Givelify’s Post

August is #MakeAWillMonth! 🌟 In our latest blog, Rosie, a member of our Epilogue Society (what we call our community of legacy givers), shares about how her father inspired her to add #SJPLF to her Family Trust. Read the full blog and learn more about legacy giving: https://lnkd.in/g_pJkWQh

The city of Wichita, once known for its segregation, appears to continue struggling with latent traces of discrimination. The late integration of its schools and experiences of racial animosity towards Black residents like lawyer Chester Lewis and architect Charles McAfee offer a sobering reminder of this history. Recent developments suggest an echo of this past. The City Council's unanimous decision to allocate $685,000 of COVID recovery funds to establish an emergency warming shelter resulted in outcry from local residents. This recall concerns a few years ago when attempts to establish a Lord’s Diner, aiming to address hunger in impoverished areas, also faced fierce community resistance. As business executives, understanding the societal undercurrents in which your operations take place is critical. The question is, how can businesses contribute positively to foster inclusivity and provide support to the vulnerable sections of our society? We would be interested to hear your thoughts and suggestions on this pressing issue.

Did you know? In Wisconsin, only 25% of Black Americans own homes, compared to 72% of White Americans (Source: Wisconsin Policy Forum). Forward Community Investments provides financing to diverse developers, which may not be obtainable through traditional lenders, for nonprofits, cooperatives, and, in rare cases, for-profit businesses. This funding supports community-based, mission-focused projects that address the root causes of such racial disparities and socioeconomic inequities within homeownership. Partnering with diverse developers and real estate investors is the initial step in offering affordable housing across Wisconsin. Learn more about FCI and how you can help close the homeownership racial gap in Wisconsin: https://bit.ly/3SlAx5G

💡This quote emphasizes the profound impact that small, thoughtful actions can have on the lives of others, especially those in need. Our Mission is to care for aging adults in their homes and community through programs that support well-being. We offer programs and services that can lead a community where all aging adults live with dignity. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e5f3as33 💙We encourage individuals to engage in simple acts of kindness and support that collectively contribute to the well-being of seniors. Whether it’s spending time with an elderly neighbor, volunteering at a local senior center, or simply offering a listening ear, these small gestures can significantly enhance the quality of life for aging adults. https://lnkd.in/e2bMqth6

"As money continues to be thrown around and politicians increasingly get involved in shaping how we collectively mourn and remember our friends and family, I hope you will join me in starting a public dialogue framed by these questions: What actions have other business owners taken in response to mass shootings at their businesses? Do tourist attractions and gift shop trinkets (the OnePulse Foundation already has an online storefront selling T-shirts, tote bags, and yard signs) appropriately honor our slain friends and family? Who benefits from keeping the Pulse memorial a privately owned space and what are the ramifications of this? Would we benefit from creating a public memorial elsewhere that everyone could freely access at any time, without restrictions? How can we refocus our efforts and our funds to create a publicly owned Pulse memorial?" https://lnkd.in/eqpDfq8C

On this day eleven years ago, Donna and I were driving South on Eastex Freeway when we were hit by a drunk driver. As our Jeep was rolling over and over, there was only one thing we were concerned about in that moment... It wasn’t our phones. It wasn’t social media. It wasn’t how good or bad we looked. It wasn’t our vacation plans. It wasn’t our careers. It wasn’t our reputation. It wasn’t our egos. It wasn’t our favorite shows. It wasn’t sports. It wasn’t partying. It wasn’t our lunch order being wrong. No, in that moment - the only thing that we were concerned with was fighting to stay alive. We wanted to survive. And I’m convinced that as citizens blessed enough to live in these United States - when we cling to liberty as badly as we cling to survival - then we will be free. Some people say they want liberty, but they just kinda want it. They don’t want it enough to show up to school board meetings. They don’t want it enough to show up at the polls. They don’t want it enough to show up at Tea Party meetings. They don’t want it enough to take an 8 week course on the Constitution. They don’t want it enough to donate their time, money, and resources to the cause of liberty. They don’t want it enough to stop being keyboard warriors and become people who take real action. Many people want to blame corruption in the government when in reality it’s the complacency in the electorate. I’m issuing a challenge to those I may have just pissed off… You can allow these words to make you bitter or you can allow them to make you better. My goal is not just to inspire patriotism, but to provoke patriotism in a way that inspires us to relight the torch of liberty in our lives so we can pass it on to the next generation. Join us tomorrow night at the Montgomery County Tea Party meeting. Let’s prioritize liberty in the same way we prioritize survival. After all, liberty is the only means to go from just surviving in life to thriving in life. Our Founding Fathers pledged to each other their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor for the cause of liberty. I’ve pledged of myself no less. Will you join me? #Jameson2024 #RestoreLiberty

