Stories

What will be my legacy when I'm gone?

Far too often,  there is more than one battle that comes with a cancer diagnosis. It is not just the cancer that a patient is up against, it’s everything that comes along with it. Yes, there is the obvious physical and emotional toll, but it’s also the financial curveball that cancer throws patients and their families as well.

"Someone is going to do something for the babies."

That's how Sonja Chisholm reassured a mom in her Gracious Hands transitional housing program who was worried that her kids would have a Christmas with no presents under the tree. 

Amanda Ruiz knows there's no "perfect time" to start going after your dreams. All she wanted was a college degree, but life kept throwing obstacles in her path. Her father suffered permanent brain damage after being assaulted, and her mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor that same year. Meanwhile, Amanda was dealing with her own health issues on top of it all. 

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, all October long we are highlighting our nonprofit partners who work to provide resources to those affected by breast cancer as part of our monthly Spotlight Series. 

The dictionary defines a gem as "a precious or semiprecious stone cut and polished for ornament." Another definition is "a highly prized or well-beloved person." Kendra Scott and her jewelry company value both of these definitions equally. 

Simplicity Organizers is a nationally recognized professional organizing company that helps people focus on what matters most. They know that “When we let go of the unimportant, we have more time to enjoy the things we love” or, in the case of many of the local nonprofits they have helped with their services, it allows them to have more time to deal with the bigger fish they have to fry. 

“I can honestly say, I wouldn’t be the same person without Florence Crittenton. Without all the support, without the many shoulders I needed to hold onto, because, I was very young, raising my daughter, but one thing I can say is I was never alone.” 

Nikkia Barkley has been working since she was 15. Even when she was working in restaurants and retail stores, she had a vision of doing something different. When she got accepted to the University of Miami, she planned on studying computer engineering. 

She decided to decline her admission offer when she learned she was expecting. She didn't want to take her son away from his father, and she was the caretaker for her mom, who was often sick.