Courage to Hope Update

Today, after 17 months of fundraising, 100+ donors, 50+ volunteers, 27,000 miles traveled, 19 ATM withdrawls and 1 sacrificed faux Jimmy Choo purse (ripped out the lining to stash the cash I was carrying).... the women's center in Kiev, Ukraine finally has funding for 3 new programs and 2 specialists serving 7,000+ victims of domestic violence.

Thanks to so many of you who made sacrificed much more than my faux purse to improve the quality of life of thousands of Ukrainian women and families.

Walk a Mile in Her Shoes!

Walk a Mile in Her Shoes:

A little discomfort will make the difference!

Saturday April 10th, 2010

University Mall, Orem, UT

Begins at 8:00 AM


Walk a Mile in Her Shoes asks men to literally walk one mile in a pair of women's shoes, while raising fund for The Center for Women and Children in Crisis (www.cwcic.org). It is not easy walking in these shoes, but it is a fun opportunity for men to educate the community about a very serious subject. So challenge your buddies and help get the community to talk about something that's difficult to talk about: sexual violence. Registration is only $5.


Why Walk? One in three women has experienced sexual assault in her lifetime. One in six boys are sexually assaulted by the time they are 18. That means someone you know, someone you care about has been a victim of sexual assault. So walk for your daughter, your son, your wife, your mother, your niece, your nephew, your colleage, yourself!


Of course, women are welcome to walk - the men might need a little support along the way!


More Questions? Contact: Lindsee Anderson, 801/380-9714 or lindsee.anderson@gmail.com

Looking Good for a Good Cause

Some of my friends are raising $20,000 to build an orphanage in Sri Lanka. Last night they held a fundraiser, "A night at Wayne Manor." Guests paid $10 to get in, had drinks and dessert, and then the party was crashed by Batman villains (who were defeated by Batman and Robin in a fight among the crowd...) I, of course, was asked to appear as Poison Ivy. All for a good cause!

Shelters in Ukraine

While in Ukraine we spent four days meeting with different shelters throughout Kiev and western Ukraine. Not only was I impressed and moved by the women who had come to the shelters to take control of their lives and hope for something better, but I was deeply moved by the Ukrainian workers who gave so much of their time, talents and professions to helping these women. Social workers, therapists, psychologists and other professionals were dedicating their lives to helping combat domestic violence...some for absolutely no financial gain whatsoever, and all of the others for the most minimal salaries.

They greeted us with graciousness and professionalism as we worked together to discover what programs and other needs Courage to Hope could assist in supporting.

Ukrainian Host Family

While in Ukraine we were hosted by a family with 8 kids.... an unheard of number for Eastern Europe. The family is part of a new kind of foster program in Ukraine, aimed at getting kids out of under-funded orphanages and into homes. This family brought in seven children who were each victims of domestic violence...some were younger than a year when they were finally taken away from their abusive parents.

Collecting Supplies for Ukraine

We collected over 300 lbs of humanitarian supplies to take to shelters in Ukraine. Thank you to everyone who donated!

The Return of Glam

It has been far too long since I have really let my GLAM out. Last night I went to a red carpet Glam Karaoke party. Zack, Becca and I stirred the crowd with a rousing rendition of the Neil Diamond classic, "Sweet Caroline."

Good times never seemed so good.