Today, we recognize Juneteenth, which commemorates the day in 1865 when the final enslaved people in Galveston, Texas learned that they were free — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation took effect. At C-Strategies, we’re proud to work with clients who work every day to advance racial equity in their communities and throughout our state through nonprofit work, policy and advocacy, mutual aid and more. Learn more about this historic day: https://lnkd.in/ggh6Udn4

Gabriella Cray, Washington DC My mom’s family is from Ohio, so we have two other redheads that are there, maybe three. But I’m the only one in my immediate family. It came from my great-grandmothers on both sides. My great-grandmother on my mother’s side is from West Virginia, and my great-grandmother on my father’s side is from Annapolis [Maryland]. I was raised in P.G. [Prince George’s] County, Maryland, so just outside of the city and would guess my family has been in the south since before the civil war. For the longest time Prince George’s County was the richest Black county in the United States. A lot of people who’ve never been to PG County are like, whoa, all these Black people. It’s shocking to them. Especially for people who are used to being the majority, it can be intimidating. You’ve got athletes, doctors, lawyers, and politicians. I grew up around people who were on TV and on CNN. I think it’s a special place. It’s a tough place: most of the people you’ll meet are first-generation wealthy. Super hardworking, but also super down to earth. They didn’t come from money, but they had to really push through and make their way. Both of my parents’ parents were very poor. They both went to college there and then they ended up getting married and had me in P.G. County. You can get to D.C., Maryland, and Virginia within ten minutes.  So I have the benefit of having parents who are financially well-off, but also I got to see their process, so I knew that it took some work at the same time. Whereas my kids are probably gonna be rotten because they’re gonna miss all of the hard work and they’re just gonna see the results. I don’t think there is even a thread holding us in the United States together right now to be honest. I definitely feel we’re fragmented but there are so many areas where we could come together. People have to not be stubborn. I have friends that are, and I have family members on both sides of the fence. I think the first step is to understand that everyone doesn’t need to think like you, and to be okay with that. We could completely disagree: that doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. I think everybody in America loves their family for the most part. Most of the people I know think family is very important to them. Friendships are important too, and I feel like food brings people together: food, art, and creativity. I think people have to stop looking for opportunities to be so divisive. They often have personal issues that they need to resolve, so they come out and create division because they need an outlet. I think that’s really where the division stems from. Find out more: gingers.kierandodds.com #gingersofamerica

Juneteenth derives its name from June 19, 1865, when U.S. General Gordon Granger informed the enslaved individuals of Galveston, Texas, that they were officially free. Two-and-a-half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, Granger’s decree marked the end of slavery in Confederate states. Established in 2020, on the Juneteenth holiday, Black Resilience in Colorado Fund is more than a fund. It is a movement for change to address systematic racism and inequities that negatively impact Black communities throughout Colorado and beyond. Help us pave the path forward. With your support, BRIC can continue to provide resources to Colorado's Black-led and serving nonprofits and build Black communities now and in the future. Become a BRIC Builder TODAY→ https://lnkd.in/g3_vTPmJ **Dollar-for-dollar will be matched up to $50,000 til June 30th** #BRICFundCO #BRICbyBRIC #GivingBlack #BlackPhilanthropy #Juneteenth #BlackHistory #BRICAnniversary #BlackExcellence #BlackPower #Freedom #BlackisBeautiful #LIberation

65th Anniversary of the Society of Professional Investigators. https://lnkd.in/eSrP3HmE As many are aware, I am the President of the Society of Professional Investigators. Here is a short video of our amazing event!