Michelle Gives Back to Charities close to her heart.
Local Charities: Hearts for Summerville
Michelle is deeply passionate about liaising with other non-profits like Hearts for Summerville to create pop-up art camps for under-resourced kids in her community. The joy and fulfillment she experiences in providing these opportunities for children to explore their creativity and express themselves through art is immeasurable. Sometimes kids have difficulty expressing themselves, and art is the language they can access. Witnessing their enthusiasm, growth, and the positive impact these camps have on their lives reminds her how much she loves doing this!
Hunger & Homelessness South Florida
Through her efforts of philanthropy during her 28 years in the State of Florida, she worked in conjunction with local and regional non-profit task forces dealing directly with the issues of hunger and homelessness impacting displaced children throughout South Florida and the islands of the Caribbean. Michelle also leads sensitivity training and conducts group outreaches to hand-deliver groceries and needed items for families in distress.
Food Pantry
Michelle launched a Food Pantry within the Safe House and offices of Children’s Home Society, the largest counseling facility and adoption agency in the state of Florida. This was a pivotal and extremely influential development as now case workers going out to make site visits were able to identify situations where a critical issue for these families was being nutritionally under-resourced. Because needs are frequently delayed due to processing constraints, many families could go without immediately needed resources such as food and baby items for days. The setting up of an organized ‘Pantry’ would be a stop-gap measure and needed items were organized and distributed expediently to these families.
FoodSHARE
Through this strategic partnership, Michelle launched another movement she named ‘FoodSHARE’ in South Florida. ‘FoodSHARE’ is a cooperative of multiple faith-based churches and businesses partnering together, in which the items are organized and hand delivered. Over 100 tons of food and much-needed supplies were distributed to those in need. As well as organizing hundreds of thousands of volunteers over the course of 7+ years Michelle, along with her core team of 8 senior volunteers, made regular visits to under-resourced children and their families…in their homes. Today ‘FoodSHARE’ collects canned goods and other sundry items that are donated to local Food Banks throughout South Florida and beyond.
Other Charities & Programs
Michelle has also worked extensively with ‘Habitat for Humanity’, ‘Operation Mobilization’, ‘Mercy Chefs’, ‘NCF’ (The National Christian Foundation) and ‘Compassion International’. Michelle has also initiated and worked with charities focusing on homeless, abused and neglected children through the use of her art camps and private art lessons employing color and drawing therapies.
Giving back in the form of donating artwork, individualized teaching, and initiating fundraising efforts for Children’s charities across the globe holds a special place in Michelle’s heart. Her desire to volunteer and work with children through her art, and through relationships with strategic partners to give back, enriches her life beyond measure and therefore gives a special meaning to the gifts and talents that have been given to her.
‘It has been my honor and privilege to be able to give back and work closely with so many children, families, and agencies over the past few decades. What a joy to see first-hand the difference in a child’s life when someone cares to take the time to lend a hand. It has been amazing to meet so many wonderful children and their families and to have co-labored with amazing friends, organizations and private businesses over the years. It all seems so unreal how happy it has made me be a part of something that is far bigger than myself.’
Michelle and her company One Coast Design give back 5% of all sales directly to Children’s Charities and Building Programs in the Southeastern US that are vetted and that meet with her strict standard for approved expenditures and resource allocation.
