more about these featured organizations:

California Coalition for Children's Internet Safety:

The Department of Consumer Affairs has partnered with the California Coalition for Children’s Internet Safety to help parents and community leaders protect children in the online world.
http://www.cybersafety.ca.gov/

iSafe:

i-SAFE Inc. is the worldwide leader in Internet safety education. Founded in 1998 and endorsed by the U.S. Congress, i-SAFE is a non-profit foundation dedicated to protecting the online experiences of youth everywhere.

http://www.isafe.org/

Angelina and Brittanie Shared the Joy with Make-A-Wish -- will you?

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 21:21:39 GMT

I submitted a photo and shared the joy to ensure that Make-A-Wish Foundation received a donation -- read below for details if you're interested in doing the same:

The Lay’s brand and Make-A-Wish Foundation “Share the Joy” program begins today and continues through May 31. Lay’s is inviting consumers to share their own moment of joy online at www.lays.com, with the goal of raising money to help the Make-A-Wish Foundation continue its efforts to grant wishes to deserving children. For each submission, the Make-A-Wish Foundation will receive $1, up to a maximum of $460,000, from the Lay’s brand. The “Share the Joy” program is the first effort as part of the multi-year partnership between the Lay’s brand and the world’s largest wish-granting organization.

Miss Deeds March 2007 Easter Basket Making for Olive Crest

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 17:08:05 GMT

On Sunday, the Miss Deeds gathered at Miss Perfection's home to make Easter Baskets for Olive Crest Abused Children's Home.

We all chipped in $20 and bought lots of Disney, toiletries, and decorative stuffing to make Easter baskets for Olive Crest's annual event. We ended up making 18 - 6 for little girls, 6 for teenage girls, and 6 for teenage boys.

Each Miss put her own special touch on the baskets, making every basket unique and personal. "Miss Perfection" was trying her best not to fix and critique everyone's work.

Life is truly sweeter when you give, as we had a sweets and treats buffet on a tiered serving tray filled with cupcakes and candies. Unbelievably, "Miss Jolie" actually baked and put icing on yummy vanilla cupcakes (thus accounting for her vintage housewife look that day) while Miss Classy topped them off with sprinkles!! And "Miss Secret" was, of course, fashionably late and texting boys while making baskets... ;o)

We ended the day with a meal on the patio of Cafe TuTu Tango listening to the tropical beats of the performer outside, playing Lionel's Ritchie's "Easy Like Sunday Morning". A fun and easy Sunday it was indeed...

About the organization:

Mission

OLIVE CREST is dedicated to Preventing child abuse, to Treating and Educating at-risk children and to Preserving the family… “One Life at a Time.”

Contact Information:
www.olivecrest.org
Call us at 1-800-550-CHILD (2445)
Volunteer & General Inquiries-Ext. 1144
Human Resources/Employment-Ext. 1202
Ext. 1220 for Child Care Positions
or 1-800-74-FOSTER (743-6783) for Foster/Adoption Inquiries

Women's History Month Outreach Luncheon is a Success!

Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:44:57 GMT

In honor of Women's History Month, I joined the WHM Committee at my work. I thought about when I was in school and lost about where to go in my career, etc. and how I could help other young women avoid the same pitfalls I did.

I requested support from our corporate office, and was allowed to embark on a project of my choice. I decided upon a Women's History Month Outreach Luncheon for women in high school\college\graduate students (inclusive of non-profits).

Overview:
The purpose of this event was to have women in various job capacities at MS share their experiences with others re: key learnings in their careers at Microsoft and those leading up to. It ended with a Q&A Panel and came full circle with a presentation from Microsoft Staffing.

