Everyone has those seemingly negative moments in life that lead them down a path they would never expect. One of the goals in everyone’s life should be to transmute trauma into something positive. The following is a true story about a man named Ed Mackey who turned a traumatic event on August 6th, 2017 into something very remarkable. Once you read and understand what he and his non profit is all about please consider giving to the cause at https://fallenheroesfoundation.org. From $1.00 to $1000 anything is appreciated.

The non profit’s goal is to help the families of volunteer fire fighters killed in the line of duty. You might be thinking firefighters have death benefits already so why do I need to help? That’s actually not true for Volunteer Firefighters. The fact that Volunteer Firefighters don’t have these benefits is insane when you stop to think about it. The job is just as dangerous as career firefighters yet if a Volunter Firefighter dies nothing goes to the family. That’s why this charity exists, the Fallen Heroes Foundation helps families get back on their feet if the most unfortunate event does occur.

The following is how it all started…

“On August 6th, 2017, my family and I were involved in a horrific auto accident on Interstate 81 in Bristol, TN at 9:30 pm. We were traveling to visit our son attending Marion Military Institute in Alabama.  That evening, a dump truck that had his bed up ran into a bridge and separated from the chassis. It fell in front of us and we hit is at 72 MPH. I suffered a fractured skull,  2 broken vertebrae, a broken wrist, lacerated spleen, concussion, minor brain bleed, a traumatic brain injury and other bruises/cuts. I now have a plate with 4 screws in my neck. I was the front passenger and I don’t remember the incident or the 1st 10 days post accident. I was in ICU and ended up in a nursing home. The worst part of my rehab was I had double vision for 7 months, major trouble talking and had to learn how to walk again. My family also experienced very serious injuries including our 16 year old daughter who now has 2 bars and 10 screws in her back.

In the 10 days of memory lapse, I can only recall 2 images. One of them was the fire department that saved us was lined around my bed in the ICU. The Sullivan County Volunteer Fire Department near Bristol, TN are my brothers/sisters and heroes. You see, when they found out I was a volunteer firefighter with the Milton Fire Department in NY, they came to the hospital to check on my family and myself. I love these men and women! They will be in our hearts for the rest of our lives.

There’s more!

You see, I couldn’t work for 7 months let alone walk! My home house, the Milton Fire Department will be forever in our family. Because of me not working, they paid our mortgage for 5 MONTHS! It’s over 2 years and I’m still at a loss for words for this department of angels.

Fast forward to today!

I’ve started a foundation called the Fallen Heroes Foundation. We are a new not for profit organization! Our mission is to help the families of fallen firefighters killed in the line of duty.

Volunteer firefighters volunteer more than their time. It impacts their family, their jobs and sometimes, their lives. As volunteers, their families sometimes are not afforded the benefits others do. These heroes also have full time jobs. I remember not having any income coming in because of my injuries. For the families of fallen volunteer firefighters, it is SO much worse.

I firmly believe that when the accident happened, God tapped me on the shoulder and said: “Mackey, you still have some work to do!”

So I am!

The money we raise will be for the families of the fallen volunteers killed in the line of duty across the United States. Just as my department helped with our mortgage, we are going to do just the same! When we receive a line of duty death, we will be immediately on a plane/train or in the car responding to that family. They will start receiving your generous donation that day! Our immediate goal is to help the family for a year while they try to move on without their loved one! Our ultimate goal, to pay the mortgage of each and every family!

Please spread the word. Tell everyone you know to visit this page and donate. Share it with EVERYONE you know.  We want to start by January 2021. By helping us, you become part of our special family! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! Please help us to help others!”

Conclusion

Sometimes bad events can push us forward in life creating something even more positive than before. Sometimes when we are at our lowest we can more easily see the goodness in other people. Mackey saw the goodness in other people and now wants to give back. Mackey has used the car crash as a catalist to now give to the Firefighters that helped him through his crisis. With the holidays coming up consider supporting the Fallen Heroes Foundation today at https://fallenheroesfoundation.org.

I don’t have to tell you there are a lot of people suffering right now due to COVID-19. The politicians on both the state and national level seem to be controlling the narrative at this point, but below the surface there are a lot of people facing financial hardship and general suffering. That’s why I’m bringing this GoFundMe to my readers attention. The GoFundMe campaign is for the Navajo People, Tsé deeshgizhnii. Your support will provide much needed supplies to the tribe.

