I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Ines and Nick yesterday. Finally! More about that later. Right now I want to help Nick, who has a great big heart, spread the word about his fundraiser.
When we hear of impoverished families we think far away But right here in our own back yard are people who need help too. There's a program in Palm Beach County that strives to make lives better for children who might otherwise fall into the vicious cycle of child abuse and neglect. I'm talking basics here. No one's bemoaning not having an iPod. It's simple stuff that's needed. Things like diapers, formula, food and a safe place to live.
The Healthy Families program is part of Hugs For Kids. They have a mission. It states "Mission: To prevent child abuse and neglect by providing support and educational services to families." That's noble. It simply rocks. They service over 4,000 families a year!
This is straight from the HUGS For Kids site: Child abuse and neglect occur in all segments of our society, but the risk factors are greater in families in which parents seem to be having economic, housing or personal problems; are isolated from their families or community; have difficulty controlling anger; abuse alcohol or drugs; have little to no education; and were abused or neglected as children (Prevent Child Abuse America, 2003). Prevention is the key to lowering both the maltreatment rate and reducing the need to place children in foster care (Children's Services Council of PBC).
Nick's goal is not a lofty one. I KNOW we can help him achieve it, if not pass it! He wants to raise $5,000 for Hugs For Kids. He wants to do this in 30 days. He has offered to give up his hair as an incentive to get people to donate. If you ever wanted to see the Nickster crop his locks, now's your chance! Go check out the site he has set up for this charity. Here's a link.
In an effort to help out I decided to donate something of my own. I'm trying to sweeten the pot for anyone considering donating. Here's the deal, if you donate $50 or more to Hugs For Kids up until Sept. 13, 2007, your name will be put into a drawing for a 3 night stay at Blissful Skies. Blissful Skies is a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the northwestern North Carolina region. The cabin sleeps 8 so you can take the gang along or just use the prize for a quiet weekend away with your special honey. I'd like to be fair to those who have already donated, so if you already sent Nick a check for $50 or more your name will be added to the drawing also.
All amounts are appreciated. If you can only send $5, it is appreciated just as much! Won't you please consider helping out these kids who need help in such a basic way?
Please mail your check today!
Make payable to: Hugs for Kids
in the MEMO section, put: Healthy Families - client's incentive (which is the program they are raising money for)
Mail to:
ATTN: Nick the Appraiser
Quantum One Realty
3307 Northlake Blvd, Suite #103
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33403
The children will thank you. I thank you too.
Maggie Dokic, SFR is a licensed real estate broker in the state of Florida selling residential real estate in Miami, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, Coral Gables, Gables by the Sea, High Pines, the Redland and other select areas of SW Miami-Dade County.
Maggie has earned her SFR certification to be able to better serve the needs of her customers in today's non-traditional real estate market. SFR is a Short Sale, Foreclosure Resource Specialist. Designees have been trained to understand the highly specialized options available to Sellers facing short sales & foreclosures and Buyers looking to buy them.
For more information on our local real estate market, or to see or sell a home in Miami, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, Coral Gables or the Redland, visit my Miami Real Estate blog or contact me at Maggie (at) TheBlogThatAteMiami (dot) com.
The opinions expressed herein, are those of the author, and not necessarily of Keller Williams Realty.
None of this information is to be deemed legal or financial advice. Please contact your attorney or accountant for same.
Maggie!!! amazing!! wow!! that is some incentive. Last night i did the numbers.. 43,000 members, If 1% donated $15 each, we would have $6450!!! ONE percent!!!
Maggie.. it was a treat to meet you yesterday, and I appreciate your support and the fact that you're giving some cabin time to the big donors!! AWESOME Maggie!!! :) you are the best!
I hope to post your article as a guest blogger on the shaveyourhead site.
thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you!
:)))
Nick, this cause you are trying to help is a truly worthwhile one. It's a small thing to me if I can help you help the kids.
I loved meeting you and Ines. I haven't laughed that much in a long time. The Nickster Rules!
Nick, you have beautiful hair but I'm betting you'll look even better without it! For such a good cause, you're going to look awesome to all of us. Chicks dig guys with a heart. ;o)
And I'm so jealous of BOTH of you because I want to be in that picture with you guys!! LOL!
I have donated once and I hope to again. Nobody should have to worry about basics. Maggie, good for you for upping the ante!! Why aren't all of these featured?!