Results:
- 15 Attendees took part, college\graduate students to non-profit organizations.
- Evaluation scores on a scale of 1 (Poor) to 5 (Excellent) averaged: 4.5 – 11 scores of “5” & 3 scores of “4”. Not one attendee had feedback to state there was any portion of the presentation that was “not valuable”
- Many people enjoyed the food, Hawaiian cuisine chosen as a celebration of cultural diversity

Key Comments:
o “It is hard to find companies that have such interest in giving back to the community” – Cal State Long Beach Student
o “Last speaker and her four points, highly beneficial for me. I especially enjoyed the MS staffing presentation, very informative!” – Senior at Cal State Los Angeles
o “Panel Q&A, Recruiting Info, sharing experiences and career paths. Giving advice on how they got where they are today. Having different speakers from different backgrounds in different functional areas – these were all most valuable” – MBA Student, 1st year at UC Irvine
o “I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation as the speakers were very informative and motivating. Thank you for this amazing experience!” – Recent graduate.
**** As an additional note, “Little Saigon Radio” plugged the event to the Vietnamese Community here in Orange County, so there was an added benefit to hear our Community outreach activities messaged to such a diverse audience.

Key Learnings:
Overall, the event was a success, I believe that all attendees expressed how valuable it was to them, no matter what point in their lives or background.

Collectively, if the speakers and I saved another individual from making the same mistakes and heartaches that we went through as we struggled to find our way in our careers, that was our intent.

And from the feeling of true kinship and connectedness that I felt in that room that day, I would say we served our purpose.

“Memories of our lives, of our works and our deeds will continue in others.” - Rosa Parks (1913-2005)

NAWBO Los Angeles Leadership and Legacy Luncheon on March 16th, 2007

Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:33:00 GMT

Back to LA for the National Association of Women Business Owners Leadership and Legacy Luncheon where Microsoft was honored (in part) for our 250K software grant to this organization.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa spoke and was charming as ever, he really knows how ingratiate a crowd.

What floored me most however, were the inspiring speeches given by the award recipients. There was one lady in particular that spoke with a strong Chinese accent, but I can honestly say she was so incredibly eloquent and heartfelt in her speech that I was truly moved. I think women, whether it be societal or inherent have a tendency to be more emotional, and that carries in our communication. For the purposes of this event, it only added to the feeling of kinship and inspiration for all attendees -- making it a lot different than other honarary events I have witnessed.

About this organization:

The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) is a well-respected national membership organization of women business owners. With 8,000 members in 80 chapters, NAWBO has become the quintessential voice of women entrepreneurs in the United States.

http://www.nawbola.org/

Brittanie Ngo is the February 2007 Fab Female for Zoey's Room Chat!

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 20:07:30 GMT

I just completed the Zoey's Room chat where they allowed me to be featured as the "Fab Female" for February!

It was fun being able to answer questions about my work in technology and charitable activities with the young ladies participating in the chat.

Details:

Zoey's Room is a safe online community for middle school girls (ages 10-14), which encourages creativity through science, technology, engineering, and math.

For more information:

www.zoeysroom.com

Phone: 207-594-1842 or Email: programzr@zoeysroom.com

West Angeles Community Development Corporation 13th Annual Unity Awards Dinner

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 08:25:16 GMT

This evening I experienced a celebration of love, hope, and diversity at the "West Angeles Church of God in Christ"'s 13th Annual Unity Awards Dinner honoring the amazing and talented, Forest Whitaker. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa also came by to speak and pay tribute.

About this organization:

West Angeles Community Development Corporation (West Angeles CDC) charter is to promote justice and peace, demonstrate compassion and eradicate poverty as tangible expressions of the Kingdom of God through the vehicle of community development. West Angeles CDC subscribes to community development as a liberating process aimed at Economic Empowerment, Social Justice and Community Transformation.

For more information: http://www.westa.org/ministry_cdc.html

Miss Deeds: 365 Days of Good Deeds in 2007

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 01:44:19 GMT

My self-imposed challenge in 2007 -- to perform at least one gesture of charity\kindness\etc. every day.

Doesn't matter if it's for friends, family, or complete strangers -- any activity big or small.

I started it in December 2006 and it's been hilarious and heartwarming at the same time.

