Round 2: Checking in the celebs!

Round 2: Checking in with more celebs!

Well, before I get to that -- Don't you just love snow days!? Okay, many of you are screaming yes, yes, I do! Me, not so much. I've never been a big winter person, although the first snow on the tree branches is just beautiful, but when you work from a home office, a snow day often means "What I've scheduled to work on today is often put to the side because the kids are home!" Now my kids are older and are good at entertaining themselves and each other, but when the kids are home you think differently. It's harder to write articles and blogs, so instead I focus on administrative things I need to do.

Now that the kids are getting older though (two of them are teens), they have volunteered to help me out in the office too! My 15-year-old daughter, who is great at web design, put together a new blog for me (more on that another day), and my son, who loves to sell things and make money, got to work on what we were selling on Ebay. So it was a productive, although extremely COLD, day here in the northeast yesterday.

My favorite indoor snow day activity? Hot chocolate and a good movie! We re-watched Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and caught Dreamgirls for the first time on HBO. Both great movies! What do you like to do on a snow day? Let me know!

Thought I'd let you in on more celebrity charity involvement:

In keeping with the holidays, Style.com thought it would be great to put some of the focus on giving back - and to highlight the ways people in the fashion industry do that. They invited designers, retailers, and models -- including Iman, David Lauren, Donna Karan, Margherita Missoni, Kenneth Cole, Betsey Johnson, Narciso Rodriguez, Francisco Costa, Simon Doonan, Zac Posen, and more to discuss their favorite charities and what it means to give back.

Check this out:



Style.com also published a list of the charities, so if you are inspired you can find out how to get involved.

GL Gives Back

I've been a Guiding Light fan for as long as I can remember. One of the stars of the show, Crystal Chappell grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and several of the cast members visited this holiday season to give back the community through the Salvation Army. Check it out here.

J.K. Rowling helps the less fortunate

J.K. Rowling sold her limited edition handwritten book “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” for almost $4 million dollars. Money raised from the seventh copy will go to the Children's Voice charity.

For all you boxing fans --

On Thursday, December 6, Tabú Ultra Lounge at MGM Grand transformed into Santa Clause's headquarters when Floyd Mayweather Jr. hosted a Toys for Tots fundraiser. Mayweather took a break from his rigorous training for Saturday's boxing match against Ricky Hatton to join Santa and a bevy of Santa's sexy helpers to gather gifts for underprivileged children this holiday season. Joining in these efforts, NBA legend Gary Payton and TV icon Robin Leach assisted in filling the lounge with presents and holiday cheer.

Doing something good on Super Bowl Sunday

While I watch my Green Bay Packers and Brett Favre go to this year's Super Bowl (don't tell me otherwise people!), there is more going on that day than just football! The Surf City USA® Marathon, formerly known as the Pacific Shoreline Marathon, may have changed its name, but the marathon will continue its successful charitable partnership with the Free Wheelchair Mission. The charity has set a goal of raising enough money to provide 12,000 free wheelchairs to the disabled in undeveloped countries from this year’s event, scheduled for Super Bowl Sunday, February 3, 2008, on the shores of Huntington Beach, CA.



To show there is more to do on Super Bowl Sunday than just watch football, former NFL quarterback Jay Schroeder has committed to run in the event and serve as the keynote speaker for the fundraising dinner on February 2 at the Hilton Beachfront Resort.

“I am excited about the opportunity to celebrate Super Bowl Sunday in such a healthy and rewarding way,” said Schroeder. “Once I heard about the great work the Free Wheelchair Mission does, I knew it was a cause I wanted to support. I encourage all runners to fundraise and all of my former neighbors, classmates and fans in Southern California to sign up to run or sponsor a runner.”

For the third consecutive year, the “Run for Mobility” will allow runners the chance to permanently change lives by raising money to purchase special wheelchairs for the physically disabled in undeveloped countries. Thus far, through the partnership between the charity and the marathon, more than 13,000 people have received a free wheelchair and the gift of mobility thanks to runners.