Sarah, thanks for the compliment.. but don't be jealous.. you'll be here with us pretty soon!! :)
we can photoshop you in!! :)
i second that motion that Maggie is doing an incredible thing by upping the ante. i feel a little sad that it's even necessary.. but whatever works.. just looking for that 1%! say hi to T.O.!!. :)
Sarah - gals do dig that! Nick is very diggable. He's got a big heart, great hair, is super cute and funny as can be. I am sure one day you will be joining us. Get ready to laugh!
Nick - your Photoshop skills are legendary. I'm waiting =)
Awesome Maggie...or should I say NICK!!! I bet your visit with the Miamism - Duo was a BLAST!!
Hey! wait up!! GREAT POST maggie - you really ROCK!!!! (and forgot to mention Nicky Mississippi's eyes....since you only mentioned them like 100 times!! LOL)
the hired actor I call Rick could not go to lunch with us (he's getting expensive you know)!
FOCUS ON THE GOAL PLEASE!!!
Please send money - however much you feel like sending and be part of this great cause!
Hey Maggie,
Good info to share. I sent my check to Nick a couple of days ago. I also suggest he use the "future ad space" on the back of his head to generate more revenue. I told him it would be great for standing in lines at the market, bank, placing a bet, whatever.
Maggie, I've seen Rick 'the actor'.. i figured he would give Ines a good rate for the amount of time that she hires him for!!
Ines, that was funny, between the eyes comment and the Rick being an actor thing.. bravo.. too funny! :)
Thanks for your support also, BB :))
thanks to those that have checks in the mail. REALLY APPRECIATE IT!! :)
PS> UPDATE: the initial donation amount of $270.00 got the attention of the people at Hugs for Kids.. and so did the shavemyhead website. So much so, that i'm invited next week to meet with the board of directors. :) i wonder what that will lead to.. ? :))
pss.. since you all are telling everyone that i'm soo cute and all, start spreading the rumors that i'm tall also!! haha!! :))
Hi Maggie and Nick - You aimed right at my heart! Children will do it everytime! My check is on it's way!! I think they should all have their own iPod, so they can learn to dance to their own music! :)
Way to go Nick!
Hey Maggie - great post and I can't wait to meet you and Ines! I've met Nicky and you're SO right about him being cute, great hair, loads of fun, and all that jazz..... ;-) And could it be that he really is tall???
I sent in my check from Ines' post - she asked for $20.00, but no chance to stay in a cool cabin in western NC. What's up with that, I ask???
Oh, and I forgot - Nicky's eyes..... nice
Ann
Ines - gasp! You're right. I did embarrass Nicky the way I fawned all over his beautiful eyes, didn't I? Can you ask Rick, the actor, if I can get a discount through his talent agency since you're referring me? I'd like to rent a hunk too!
Lynda - you are creative!! I think that is one awesome idea. And funny too...placing a bet...LOL
Broker Bryant - thanks for supporting the cause! And you're right. I was thinking just this morning that in the last 2 weeks I met more Active Rainers than I had in the last 7 months! Please let Billie know that I got to see the beautiful TLW ring in person. It's gorgeous!
Nick - I already asked Ines to see what she can do about getting me a good rate too! And you are very cute, but I will stop embarrassing you with all the talk about your honey-hued eyes and all that.
Paula - you rock! Thanks for your support and I love your comment about the iPod.
Ann - since you made it to a few Florida gatherings I was under the impression that you had met Ines already. She's so cool. She's good people =) And because you're good people too and didn't need to be enticed I will ask Nick to throw your name into the drawing as well! On me =) Nick, you got that?
Paula, thanks for you support. your help is very much appreciated. now doesn't it feel good to dance to your music !? :))
hey Ann,. you gals are really making me sound great..!! haha. i AM tall. really.. :) >wink wink<
but seriously.. thanks for helping out.. update on my blog sooon.
Maggie, hey we showed up at the same time! :)) got it. 10-4.
hey Roger, over..
"honey-hued eyes"??? I have to say that's a descriptive color I've not heard of before...... Oh Nicky, I think someone else is smitten with you!!! Someone besides me, that is!! Maggie and I can be co-queens of your fan club, and Ines can be the secretary. Or maybe the 3 of us can just be tri-queens of your fan club...... how's that sound?
Maggie - that's really sweet of you! I will meet Ines someday - that's for sure. And she is cool, no doubt about it! And I'm going to meet you, too.
Are you guys trying to make me blush here?? You have definitely made my head swell a bit! STOP IT and concentrate on the cause at hand! : )
Nick - board of directors!!! Pretty awesome! Congrats and tell them you have a lot of people supporting you! SHAVE IT! SHAVE IT! SHAVE IT!