When I first mentioned the idea, my friend said, "Dang, I'm going to be opening doors for a lot of people." But that's the fun of it, it's just to get yourself doing things that make all of our lives just a little bit sweeter.

Last week, I dropped off a Christmas gift for a cop who had let me off with a warning last year.

My friends are now getting into it too, one called me today to wish me a happy new years and when I explained what I was trying to do, she referenced her participation in organizing the Miss Chinatown Los Angeles Fashion Show benefiting the "Chinese Chamber Cultural Foundation" scheduled to take place on January 13th, 2007 at the Biltmore in Los Angeles: http://www.misslachinatown.com/fashionshow.html - so for those of you so inclined to support this non-profit while viewing a fabulous fashion show see the URL for more details.

There's no time like the present to pay it forward....Here's to making a difference in '07.

AUGUST 26th, 2007 UPDATE: "I Failed..."

At the beginning of the year, I committed to performing one good deed every day in 2007. No matter how big or small, or for whom -- I was going to make a concerted effort and blog my daily activities online.

Unfortunately, and fortunately -- I became so inundated and increased my charitable activities to a point whereby I failed in a respect...I could no longer keep blogging my deeds everyday.

I feel badly because it was a commitment I made to but could not stick to documenting. However, I continue my 365 Good Deeds project and have not failed yet. I still help random strangers for no reason other than in hopes they will pay it forward.

I believe I've become a better person because of it. I am more considerate and thoughtful, hopefully less harsh and judgemental.

I never did this for "glory", I continue to do it for my own personal reasons. And though I committed to posting it online for a year -- perhaps it was best that my schedule no longer allowed me to do so and I can continue to give without having to find extra time to espouse it.

Mercy House Transitional Living Center: Santa Ana, CA

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 10:45:21 GMT

I don't quite recall how I initially came across this organization, I think it was when I picked up a flyer from them during a Holiday Boutique when I worked at Ingram Micro.

It was a while later before I finally did something about it and went to an orientation meeting to learn more about them. My first interaction with Mercy House was volunteering on their behalf at a concession stand during Toshiba's Golf Tournament to raise money.

The volunteer director is a wonderful woman named Ashleigh Anderson. I recently attended their Thanksgiving dinner for residents and volunteers, and if you could only see the individualized care that the staff demonstrates. The young man next to me was so ill he could barely enjoy his Thanksgiving dinner, but the staff was there to help him with the concern and compassion that really makes me feel good about evangelizing this organization.

So for those interested in learning more:

About Mercy House:

Mercy House provides housing and comprehensive supportive services for a variety of homeless populations that includes families, adult men and women, mothers and their children, persons living with HIV/AIDS, individuals overcoming substance addictions, and some who are physically and mentally disabled.

Contact:

Mercy House Transitional Living Centers, Inc.

Post Office Box 1905
Santa Ana, CA 92702

Office: (714) 836-7188
info@mercyhouse.net

Federal Tax ID Number: 33-0315864

YMCA October 2006 Halloween Funday

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 06:54:56 GMT

I had the pleasure of participating in the YMCA's Halloween Funday Carnival.

Like most following the trend of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean, I wore an oh-so-original pirate's costume. There were kids, costume parades, arts\crafts, and games. As you can see from the photos, I met Wonder Woman and Superman and apparently Super Dog too.

The pooch present was from the "Therapy Dogs of Southern California", a chapter of Therapy Dogs International.

I spent the day with a child who I had to keep encouraging to eat because he kept getting distracted with the games and the fun...boy, if only I had that problem. As I get older I eat every chance I get...forget the fun, where's the buffet??

Another Halloween with smiling faces, festivites, and a bouncy house. The YMCA rocks.

For more information about the non-profit organizations featured in this blog:

The YMCA of Orange County -- www.ymcaoc.net

The YMCAs commitment to meeting community needs is continually demonstrated in programs ranging from child care, after-school enrichment, youth leadership and development, mentoring and tutoring, youth and adult sports, fitness, camping, and family support activities.