In the “Run for Mobility” program, runners can become fundraisers by running the marathon, half marathon, or 5K, and committing to raise donations from businesses, friends, and co-workers as part of the activity. For people who want to help support the cause but do not have a runner to sponsor, Free Wheelchair Mission is encouraging people to support Jay Schroeder’s run by visiting his personal fundraising page at www.RunforMobility.org. Jay has established a goal of $5,700 for his run – one wheelchair for each of the 144 touchdown passes he threw in the NFL.

The Run for Mobility raised $165,000 in its inaugural year, and $465,000 last year. This year’s goal is $650,000, enough to “lift” 12,000 people off the ground and into a wheelchair. Each wheelchair costs just $48.35 to produce and is delivered for free, with no conditions.

As an extra incentive, the Free Wheelchair Mission will pay the registration fee and guarantee a spot in the Surf City USA Marathon for any person willing to raise a minimum of $500. For more information, visit www.RunForMobility.org or www.RunSurfCity.com.

Until next time,

Lisa

Celebrities speak about the future of Health Insurance

Celebrities speak about the future of Health Insurance

According to dividedwefail.org, 'Americans should have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that their futures will be financially secure. Yet, millions of Americans worry about their health and long-term financial security. For many, the American dream is eroding along with this security. We can't let this happen.'

I'd like to say the only reason I'm posting this video here is because it's the closest I'll get to having Garth Brooks on my website, but the reality is that I truly understand what they are fighting for and I am joining the fight. I pay a fortune in health care and I'm self-employed. As a single mom, a large portion of my money goes to health insurance and it scares me to think that I may lose it at some point (costs keep going up, or whatever other reasons). I know many people who don't have insurance at all. My mom, a senior on a fixed income, was just notified that her premiums are going up and so are her medications. She's lucky. She has one minor health issue, but for others who are sicker, health insurance and medications are sucking their life savings down the drain. Check this out -- then get involved. If you are one of the lucky ones, get involved to help out others who need a voice.

Young Widows and Widowers

Today, I want to talk about helping just ONE person -- first, please watch CNN's story on this Arizona man who lost his wife when she gave birth to their triplets -- click here and then come back to this site. Is there anything you can do -- send clothes (for older ages, sounds like he has some for the babies now), donations of diapers, food, gift cards, etc.?

Why did this story touch me? I am a widow (visit my site www.youngwidowsandwidowers.com for more information) and I'll never forget how hard it was to raise my children when they were babies and my husband passed away (It's still hard, but in a different way -- they are teens and pre-teens now!). They were 6, 4 and 2 at the time of my hubby's death in 1999. So it didn't take much for me to understand what this Arizona man was going through when he lost his wife during childbirth and now faces raising his triplets (!) alone. I hear about these stories all the time because of the letters I receive from widows/widowers who aren't able to support themselves for whatever reason (often it's because they haven't gotten life insurance yet). Grieving is hard enough, but grieving and having to worry how you're going to feed/clothe/care for three young babies is just a unbelievable mountain to climb, but I'm certain that he'll climb it.

I know my blog is also read by many PR people, who might have clients who can donate some goods. See what you can do -- it's the holidays, folks.

Starting over

Starting Over...

While I wait for the next celeb interviews (I'm so excited about the ones I have coming up!), this weekend was cold and rainy and I spent a large portion of it nursing my aching knee (old basketball injury). I didn't want to aggravate it by walking at the mall -- besides I'm done with my holiday shopping and my budget is back on track, so why tempt myself -- so instead, I spent part of the weekend cleaning out some things in the garage. I found a box of old computer games that my kids have outgrown, so I went on Freecycle.org, found my local group, listed them (for free, hence the name) and within 10 minutes, someone confirmed they would pick them up. The woman who took them was struggling this year -- she was working, but her husband was currently unemployed and they couldn't afford much for their children. They had a computer, given to them by a friend, and the games would make a nice gift. My daughter threw in some Beanie Babies and dolls that were still in good condition and while we cleaned out our garage, we made the holiday of another parent. Don't ya love that feeling?

I've been cleaning out a lot of things in the house and trying to continue with my motto, 'if it's not useful or sentimental, it's gone.' The new year is coming up and it's a great time to start fresh in many areas of your life!

Until next time,
Lisa

Check in with your favorite celebs!

Check in with your favorite celebs! Thought I'd check in with some celebs -- sports, music, TV and more and see what they are up to!

