“You can find your greatest cause in your greatest failure.” – Pastor Matthew Barnett Last week, I had the opportunity to listen to Pastor Matthew Barnett tell the story of his journey as the co-founder of The Dream Center in Los Angeles. The Dream Center is a church that never sleeps nor closes, and instead offers residents (and everyone else ministry) around the clock. More than just a church, The Dream Center is a vital [...]
Even though I love Twitter, I can honestly say that I’ve never had an official obsession with the site. In fact, I always found pride in the fact that I’ve never really been officially obsessed with any social network. But that, my friends, was before Pinterest. When I first received an invitation to check it out, I dabbled around with it but didn’t really take the time to explore and get all into it. However, [...]
Lovely Ladies: Audarshia of 312 Dining Diva, Patrice of Afrobella, DJ Niena Drake, and Aramide of The Sassy Peach As a perfect way to end 2011, Red Pump partnered with Swish Dreams, Afrobella, and Blogging While Brown to host a coat drive for U Can Chicago. You know that I love to party for a purpose, and the coat drive was just that. Thanks to DJ Niena Drake, we were able to host the event [...]
My baby, The Red Pump Project, is a finalist for Best Cause Campaign in the Inaugural Black Celebrity Giving Awards. While we’re technically a nonprofit, our call to encourage women to rock red pumps to represent the strength and courage of women affected by HIV/AIDS ramps up every year around National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (March 10th). I don’t know who nominated us but I love what they submitted: I would like to [...]
Today is January 4th, otherwise known as my mother’s birthday and my deadline for completing my 53-hour service challenge. Well, the GREAT news is that in 3 weeks, I was able to log 43 hours of community service (yay!), but I didn’t hit my goal of 53 (not-so-yay). However, I am not a quitter so I’m extending my challenge through MLK Weekend which is perfect because Chicago Cares is hosting their annual MLK Serve-a-Thon on [...]
Bright Pink is a kick-ass organization and I am a huge fan of almost anything that they do. This week marks their fifth anniversary and I am loving the beautiful post written by the Founder, Lindsay Avner. Lindsay is equal parts fearless leader and a true sweetheart with a dose of fabulousity sprinkled in for good measure. While reading her post, I was particularly inspired by her decision to not only undergo a double mastectomy [...]
Hi, everyone! I have really missed you all…More importantly, I have missed blogging! It’s not that I didn’t have any updates for. I just couldn’t muster up the energy to formulate a complete thought, let alone a full blog post. But, I am really excited to get back into the groove of things. Later on this week, I will share my wishes for 2012 and what I have up my sleeve. In the meantime, enjoy [...]
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” -Arthur Ashe I always love hearing about random acts of kindness, especially during the holidays. The season is about cheer and goodwill and the stories just reinforce that! This week, I’ve been particularly touched by the following three things: 1. A Twitter outpouring of love, support and money to helped a Chicago young lady who was struggling to pay for her mother’s funeral service. [...]
This morning on Live with Kelly, Kelly Ripa aired a segment focused on gifts that give back. There was something for everyone on the list. The items included some TFG favorites like TOMS, (Belvedere) Red Limited-Edition Vodka, and Philosophy Charity Shower Gel, but also featured products that I didn’t know about! Apple (PRODUCT) Red iPad Smart Cover – Each purchase supports the Global Fund to fight AIDS/HIV in Africa. Tory Burch Foundation Cosmetic Case – [...]
I’ve always had a sweet spot for Rachel Roy. In fact, she’s my NYC socialite alter-ego. But, Ms. Roy is more than just a staple on the NYC social scene. She’s a mother, designer, businesswoman, and (my favorite) a philanthropist. She’s been involved with many causes, including OrphanAid and charity: water. And, she recently teamed up with Macy’s Heart of Haiti program. In September, she traveled to Haiti with Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren and Martha [...]