Now HERE's the picture of the 3 of us getting our brains together to make the fund raiser work!
(Maggie.....I'll hook you up with the actor's agency) : )
Nick - you're as funny online as you are in person. How do you do that? =)
Ann - I dunno...Tri-Queens sounds somehow wrong in a hysterical sort of way! And Nick's eyes are definitely honey colored. I didn't notice when he walked into the restaurant and all of a sudden I had this man giving me a HUGE hug and when he pulled away and I looked at him I was blown away by the color of his eyes. I made a big fuss about it and now Ines has stuff she can torment both Nicky and I with. LOL
Ines - you have every reason to get a big head. You're fab! And I agree...SHAVE IT! SHAVE IT! SHAVE IT! SHAVE IT ALL OFF!!!
George - this chant's for you (like the Bud commercial...) MAIL IT! MAIL IT! MAIL IT! MAIL IT! MAIL IT! Thanks for your support George. Big-hearted Nick and the kids thank you!!
Ann, i'm humbled by your Queen-Treo-Fan-Club idea.. don't know what its for, but i'm flattered :) and so is Nick.. and little Nicky is smiling somewhat mischievously.. :)
Maggie & Ines, dont tell anyone that i was really hanging from your shoulders. haha.. and remind me to start wearing solids, so the lines don't show my real figure.. :^* hee hee
Ines, we'll see with the B.O.D. good chance to meet everyone at the office again. ;)
thanks for the photo, see, i'm learning, want to make sure my hands were visible!! haha that's looks so wierd.
btw, that steak was good. Plug the place Ines, plug it!! :)
and you guys should see the photo i got !! oh man. its funny...!
Maggie.. sometimes i think that only you get me! :^)#)
Like Ines says.. let's focus people.. F-O-C-U-S!
Oh Nick, stop it. Hanging from our shoulders...really. You were not. Ines and I were kneeling.
I somehow feel a TLW ROAR! would be appropriate right about now....
Janie - you're too sweet. Thank you. I actually met you on Thursday and Nick, Ines, Randi Rapp, Diana Perez, Joanne H. and Ines' namesake Ines Garcia on Friday. Two days. I was on a bagel, not a roll! Ok, pretty lame attempt at humor, I admit it.
I'm waiting for Nick to come back here and get me back for my comment. I'm too old and feeble to kickbox you Nick. No worries there!
wow Maggie - how nice of you.... I am sure you and Nick will make it to his goal
Maggie - to make it fair, I'll be sending in another check so I can legitimately be in that raffle! Thanks for that!!
Nick - just you revel for now in the Tri-Queens! Mr. Honey-Hued Eyes - how did I not notice that color in Celebration?? I was probably laughing too much at your great sense of humor....that's it!
Second check going out in the mail tomorrow!
Ann
Woooo hooooo! That's what I'm talking about!
Katerina - thanks for the thoughtful comment. Even on my worst day, I am most blessed. I can never forget that.
Ann - what a trooper you are. A great big THANK YOU!!
Desiree - thank you so much! Nick will be so pleased to hear that. Thanks for the generous donation. The kids will be thrilled! (not that they will really know where all the help is coming from, but they'll be thrilled nonetheless and that is a good thing.) Thank you.
Hey folks.. just stoped by after updating the blog. The weekly donation amounts are on there now :)
I read about Desiree's donation.. AWESOME.. still want that sig Desiree..? i'll make time :)
Ann, you're the best.. i'm $10 on my donation.. so i'll submit that on monday also :) now i go to be Yard Monkey :) (you didn't notice cause i had the sunlight behind me :)
Maggie. thanks for your post and the incentive!!.. gotta love someone with a big heart, Mags.. :)
Ah Nick, that must have been it. And all this time I thought it was a halo surrounding your head...... yard monkey!
Ann
You're getting sleepy..sleepy....sleepy
You're going to mail a check to Hugs For Kids....
That's it! I am movng to Florida! You are all having too much fun......................:)
I'm really sleepy now, I'll check in later and let you know which city I decide on.
Thanks :) Yes we sure do...
Stephanie.. thanks for your support! :)
Beth.. this may give you a little pick-me-up!! at least for your soul! :) you have THE power BETH!!
Lysa, you raised money for charity too.. you little Angel!!! :)
ps, Mags, Hugs for Kids meeting on Thursday with the board of directors. I'm letting them know that you're donating cabin time!! how great are you!!!?!!!!
updated the info on the official site...