Miley Cyrus, Ellen DeGeneres, Liv Tyler, and Jessica Simpson are among the celebrities that are helping fight pediatric cancer during the holidays—and you can see the results on BiddingForGood.com. BiddingForGood offers about 10,000 gifts for charity, and all the money goes to good causes--from St. Jude's (children's pediatric cancer), to feeding the hungry, to saving the earth. In the case of these celebs, they've taken time to custom-design UGG Boots, and UGG Australia is in turn auctioning them off through BiddingForGood. The leading bid for Cindy Crawford's boots right now is $1,500. The leading bid for Liv Tyler's boots is currently $3,600. You can find the auction by going to BiddingForGood.com and searching for UGG.

Kevin Costner is trying to save Sherwood Forest; Check this out.
Then visit http://www.thepeoples50million.org.uk/home and VOTE!

Melinda Doolittle, a finalist on American Idol, is supporting Malaria No More, an organization that is dedicated to eradicating malaria around the world. The organization's site is www.MalariaNoMore.org.

Dr. Laura was the special guest at this past weekend's fund raiser at the Santa Barbara Harley-Davidson store to benefit Operation Family Fund. As a part of the Fund Raiser raffle, a winner got to try and dunk Dr. Laura in the tank. When the winner did not hit the bullseye, Dr. Laura jumped into the tank! 100% of the money will go to benefit the families of our troops who have been injured or killed in action. For more information on Operation Family Fund and to donate please visit www.operationfamilyfund.org.

Andrew Shue, best known as “Billy” on Melrose Place, and Damien Fahey, host of MTV's TRL, are active board members for Do Something. Shue launched the organization in 1993. Check out the organization (PLEASE TYPE WWW.DOSOMETHING.ORG into your browser, I can't get it to link here. It is a grassroots initiative that uses the power of the internet to help young people change the world! The core belief of Do Something is that young people have the power to make a difference. The organization inspires, supports and celebrates a generation of do-ers: people who see the need to do something, believe in their ability to get it done, and then take action.

New York Jets linebacker Bryan Thomas donates his time to Computers for Youth (CFY), a nonprofit organization that partners with public middle schools in low-income communities to provide families with a free computer, educational software and free Internet access. (www.cfy.org) and has become very involved in the nonprofit and raising awareness of its efforts.
On the computer note, Masi Oka works with One Laptop Per Child - http://laptop.org

Jane Seymour works with ChildHelp USA (http://www.childhelp.org/) an organization to help prevent child abuse and CityHearts http://www.cityhearts.org/, Kids Say 'Yes' To The Arts is committed to intervene in a loving, supportive and nurturing way to break the cycle of poverty, neglect, abuse, homelessness, delinquency and violence that destroys the lives of our children.

And I’m so excited to report this about director Penny Marshall (Laverne & Shirley). Penny Marshall is one of my favorite actresses, from The Odd Couple to Laverne & Shirley (I’m sneaking in a mini-commercial here – Laverne & Shirley is on DVD whooooo! – yes, I have ALL of them so far, great stocking stuffers! – and, no, I’m NOT paid to say that – LOL) and in November, Marshall co-chaired an event that benefited the Brain Injury Association of New York State and raised $40,000. When a head injury caused by an explosion at the World Trade Center sent their cousin into a coma earlier this summer, diSalvo Interiors’ mother/daughter design team decided to hold a benefit to raise money for Brain Trauma Research. The auction was hosted and co-chaired by Lorraine Bracco, silent auction items from Rosie O’Donnell, Mark Wahlberg, James Woods and NFL players Peyton Manning, Jerry Rice and Brett Favre (Go Packers! I’m a cheesehead!) and more. Silent auction items included a signed Laverne and Shirley script (If I had ONLY known!)!