The YMCA has been offering services to the residents of Orange County since the first YMCA in Santa Ana was founded in the 1880’s. Today the YMCA of Orange County has 8 branches, serves 85,000 residents of Orange County annually, is the largest provider of licensed school-age child care in the county, and has program offerings in 100+ locations spanning the county.

Therapy Dogs of Southern California, a chapter of Therapy Dogs International. -- http://www.therapydogsofsocal.org/

We are a non-profit group dedicated to helping people less fortunate than ourselves. Our volunteers go to hospitals, nursing homes, juvenile facilities, jails, and anywhere there are people who would benefit from a visit from a four legged friend. Our group attends fairs and expos to educate the public about Therapy Dogs, and we also do demonstrations and talks for schools, churches, and service groups. We plan outings with our dogs to amusement parks, malls and restaurants. If you have a registered Therapy Dog and would like to join our group or would like information on how to get your dog certified as a Therapy Dog, or if you would like our group to visit your school or institution, please contact :

Terri Lattanzio - 562-714-4959

Asian Pacific American Legal Center 23rd Anniversary Dinner

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 06:33:33 GMT

On November 14th, I attended the APALC Anniversary Dinner at the Beverly Hilton in LA.

It was an elegant event and I even won my silent auction package -- with tickets to the Hollywood Wax Museum, Tour of Paramount Pictures Studio, and "Ripley's Believe It or Not" -- yeah, yeah, it's a touristy thing isn't it?

Interestingly, we were seated with Judge Lance Ito (from the O.J. Simpson trial). Rob Fukuzaki (from ABC News) was there with us at the valet and I remember how years ago I had met him at another event and had such a big crush on him back then. The crush is gone, but I must admit, the years have still been kind to this handsome man!

For those interested in supporting the APALC:

Overview of organization:

The Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California (APALC) is the nation’s largest legal organization serving the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities. Founded in 1983, APALC is a unique organization that combines traditional legal services with civil rights advocacy and leadership development.

The mission of APALC is to advocate for civil rights, provide legal services and education and build coalitions to positively influence and impact Asian Pacific Americans and to create a more equitable and harmonious society.

www.apalc.org

SkyBark Howl-o-Ween Benefiting "Walk for the Underdog"

Sun, 05 Nov 2006 08:11:27 GMT

I decided to spend the weekend in Los Angeles as I had events there planned for Halloween.

On Friday night, I went to "SkyBark" an event for dog owners to bring their beloved pets out for an evening to play with other canines. Upscale and red carpet, (at least for the pups), they had chicken broth martinis and carob desserts.

Angelina had a blast as "Snoopy" as we colored her ears and I came in a "I Dream of Jeannie" costume. There were so many adorable doggies, but lil' Angelina only likes very big dogs -- like Boxers and Labs. Completely fearless. Suprisingly, there were 3 other Pekes there..one was pure white just like Angelina. All the Sky Bark gallery images can be viewed here.

There was a silent auction benefitting www.walkfortheunderdog.com , where I bid and won the Jessica Simpson Dessert Fragrance Gift Basket. (Can you tell how resistant I am to mainstream marketing? Not...) I did lose out on something I had bid on for me and my girlfriends -- a dinner and tour of the Los Angeles Fire Department Station by a firefighter featured in the LAFD calendar. What a nice prize that would have been...Hubba hubba...purely for altruistic reasons, of course.

We stayed the weekend at the Westin Bonaventure hotel (pet-friendly to allow Angelina) where my friend helped me get ready on Saturday for the Halloween party at the Playboy Mansion West.

So together, Angelina and I had a pretty fun Halloween. I tried to hit the Getty Museum on Sunday but were both just too tired to enjoy the sights of LA anymore -- we went home, crashed, in my own comfy bed, with puppy in tow.

