Please help me welcome out latest Valentines Day Gift Guide Sponsor Author Michelle Moore. I received a copy of her book A Mother’s Grace Healing The World One Women At A Time in exchange for a spot in the Guide.
As isolation continues with rising COVID numbers, and racial and gender equality tension at an all-time high, it’s more important than ever for parents to model empathy and a giving attitude for our children. Philanthropist and author Michelle Moore shares this simple message for parents:
“It’s time to be present, pay attention, get off the phone, and look around. Elevate your family life at home, give back to your community, and take a chance and do something to support someone else, or even an entire community.” –Michelle Moore mom, philanthropist, author
Michelle Moore is a single mom of 3 boys who, while facing some pretty traumatic health experiences, wondered why there wasn’t an organization to help women like her when they were in desperate need for a kind and helping hand.
So Michelle founded Mother’s Grace, a nonprofit that addresses the critical needs of mothers and their children in the midst of tragic life events like she had recently experienced.
Michelle Moore has written an article (694 words) guiding parents how to teach, model and instill empathy in children and nurture giving hearts.
About:
In Michelle Moore book, A Mother’s Grace Healing The World One Women At A Time, Michelle encourages readers to take a fresh look at the challenges in life and how to choose to rise to whatever occasion is calling.
The compelling story of heroic women across the country who, despite personal trauma, found grace in difficult times and transformed their personal adversity into pay-it-forward wins by founding nonprofits that help and sustain others, mother to mother.
In the midst of environmental chaos, economic uncertainly, and an endless array of health issues, mothers remain the backbone of our families and exponentially impact their communities.
Such is the case of the brave women featured in A Mother’s Grace: Healing the World One Woman at a Time. Author Michelle Moore is founder and president of Mother’s Grace, an award-winning nonprofit organization that supports thousands of mothers and their children in crisis each year.
She endured overwhelming trauma as a young girl when her mother died suddenly, and later struggled with divorce, cancer, and a son with juvenile diabetes.
She begins by recounting how women in her circle of mom friends helped heal her childhood wounds and empowered her to claim victories in adulthood. Along the way, through divine intervention, she meets the ten remarkable women featured here whose personal tragedy-to-victory stories changed her forever.
Readers seeking guidance during the challenging times we all face in life will find inspiration and hope as they meet mothers who have lived through dire poverty, the death of a child, a spouse’s suicide, terminal childhood cancer, and devastating natural disaster.
The poignant and powerful stories of how each found the grit and grace to not only defeat these challenges but also turn them around to impact the world is enlightening and motivating.
Finally, Moore calls readers to rise from the depths of their challenges and gives them the tools to do so. Lessons from the moms in this book provide specific life strategies anyone can use to improve her situation and the world around her—one woman at a time.
Children and Charity
Why it Matters Now More Than Ever that Kids Experience Empathy and Giving
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” – Mother Teresa
Kids have a natural empathy, especially for other kids. I think they can actually picture themselves in others’ shoes. When they see someone like them struggle and in despair, they automatically want to help.
As parents, it’s up to us to facilitate the process by putting them in the right situations and circumstances (safely organized, of course). The camaraderie and energy developed during these projects build self esteem and inclusiveness.
It’s also fun to incorporate a cool activity with a volunteer project or trip that gives everyone something special to look forward to and builds amazing family memories together.
Starting young ingrains that empathy into their little souls. However, more important than anything on a large scale, like cleaning up after a natural disaster or traveling to a foreign country, is doing small meaningful things consistently in your own community.
Model, model, model. Adopt families during the holidays, have children share part of their allowance to donate to their favorite charity, even better have them organize their own “walk” teams for fundraising.
For example, my son organized “Brooks’ Buddies” to benefit JDRF. (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) He, being a type-1 diabetic himself, loved the idea of sharing the knowledge with friends and family every year and has had up to 70 kids on his team.
He designed his own t-shirts and had a party after. Today he has a photo of each year’s team and the logo for his tees on his wall and he often speaks about the events being some of his best memories. In addition, he has evolved into a young man who is always creating teams of some sort.
There are so many ways to open a child’s mind to everyday opportunities of the good around them. Do your kids write thank you notes? Not just for gifts but for the kindness of others: If a family takes them on a trip or out to eat – why not acknowledge how fun it was with a note?
What if a teacher helps through a tough spot, acknowledge the kindness. This manifests gratefulness and accountability. Keep them involved in some sort of spiritual community.
Take them out into nature and teach them to respect it, they need to not only respect other human beings but our world and all of the creatures in it. Hike, camp, boat, travel, but don’t just do it, engage your kids into the experience and discuss what they are grateful for and how they can pay it forward.
Here is a short list of tips to get started modeling, teaching empathy, and giving:
- Set up an adventure philanthropy – The goal is to have fun together, learn a new culture, understand the bigger picture. This does not have to be overseas – there are great Habitat for Humanity projects in our country as well as clean up opportunities in natural disaster-affected areas. An adventure can be across town as easily as across the country.
- Make philanthropy fit the child – For example, if you kid likes sports, have them work with a disabled sports team, if they love to read, have them read to kids in the hospital or help with storytime at your neighborhood library.
- Set it up as a win-win – Something that coincides/coordinates with the project. Helping can be rewarding in more than one way. The fun coincides with the work which then becomes habit and lasting memories are made. Older kids can apply for service scholarships, which is another way to help them realize the fruits of their labor
When I ask my kids, “What inspired you most to be philanthropic?” They answer that watching what I did influenced them, but incorporating the projects into unique family opportunities made it cool.
Giving should not be seen as a chore, it should be something everyone looks forward to, and should be in context with a larger adventure vs. a thing to cross off the list. Let your children give in the way that resonates most with them and their empathy will take on a life of its own.
Michelle Moore is the mom of three boys and founder and president of Mother’s Grace, a nonprofit that addresses the critical needs of mothers and their children in the midst of tragic life events. Her book, A Mother’s Grace: Healing the World One Woman at a Time shares the stories of 13 rockstar moms who are setting the world on fire helping others.
Inside this post are my affiliate links. If you click on the links and make a purchase I will make a small percentage from the items you purchase.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
