Get your tissues out. Episode 62 of the Opportunity Knocks podcast will definitely touch your heart in a powerful way. 💝 This week I had the pleasure of sitting down with Erica Fisher & Melanie Neumann, the Co-founders of PRESENT NOW.
PRESENT NOW was founded by Melanie and Erica in 2013 and is solely focused on addressing the needs of children who are affected by parental abuse. Their Presents Program was created to respond to the growing demand from shelters to provide their resilient children with additional resources that can aid in their emotional recovery and wellbeing. From storing gifts in their garages and having their own children volunteer, Melanie and Erica grew the organization into what it is today - a powerhouse charity organization that has delivered 11,093 presents, impacting 7,030 children and families in 62 shelter locations across the United States.
During our conversation we talked about:
🔹 how Melanie and Erica literally used Google to start PRESENT NOW
🔹 how they decided that children experiencing domestic violence would be their cause
🔹 how not being afraid to ask questions has enabled them to succeed
🔹 how they've raised money and developed corporate partnerships
🔹 how staying true to their mission led to the growth they've experienced
This episode is for you if you want to learn more about what goes into starting a philanthropic venture, but more importantly, if you'd like to learn about ways you can get involved in PRESENT NOW's mission of helping children affected by parental abuse. 92% of the kids involved are showing measurable increases in confidence in school and prior to their involvement, many had never received a gift before in their life. 💔 But PRESENT NOW is changing that and changing lives in such a positive way.
Want to get involved and support PRESENT NOW? On April 22nd they will be holding their 2nd annual Give Love & Be Loved Benefit. All proceeds will go directly towards PRESENT NOW’s mission of providing children in domestic violence shelters with experiences and gifts that bring them joy, comfort, and relief during a time of crisis.
Get your tickets at presentnow.com
And don't forget that they are always looking for adult and child volunteers to help out. So check out presentnow.com to learn more about how you and your kids can give the gift of time and get involved as a volunteer!