Announcing Blessing Trips!
I'm so excited to share the start of an amazing new adventure that I feel like God has been shaping in my heart for years.
I grew-up in a step-family environment and there were many times at both my Mom and Dad's houses where the new "blended" families didn't really blend. Daily life brought some very challenging and painful moments and looking back on those memories, brings me heart-break for all of the millions of kids who I know find themselves in similar situations.
However, in the midst of those challenging times, I have many wonderful memories of love, joy and happiness and many of those occurred during time spent away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Whether it was a simple camping trip in Michigan, or a week away at a family cottage in Indiana, to a cruise on the Caribbean or a visit to the most magical place on earth, Disney, the memories of family vacations are some of the strongest and most wonderful that I have. Many times I've looked back on these trips fondly and have used these memories to carry me forward through the challenging days.
And research says that I'm not the only one. I recently read an article in Smart Parenting that highlights the findings of a recent study by the Family Holiday Association, a non-profit in the UK. The study found that memories made on vacations do indeed serve as "happiness anchors" for children and that these memories often provide relief and respite from the dark days that life may bring.
In addition to "happiness anchors" time away strengthens family bonds as well as gives everyone a much needed chance to de-stress. Today's families are so incredibly busy and that level of exhaustion takes a toll. We all need time away, but for many families, especially those facing financial, emotional and physical crisis, a vacation is a luxury that remains far out of reach.
I truly believe that for these families in crisis, time away acts as a lifeline and shouldn't be considered a luxury afforded to only a few.
It's on this principal, that I'm launching the new non-profit, Blessing Trips. The goal of Blessing Trips will be to provide struggling families with the gift of a break. Through a carefully monitored and vetted nomination process, we hope to identify deserving families and through crowd-funding, as well as a combination of corporate sponsorships, discount pricing and donations of miles, points and timeshares, raise the money needed to cover the cost of the trips.
Families would then share their stories throughout the fundraising process as well as photos and memories from their experience, which I hope will in turn drive more nominations, donations, etc.
I have big dreams for Blessing Trips and have been kept up many a night thinking about all of the families that we could bless!
I'm also thrilled to announce that we have selected our first family, the Knowles family, and are in the midst of planning the first blessing trip for Fall of this year! Stay tuned for more information on this incredible family and how you can be a part of the blessing trip of a lifetime for them!
I grew-up in a step-family environment and there were many times at both my Mom and Dad's houses where the new "blended" families didn't really blend. Daily life brought some very challenging and painful moments and looking back on those memories, brings me heart-break for all of the millions of kids who I know find themselves in similar situations.
However, in the midst of those challenging times, I have many wonderful memories of love, joy and happiness and many of those occurred during time spent away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Whether it was a simple camping trip in Michigan, or a week away at a family cottage in Indiana, to a cruise on the Caribbean or a visit to the most magical place on earth, Disney, the memories of family vacations are some of the strongest and most wonderful that I have. Many times I've looked back on these trips fondly and have used these memories to carry me forward through the challenging days.
And research says that I'm not the only one. I recently read an article in Smart Parenting that highlights the findings of a recent study by the Family Holiday Association, a non-profit in the UK. The study found that memories made on vacations do indeed serve as "happiness anchors" for children and that these memories often provide relief and respite from the dark days that life may bring.
In addition to "happiness anchors" time away strengthens family bonds as well as gives everyone a much needed chance to de-stress. Today's families are so incredibly busy and that level of exhaustion takes a toll. We all need time away, but for many families, especially those facing financial, emotional and physical crisis, a vacation is a luxury that remains far out of reach.
I truly believe that for these families in crisis, time away acts as a lifeline and shouldn't be considered a luxury afforded to only a few.
It's on this principal, that I'm launching the new non-profit, Blessing Trips. The goal of Blessing Trips will be to provide struggling families with the gift of a break. Through a carefully monitored and vetted nomination process, we hope to identify deserving families and through crowd-funding, as well as a combination of corporate sponsorships, discount pricing and donations of miles, points and timeshares, raise the money needed to cover the cost of the trips.
Families would then share their stories throughout the fundraising process as well as photos and memories from their experience, which I hope will in turn drive more nominations, donations, etc.
I have big dreams for Blessing Trips and have been kept up many a night thinking about all of the families that we could bless!
I'm also thrilled to announce that we have selected our first family, the Knowles family, and are in the midst of planning the first blessing trip for Fall of this year! Stay tuned for more information on this incredible family and how you can be a part of the blessing trip of a lifetime for them!
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