Retired NY Giants great George Martin is on his Journey for 9/11, a cross-country walk from NYC to SF to raise money and awareness of the healthcare problems of 9/11 first responders. For his efforts, George was named ABC News “Person of the Week” and will receive a special humanitarian award this weekend. As George continues through Tennessee, he will mark the 1,000th mile of his trek. You can follow George’s progress and location at any given moment by clicking on “Where is George?” on www.ajourneyfor911.info A co-captain of the NY Giants Super Bowl-winning team in 1986, George Martin is crossing the continent in an effort to raise money and awareness of health issues of 9/11 rescue workers. The New Jersey resident always was awestruck by the sight of the twin towers of the World Trade Center. On Sept. 11, 2001, he learned that two young men in his town had perished in the terror attack. In honor of them and the thousands of firefighters, police officers, EMTs, and construction workers who helped dig through the rubble, he is raising $ millions to care for research and rescue workers who developed illnesses related to 9/11 and its aftermath. (He has already pulled in $1.5 million.) Way to go George!

Shawne Merriman of the San Diego Chargers hosted a San Diego community supported bowling event to benefit victims of the Diego fires as well as Volunteer San Diego, the San Diego Hall of Champions, and the Alpha Project for the Homeless. The event raised $80K at a minimum, at least $30K more than last year!


Chris Harrison, host of The Bachelor series and Designers Challenge on HGTV, is doing the voiceover and a short on-camera piece for a new DVD from the Scleroderma Foundation (his mother-in-law died from the autoimmune disease). He also served as a guest auctioneer for the Los Angeles chapter gala recently.

Beth Shaw, Clive Pearse HGTV, Marianna Toscana - Actress, Cliff Simon - SCI FI Channel StarGate, actress Linda Blair and CNN’s Jane Velez Mitchell are all involved in the AB1634 The Spay Neuter Bill coming back across the assembly floor in January. Beth Shaw has always been a well known leader in community service, but she has recently been devoting 50% of her time and effort to animal rights and causes for humanity, among them the AB1634 Spay / Neuter Bill up for review in the California State Assembly. Beth is writing, producing and funding the air time for commercial spots starring CNN Reporter Jane Velez- Mitchell, HGTV's Clive Pearse, Animal Activist and Starr Linda Blair and a host of other celebrities. Beth is committed to reducing the number of animals killed in the stare of California ( 500,000 annually) due to over population, over breeding and owner irresponsibility. For more information on this groundbreaking bill - go www.cahealthypets.com. Beth is also helping renowned actress Linda Blair’s World Heart Foundation. Beth recently won the “Mikey Award” for her animal rescue efforts from Karma Rescue, and Beth just been appointed the National Leadership Council of The Humane Society of the United States. Check out www.cahealthypets.com.

Television, film and stage star, Joe Piscopo returns to Red Bank, this time to perform at the historic Count Basie Theatre, 99 Monmouth Street, on Wednesday evening December 12th at 8:00pm. He will be accompanied by the 18-piece Red Bank Jazz Orchestra, conducted by Joe Muccioli. The Orchestra is the professional flagship ensemble of Jazz Arts Project, producer of the event. After a surprise appearance that quickly sold out this past summer during the Project's popular “Summer Jazz Cafe' Series”, the former Saturday Night Live star will once again showcase his vocal and musical talents in memory of his friend and idol, Frank Sinatra who was born on December 12th, 1915 in Hoboken, NJ.

Plenty to get involved in! I’ll be checking in with more celebs soon!

Until Next Time,
lisa

C.O.P.S.

This Holiday Season Remember Our Fallen Law Enforcement Officers and the Families They Have Left Behind

So far this year, 158 law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty* in America and, sadly, this number will probably rise before the year is through.

During this holiday season, Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc., a national non-profit headquartered in Camdenton, MO, dedicated to rebuilding shattered lives of the surviving families, would like everyone to remember those law enforcement officers who are gone and the families they have left behind.

“The men and women who wear the law enforcement uniform lay their lives on the line every day so that you and I can walk the streets here in America feeling safe and protected,” says Jean Hill, National President, who became a police survivor on December 4, 2000, when her son, Harris County Deputy Sheriff Barry Hill, was killed in the line of duty.

“Unfortunately, there are some who make the ultimate sacrifice. These men and women are America's heroes. They got up that fateful day, told their families goodbye and fully expected to return home that night. However, that was not to be. Now their families are grieving with pain they never knew existed.”