The GoFundMe campaign was established by Lindison Yazzie Webb who is Navajo. Lindison was born in Tsabiikiin, grew up in Kaibeto and Page, and has a connection to the Dine’, it’s in his blood, the Tsédeeshgizhnii and the Táb??há.

Please consider supporting the campaign today:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/rockgap-relief-fund-navajo-aid

Whenever I hear about someone needing help and feeling overwhelmed because of the great need I think of the following story:

“A young girl was walking along a beach upon which thousands of starfish had been washed up during a terrible storm. When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up, and throw it back into the ocean. People watched her with amusement.

She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, “Little girl, why are you doing this? Look at this beach! You can’t save all these starfish. You can’t begin to make a difference!”

The girl seemed crushed, suddenly deflated. But after a few moments, she bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as she could into the ocean. Then she looked up at the man and replied,

Well, I made a difference for that one!”

The story illustrates the importance of doing your part and not worrying about how large the problem or need is. If each person dos just a small job helping it adds up and we can solve seemingly insurmountable problems. You can make a difference in the Navijo Tribe today on their GoFundMe. Your funds will go towards purchasing food, water, cleaning supplies, hygiene, sanitization supplies, and logistical support (renting trailer, gasoline).

Supplies include:

– Water
– Flour
– Beans/rice (bagged)
– Canned veggies
– Canned meats
– Toothpaste and dental hygiene products
– Personal hygiene
– Cleaning supplies
– Hand sanitizer

Goal

The goal of the campaign is $10,000 and I’m happy to report as of May 26th they are 33% towards their goal. The Navijo Tribe still has a long way to go, but I’m glad to see this campaign is gaining traction. Donations as little as $3 will go a long way, anything helps in this case.

Conclusion

Lindis who created this GoFundMe campaign is a Navajo disabled US Army veteran, a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and presently works in the live entertainment industry. They have been self-funding most of this but wanted to try crowdsourcing to make a bigger impact. Please consider supporting the GoFundMe campaign today and support the Navijo people.

How many times has something bad happened and you’ve jumped on social media to see the latest news only to feel angry and helpless? One of the many amazing things a company called Triggergive can do is turn these types of tragedies into movements of change. Using the social awareness that Twitter creates around events, Triggergive can turn this exposure into actual donations for good.

Have you been triggered yet? If so visit:

https://www.triggergive.com/

#TriggerGive

One of the major roadblocks to raising money is the back end systems of the donation processing, it’s very complicated. Triggergive takes care of all the processing logistics, security (Stripe CC processing), and back end work for you. Triggergive is a mobile based platform that allows users to instantly donate money on Twitter and it only costs $15 per month. $15 a month, I might add, is an amount even a nonprofit can afford 😉

Sign Up Process

The signup process begins on the web site Triggergive.com where you choose if you are a donor or a organization. In order for users to donate all they have to do is Tweet: #TriggerGive $(amount) @(organization). If you have already signed up on their website, the transaction is complete. If you are not already registered, they will tweet you a link to complete your sign up. Trigger Give allows you to make a big difference through small donations. TriggerGive does not take any of the donation amount, they make money by signing up charities at $15/month. Stripe takes 30 cents plus 2.9% to handle the funds.

Trigger Give offers several templates to help your organization inform donors how to give on Twitter. Login to your dashboard anytime to analyze your donors and track donations. Whether you are a donor or a charity the process could not be simpler.

What Does It Look Like?

Homepage

Choose if you are a donor or a charity.

When one Tweets #TriggerGive $(amount) @(organization) a donation will be made.

What Others Are Saying

“An amazing passive, aggressive app, lets you react to hostile social media posts in a positive, productive way.” The founders like to call it ‘retaliatory giving.’

– Mashable

“I like to use Trigger to try and give causes I care about more awareness, it’s kind of like putting your money where your mouth is.”

– Anne, Graphic Designer

“New Twitter App Transforms Anger into Instant Social Good”

– Non Profit Quarterly

The next time a major event, movement, or tragedy happens remember Triggergive. You can take small steps to change the world, you still have power when you feel helpless. If you are a non profit or want to donate visit:

https://www.triggergive.com/ or visit them on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/triggergive.