For those interested in supporting "Walk for the Underdog" -- www.walkfortheunderdog.com

Description:

The goal of Walk for the Underdog, a grass roots organization, is to give money to dog rescue groups. 100% of the money Walk for the Underdog raises goes to rescue groups to provide basic necessities and medical care for the dogs they take in.

Contact: E-mail: info@underdogwalk.com

Microsoft's 2006 Giving Campaign

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 04:28:31 GMT

Microsoft employees give over 60M+ a year in charitable donations to organizations throughout the world. This is independent of the support allotted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

That being said, I had the pleasure of spearheading this year's Giving Campaign for my organization within MS. It was incredible to create a plan for raising awareness about compassion and giving for a company that truly believes in helping the community and allows you to execute so freely.

I created a plan around the theme "Life is Sweeter When You Give" - a celebration of how lives are enriched when one takes the time to give of themselves for the well-being of another.

I never thought I would be here, a former Vietnamese refugee who with the help from those who showed compassion for me -- decades later would be doing what I could to pay it forward.

The plan was simple, to provide a creative and gentle reminder about the impact of Giving:

Every team member created a 2 sided card which covered FAQs and overview of the Giving options at Microsoft, as well as pink and milk chocolate fortune cookies with inspirational giving quotes by Maya Angelou, Winston Churchill, and Martin Luther King inside.
I was alloted time to speak to the organization unto which I shared my refugee experiences and the message of giving, that put simply it’s about one's personal choice to give -- no matter how big or small, no matter the cause, no matter how altruistic or selfish the motivation may be– based on one's own passion and history.
I worked tirelessly on a 2 minute Giving Campaign video based on my personal anthem, Bob Sinclair's "Love Generation", to wrap up the session with images of caring and compassion.
In the evening time, I scheduled 2 diversity performances. A 10 year old girl performed her traditional Indian dance, unto which we then gave her a huge stuffed animal and certificate of appreciation presented by our organization. We then had her and others distribute red Chinese envelopes (inside filled with an inspirational Chinese giving quote), which were then fed to 2 Chinese Lions from the UC Irvine “Southern Young Tigers Assocation” Chinese Lion Dancers as a symbol of Giving and goodwill.

In summary:The event was very well-received. Many stated that it was the best giving campaign presentation they had seen in the 5-12 years at MS. All this was completed on a budget of approximately $1200 and raised over 150K+ in for our Giving campaign (with Microsoft Match).

I wasn't the cause of this outpouring of generosity, but I was glad to be a part of it.

Copley YMCA San Diego Gym Painting Project

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 19:40:43 GMT

On October 5th, 2006 a group of us Microsoft folks came out to repaint the Copley YMCA Gym in San Diego, CA.

The friendly and vivacious staff of the YMCA started off the morning by teaching us the "Bazooka Bubblegum Song", but I'm telling ya -- the only way you'll catch me singing campfire songs is for the kids.

We painted the walls of the facility and I worked on the YMCA logo and the words representing their 4 tenants: CARING, HONESTY, RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY.

It is a great organization and the directors\volunteer representatives are awesome to work with. If you're interested in helping, their contact information is below:

About this organization:

Copley Family YMCA
3901 Landis Street,
San Diego, CA 92105
(619) 283-2251

Mission Statement
The Copley Family YMCA is dedicated to improving the quality of human life and to helping all people realize their full potential as children of God through the development of the Spirit, Mind and Body.

YMCA OC Halloween FunDay

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 06:53:28 GMT

I had a great time volunteering with the Orange County YMCA for their annual Halloween FunDay in October 21st.

From working with the children with arts and crafts, taking pictures with Wonder Woman and Superman, to seeing their cute Halloween costumes during the Costume parade, it was a fun experience.

I dressed up in a relatively non-authentic "Pirates" Costume, and provided the content below to anyone who enjoys working with children as these events take place monthly.

For more info:

http://www.ymcaoc.org/

About the YMCA:

The YMCA of Orange County

brings a sense of belonging to the community. We promote strong basic values and feelings of high self-worth that are critical for people of all ages.