Organized in 1984, C.O.P.S. assists the surviving families, promotes officer safety and increases public awareness of the dangers in the law enforcement profession and the sacrifices made by law enforcement families. C.O.P.S.’ membership consists of nearly 15,000 surviving households nationwide. The funds raised support C.O.P.S.’ programs including the National Police Survivors’ Conference held during National Police Week, Parents Retreat, Spouses Retreat, Siblings Retreat, Siblings Retreat, In-Laws Retreat, Adult Children’s Retreat, C.O.P.S. Kids Camp, C.O.P.S. Teens Outward Bound Experience and scholarships for survivors which are awarded several times per year.

“Since its inception in 1984, C.O.P.S. has increased its services to it membership. And, unfortunately, this year, our membership will increase by more than 160 families. To continue to provide the healing support to so many families, C.O.P.S. really is in need of additional support from the Americans who appreciate what law enforcement does for us each and every day. We hope during the first holiday season for the 2007 surviving families, that Americans will remember the selfless sacrifice of these heroes and help C.O.P.S. take care of their surviving families,” said Suzie Sawyer, C.O.P.S. Executive Director.

Hill says that experiencing “the first” of any special day is extremely difficult for the survivors to get through but it seems like the first holiday season without their loved one is the hardest.

“I would say to each of them this holiday season to dwell on the happy memories you have of your officer, spend time with family and friends who lift your spirits, laugh if you feel like laughing, and cry when you feel like crying. Gradually, the pain softens but, trust me, it never goes away because the love we have for our officer never goes away.”

Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) is the organization that provides emotional support for every family member of that officer. It's the organization that believes healing has to begin immediately; therefore, it reaches out immediately. C.O.P.S. is the resource to rebuilding the shattered lives of these grieving families and it takes the financial support of the public, corporations, and our law enforcement community to rebuild these lives. Without this financial support, C.O.P.S. would not be able to help our survivors during their darkest hours.

To donate to C.O.P.S. this holiday season, visit their website nationalcops.org or contact them at 573-346-4911.

* http://www.odmp.org/year.php

Brad Pitt, Nicole Richie and My Holiday Shopping!

Brad Pitt, Nicole Richie and My Holiday Shopping!

Happy Holidays to everyone! Are you all done with your shopping? I hope not. Why? Because www.anysoldier.com could use your attention. Looking to do something nice for our soldiers? Visit this site, choose what branch of service you want to choose from and pick the soldier you want to send a box to -- they often post pictures and a wish list of what they are looking for. My children, mom and brother all chipped in to send Sgt. Zapata a box of goodies! I sent it today -- rice krispies treats, trail mix, popcorn (they have a microwave), candy canes and more! The kids loved going to the dollar store to pick out some of the stuff and we hit the grocery store for the other stuff. We also sent little footballs, books, puzzle books and more.

My brother, Chris, decided this year that in lieu of giving his nieces/nephews gifts this year, he was going to have them choose a charity and donate to that cause. All year my kids thought about where they were going to give. I know they'll get plenty of things for Christmas from me, family and friends and this was another great way to give back -- I know they aren't going to miss the one extra present they would've had from Uncle Chris. So...what did they choose?

My 10-year-old daughter chose the ASPCA and, as a result, will receive an ASPCA magazine for the next year, so she'll continue to learn about the organization and the good work it does for animals.

My 13-year-old son chose St. Jude's Children's Hospital and was sent a keychain as a special reminder of the amazing work this hospital does. Check out their website!

My 15-year-old daughter is an animal lover also and one of her favorite animals is the Grey Wolf. So she went to the World Wildlife Fund website and adopted one! She even through in $10 of her own money so that she could upgrade her donation! She'll receive an adoption certificate, a plushie and a photo.

So we've worked hard in trying to put others first this holiday season, but I'll admit that I always spend too much during the holidays.

On the celebrity front, former partygirl (we hope!) Nicole Richie and her boyfriend Joel Madden, who are due to have their first child in January, donated baby gifts to 100 expectant families in need through the newly-formed Richie Madden Foundation through the Los Angeles Free Clinic.

Brad Pitt is spreading the word about helping New Orleans and building homes. Check out my friend Jane Boursaw's blog for more information on what Brad is doing http://ruby-shoes.blogspot.com/

James Swan

James Swan is a Beverly Hills-based interior designer who sits on the national board of The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. In 2006, he helped launch the Victory Film Project Los Angeles, an annual documentary short-film competition featuring the stories of openly Gay and Lesbian political candidates as told by today’s most talented young filmmakers.