What happens when you just get married, move, and it all of a sudden goes terribly wrong? Thanks to crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe, you turn to them, that’s what happens. Imagine getting married, moving to a new state, but suddenly the car breaks down. Next thing you know there are a series of unfortunate events including: 50 mile towing, purchasing a new alternator, getting a hotel room, and finally renting a car. The GoFundMe goal is set at a reasonable $2,000. Help this couple get back on their feet and back on the road to happily ever after.

Visit the GoFundMe page and consider donating today:

https://www.gofundme.com/moving-gone-wrong-fund

The Complete Story

“We recently got married and immediately moved to Utah. On the way to Utah our car broke down in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere and we ended up having to pay for a 50-mile tow, a new alternator, a hotel room, and a rental car. We did not plan on having these expenses and it has really put us in a tough financial situation. I am asking for some help to get out and back on our feet. We are both in college and trying our best to make it month to month. We sincerely appreciate anything you can give to help. Anything extra donated will go to help us pay for college. We are both working 20+ hours a week and full-time students. If you can’t donate a share would be much appreciated.”

Meet The Couple

This is what the happy couple looked like on their wedding day before all this happened. If goal is funded the smiles will surely return back to their faces.

The Go Fund Me camapaign at the time of this article was created 22 hours ago and currently has zero backers. Help this couple in need. Become their first donor today:

https://www.gofundme.com/moving-gone-wrong-fund

I’d like to highlight a charity today on Cash Sherpa that is putting computers in the hands of low income families in South LA and much more. Computers are tools not just for entertainment, but also education, job advancement, networking, etc. Computers are more than just the dollar amount they cost, putting them into the hands of low income families might be the first step to economic improvement.

Help support their program at: Operation Bright Lights

Giving computers to low income families is just the beginning of what this charity does. See below for more details of this 501C3 organization.

Who Are They?

“Our community computer program will link young persons with a network of M.E.N.T.O.R.S. who will be there to guide them through their educational and social issues. We intend to repair relations between the community and law-enforcement; by running a participant driven blog we will give voice to the issues in the community by word of the members; and our annual awareness candlelight vigil – Operation Bright Lights. We welcome other organizations that would like to partner with us. Please visit our website at www.operationbrightlights.com We are a non-profit 501C3 organization.”

What’s The M.E.N.T.O.R.S. Program?

“1) Links participants with mentors in the community and provides apprenticeship training to those who want to strive for community reform and family stabilization. 2) Gives assistance to families without insurance, to help with afterlife expenses 3) Advocates against Black on Black crime, Police Brutality, and Cultural Deprivat.”

What’s Operation Bright Lights?

“1) Brings awareness to plight of our community. 2) Holds an annual candlelight vigil for all those we lost in the previous year. 3) Recruits participants for the M.E.N.T.O.R.S. program.”

There are many facets to this charity. Specifically giving computers away to South LA Families in need, linking these people with the M.E.N.T.O.R. program, and Operation Bright Lights. Help support them today, make a donation on their web site.

This is an interesting GoFundMe project I just recently discovered… The New Sullivan’s Restaurant and Tavern in partnership with Community Assurance Maintenance and Home Improvements wants to give back to the local community and needs your help. The New Sullivan’s Restaurant and Tavern has opened a GoFundMe page with a $35,000 goal. Help them reach there goal: https://www.gofundme.com/sullivansgivesback

Where Is The Money Going?

“Community Assurance Maintenance and Home Improvements will be using the funds donated to this campaign to purchase the equipment needed to provide services to those in need in our community with whatever jobs can help the less fortunate (whether that means replacing a bathroom floor, replacing a water heater, plumbing work, electric work etc etc). The owners/operators of both companies will take requests for these jobs and provide the tools and labor needed to complete the jobs. And Sullivan’s will be giving away free meals on specific days of each week to anyone who needs a meal.”

Why GoFundMe?

“We set a goal of $35,000.00 to set up the budgets and funds to accommodate these primary goals as well as to set up some events in our establishment to raise awareness and additional funds for these goals. Additional funds are always appreciated and we want to specify that all additional funds will increase the repair budgets and increase the food budgets to be able to accommodate more people and more projects.”

Bonuses?

Yes, there are bonuses for certain funding levels. For example just $100 gets you one ticket to their grand opening event. The top tier, $5,000, gets you “ultimate reward” plus a monthly one year dinner for two at Sullivan’s Blackstone, VA! Now that’s an amazing perk I must say.

GoFundMe is the number one do-it-yourself fundraising website online. I’m happy to see organizations like Sullivan’s leveraging this technology to give back to their local community.