Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Philanthropy at it's best! Donate in Honor of Joyce Darlene Patterson!


My mother loved to read. She taught me to read before I started Kindergarten. I remember her reading books to me quite frequently. She taught me how to cook, bake and sew. When she didn’t have a car, she would walk me half-way across town to buy me a paint-by-number or other craft activity kit with her last couple of dollars. She was fun and silly. She used to sit next to me at bedtime and pet my face for me until I could fall asleep.

I remember my mother being a very kind, sincere and compassionate woman. She was moved by other people’s emotions. Many said she was just too sensitive or ridiculous, but I am the same way! She wanted to help others so bad, so she attempted to go to nursing school; but, she got kicked out of the program because she was breaking the rules of the facility by allowing the patients to do various things not allowed, just to make them more comfortable.

Due to remembering my mother in this light, I feel that I NEED to honor her life and existence by completing something GREAT for others IN HER NAME.  She was always doing kind things for other people, helping them out and such. So, by me creating a foundation of charity as a result of her death, I feel that she would be very pleased and proud!  If nothing else good came from her life due to her struggle with mental illness, I can at least allow for something good to come from her death and the awful circumstances in which she passed on (alone and disassociated).

A friend of mine, Jeffrey Knapp, has already started an organization in my mother's name. It is KIVA Lending and it gives small business loans to people both here in the United States and in third world for business start-up funding and capitol. The entire organization is run and funded by volunteers. Volunteers can log on to the site, check out the various lending situations and choose one they feel compelled to support! It is a great charity organization that supports the independence of women worldwide. My mom, I think, would definitely like the idea of this!  Please, take a peek at it and see what you think. You never know, maybe YOU could use a small loan to help with something!  http://www.kiva.org/team/jdp

I originally tried to sort everything out with my mother's circumstance, but it was really too hard for me to barrel through all of the disappointments and emotions that came with it. But now that I have been able to spend some time processing it all and working through it, I am hoping that I will have what it takes see these efforts through to the end!
All I need is some determination, focus, desire and support from friends and fellow philanthropists!

Thank you for your encouragement and kind words!
God Bless to all of you,
Miranda Rhuda

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