His firm established The Swan Scholarship Program at Los Angeles City College. The scholarship will help expand educational options for students victimized by domestic abuse. The Scholarship will fund tuition, fees, books and supplies, as well as unexpected financial challenges that can often force at-risk students to drop out. Swan also works with PAWS/LA, which works to provide comprehensive packages of essential pet care services to people living with disabling illnesses.

Where did you get the idea for your scholarship program?

Every year during the holidays, we try to do something above and beyond Christmas cards for our clients or vendors, just some sort of holiday acknowledgement. And we’ve been doing that for the seven years that we’ve been in business. Last fall, a very dear friend of mine became development director for Los Angeles Community College and over lunch one afternoon, as he was telling me about the work that they were doing and the impact that their foundation program and their scholarship program has on low income, at need inner-city not just kids, but even adults -- single mothers, people trying to get their lives back together -- I was just blown away by the direct impact that a very small amount of money could have on keeping these people in school and moving towards their goals in life.
So we brainstormed a little here in the office, and we decided to take the money that we would normally spend on gifts and put that money in our clients’ names, so everyone is listed as a donor into the foundation and create this foundation that we would fund on an annual basis, and hopefully be able to make some real changes in some people’s lives.

How much money have you put into the program?
We started with $5000 and we’re hoping by partnering with some of our clients in this upcoming year to see that number grow. But we’ve made a commitment to do that dollar amount every year.

Do you think there’s a little too much ‘lavishness’ today…is that even a word?
I don’t know if it’s a word or not, but I know what you mean and I think you’re right, yes.

Have you had an opportunity to meet with any of these recipients?
Not anyone specifically. Because the program isn’t really set up for that kind of direct contact, although I’m sure if I made a request we probably could. I mean, we’re a tiny little donor. Our little $5,000…they’ve got people that are giving lots and lots of money, but David’s a good friend, and I know if I asked for that, I could. But I have been on the campus I think four times at this point and just been able to walk around and see the work that they’re doing. LACC is the oldest community college facility in Los Angeles. It is actually the campus that spawned both USC and UCLA as part of the state school system. It’s in sort of, it’s not East LA, but let’s just say, it’s a rough neighborhood, let’s put it that way. It’s a hard neighborhood to be in and this campus provides the swimming pool for kids to swim in during the summers because they don’t have anywhere else to go, the sports fields for them to play on, it’s a place for people to congregate as well as take their adult education classes.
There are scholarships set up in the school system because, as a state run school, they keep their class costs low so that at-need students can afford to go to school. But what David has pointed out to me is where they fall apart is the other support that they (the students) need. They may have the tuition, the $20 per course hour to go to school, but they don’t have money to buy the books to attend class. So our little contribution might be able to buy textbooks for 10 students for one school year and thus allow them to participate. How amazing is that?

College is expensive even at the smaller community colleges.

It’s daunting. It really is. And then the other things, for single mothers, what of child care? Well, they’ve got an amazing childcare program on campus there, but it does cost. It’s like $20 a day. But for a single mom who’s trying to go to school and working a night job, on many occasions, there are single moms who have to drop out of school because they can’t afford the $20 a day for childcare. That’s just so wrong. It shouldn’t have to happen. So hopefully we can make a little bit of a difference there.

Tell me about PAWS (The Progressive Animal Welfare Society)

PAWS, yes. I’m a dog lover. In fact, I’m sitting in my office and I’m looking at my two Yorkshire Terriers curled up on a little pillow here in my office. It was workday for them, so they got to come to work with Daddy today. Animals have always been a big part of my life and PAWS is an organization that believes in the power of animal love and the good that it can do to people, particularly people that are ill. So they do a lot of really good work. And again, a friend of mine in San Francisco, Emily Scott Pottruck’s wrote a book Tails of Devotion. She’s very passionate about animals and all of the proceeds from her book go to animal protection agencies. So again, she asked, and we were able to be a small part in the local fundraising efforts for the organization here in LA and it was a really delightful thing to participate in.

What have you done with them?

My first involvement with them was co-hosting a cocktail event, actually where Emily’s book was featured. She hired a photographer in San Francisco, and she made the rounds of all of her friends, some of them very visible people in San Francisco, and took pictures of them in their homes, portraits of them with their pets. Not necessarily just dogs, but cats and rabbits and iguanas and whatever. And then had each of the households in their own handwriting share the stories of what the impact that their pets have had on their lives. And then put together this really beautiful book just talking about the relationships and sort of celebrating the relationships. So I co-hosted a cocktail reception for Emily here in town at one of the local art galleries. We raised a lot of money that night through the sale of her book for Paws.

Tell me how you got started in the Gay/Lesbian Victory Fund?

About 9 years ago, just after I moved to LA, I attended a brunch and was introduced to Chris Price, who became a very dear friend of mine, and he had just begun work with this group called the Victory Fund. And he was chatting all about it, and he gave me something to read, and I started reading it and was I struck by how immediate and how local, how grassroots the organization was. And unlike some of the other organizations -- political organizations that I had been involved with -- where my money went somewhere else; I knew it was being put to good use.

We’re supporting openly gay and lesbian politicians on both the local, regional, and national levels. We’re close to 400 openly gay and lesbian politicians in either elected or appointed offices nationwide right now. Now that’s a small number in the 15,000 political positions that exist, but it’s a growing number and I’m able to support, here in my local community, a lesbian woman who’s running for the school council board, or the water protection board, or fill in the blank, whatever the position is. And it gave a real sense of immediacy to my involvement, and it was something I got very interested in. I began writing some checks, and at one point, Chris, my mentor left the board and I was asked to fill his position on the board. And I’ve been very happy to do that.

You launched a film project through this, correct?

Yes. Well, I live in LA, it’s kind of all about entertainment here. I’m not in that industry. I have clients who are, but I was sitting around at dinner one night with three friends and we were just talking about what could we to help raise money and raise visibility. And the conversation was there to marry entertainment and politics…what would that look like? And we came up with the idea of creating a student-driven contest, or scholarship fund is what it eventually evolved into, where students in master’s program at film schools immediately here in LA would go out and film, in short format documentary form, little films about our openly gay and lesbian candidates.
We had Jim Roth who was running for city councilman in OKC, we had Virginia Lender at the time who was running as an openly lesbian woman for the OR state Supreme Court. There were 3 others, politicians, one in Boston, one in Wilmington, MD, and I forget now where the 5th was, who are in races. The film was premiering in October, their races would culminate in the elections in November, so we were to put this together and then we premiered all 5 of the short films that evening in October at our event, it was sort of a cocktail event here in West Hollywood. And it was really quite successful. We packaged the five films and now have taken them on to film festivals around the country, and we’re getting ready to do the 2nd one, which will come up next year.

What’s the ultimate goal…awareness, funds, both?
I think it’s both. And I would say it’s probably an equal split, although probably really, when it comes right down to it, raising funds for our candidates probably takes the lead. If we can, by doing that, raise visibility and awareness of the organization, then it’s a win-win situation. We were introduced to people here in LA who didn’t know about Victory Fund and who liked what they saw, were excited about what they say, and were generous to open their checkbooks and write checks. And we also produced 5 really good films that have gone on and in one instance, has won one award at, I think it was the Austin Film Festival, for short format documentary. So we’re doing good things on the artistic side and good things on the fundraising side. So that was kinda cool.

How much time do you spend working on charity projects?
You know, some days, it feels like far too much, and then most of the time, it feels like not nearly enough. One of the goals that I have for my business, as my business grows, is for it to grow in such a way that my time is freed up, more of my time is freed up to do things like that.

What do you think about the design industry as a whole and the charity work that is being done?
You know, I think when we look at the numbers across the board, not paying specific attention right now just to the design industry, but I think the numbers say that it’s a very, very small percentage of Americans, let alone companies, are involved in any sort of charitable giving. So those numbers need to go up across the board. So if we then reduce our sort of venue down into the design community, the design community has been amazingly supportive, particularly of the AIDS issues. If AMFAR or these organizations sort of had their grassroots, their exceptions in, whether it was interior design or fashion design or a combination, that’s sort of where they came from, or at least they were vital to their initial beginnings. And the work continues and they continue to do good work. Could it be more? Absolutely.

Thanks James!