Spotlight on Good People by Robert of Philadelphia
This is your go-to source for inspiration, shining a light on the unsung heroes of Naples and Southwest Florida. From heartwarming stories to practical tips, we celebrate the people who make our slice of paradise more connected, compassionate, and kind. In a world full of noise, we’re here to uplift, inform, and inspire — one story at a time.
Spotlight on Good People by Robert of Philadelphia
She Turned Her Mom’s Legacy Into a Movement of Love – Faith Schwalback & Beverly’s Angels ❤️🎁
Faith Schwalback is a dynamic and passionate individual, holding the roles of founder and board member at both Beverly's Angels and her eponymous company, Faith Schwalback. As a successful mastermind mentor and coach, she positively transforms lives on a daily basis. Faith's influence extends far beyond her immediate community, garnering recognition not only from local news but also on a national level. Lester Holt of NBC Nightly News interviewed her regarding the creation of The Kindness Squad, highlighting her unwavering dedication to community work and culture. In addition to her roles as an author and entrepreneur, Faith is a magnetic force and an inspirational motivational speaker.
As the driving force behind Beverly's Angels, Faith's vision and determination have played a pivotal role in the organization's growth and success. Her steadfast commitment to making a positive impact in the lives of those in need has shaped the organization's core mission and values.
Guided by Faith's vision, Beverly's Angels is poised to sustain its significant impact, touching the lives of many and contributing to a brighter future for all.
TIMESTAMPS:
1. 🎄 The Christmas Eve miracle—501(c)(3) approved!: 00:00
2. ✨ Faith’s positive daily mindset: 02:14
3. 💇♀️ Salon culture: more than hair: 03:20
4. 👨👩👧 Her parents’ example of service: 05:57
5. 🦃 Thanksgiving tradition & honoring her mother: 07:06
6. 🧠 Dementia, mental health & a healing goodbye: 08:11
7. 💔 Challenges of caregiving at home: 09:47
8. 🔥 Mom vs fire alarm: a feisty final chapter: 10:56
9. 🧬 Finding strength in family traits: 11:27
10. 🧔 Host’s reflections on his father’s legacy: 12:01
11. 🪞 How love and memory live on: 13:40
12. 🎅 From used goods to gifts with dignity: 21:43
13. 😢 Boy’s reaction: “I don’t remember having anything new”: 22:46
14. 🌊 Hurricane Ian & helping the proud in crisis: 23:19
15. 🧡 Every gift must feel personal and loved: 23:49
16. 🎁 The beauty of intentional gift-giving: 24:21
17. 👧 The girl who asked Santa for rain boots: 25:22
18. 🕵️♂️ How tags are created to reflect true wishes: 26:23
19. 🧦 Why only brand-new items matter: 27:27
20. 🎒 Backpacks, sheets & real-life magic: 27:58
21. 🌐 How to nominate a family or donate: 28:34
22. 🤝 Partnering with vetted organizations: 29:04
23. 🌟 Volunteer options: elves, donors & connectors: 30:40
24. 🧸 The story of Benny the bear & the Kindness Squad: 34:58
25. 🩲 Kids speaking up about underwear poverty: 36:37
26. 📺 NBC News features the Kindness Squad: 37:10
27. 🚫 One person at a time—no “mass aid” model: 38:48
28. 🏠 End of lease: Beverly’s Angels to lose boutique space: 39:53
29. 🛍️ What to do with tags from salon trees: 40:56
30. 🎄 Christmas in July → year-round giving: 41:57
31. 🎯 Amazon wish list updated with real kid requests: 42:31
32. 📱 Call, text or use website to schedule drop-offs: 43:05
33. 🧥 Makeup & hoodies in high demand for teens: 44:07
34. 🪞 Helping kids feel good about themselves: 44:41
35. 🌈 Final thoughts on showing up for others: 45:12
So hi everyone and welcome. Robert D'Alella here on the spotlight on good people. And that's what we do. We spotlight good people and good things that are happening, especially in a time period where so much of the attention is on what's not working and what's not good and what's negative. And we like to have conversations about the good things in life and the uplifting positive things. And you're one of those spirits in the community that... As I was reading about you and know what your reputation is, you have given your life in a lot of ways to uplift people around you, to transform the lives of people around you. So I'm honored to say that today we have a very special guest, the founder and board member at Beverly's Angels, Faith Schwalbeck.
SPEAKER_03:Yes, thank you. Welcome. I'm so excited to be here. And you're right, in the world we live in today, we need to really focus on the things that are positive and what's going right.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Yeah, it's so easy to just be drawn. I do it myself to be drawn to what's not the negative, you know, so it gets the most attention everywhere and to... to look for the positive or positivity in things is really just a cool thing. And I loved what you're about. I loved what your organization is about. And before we get started, I always like to ask this one question. Today, what's something that made you smile today?
SPEAKER_03:What made me smile today? You know, I wake up hitting the ground saying something magical is going to happen every single day. I I don't care what's going on, I'm smiling in the morning. But this in particular, I've really tried very hard to collaborate with people with the same mindset that I have. And I found that that has been challenging because I really want to align with people that really get it and want to give back from their place of a heart, not from a place of I get to be on an Instagram shout out post. So I think that's what made me smile the brightest today was to be in your presence, in your salon. Then I come in here and it has It's just been a moving experience. I've been smiling since the moment I hit the door and I'll be smiling for the rest of the day because of that.
SPEAKER_01:Awesome. Awesome. Well, great. That is important to us, you know, that we have this space that, you know, we're a hair salon. That's what we do for business. But I think we're more than that. I want to be more than that, that literally when people come here, they get something that they didn't know they needed before. But when they have it, it has a big impact on their life because whether it's the love that everybody's given on people, the 20 people when you walk in that they're loving on you, and I hope that they are, it transforms somebody's day. So that when they leave the parking lot and somebody cuts them off or the traffic's real bad, that they're just okay with it and it's okay and they can forgive people and be fine with the way life is or isn't all the way around.
SPEAKER_03:Well, I can tell you, I'm not currently a client and I have to tell you from the moment your team reached out, it has been an experience. So I think that that's one thing to take from today is from the moment, the first contact and every person along the line of your team really makes it an experience. Anybody can be hair salon and do hair, but you have your niche and you're doing it with such love and kindness and compassion. It's a culture here that you've created that's absolutely beautiful that makes people want to come back again. Thank
SPEAKER_01:you. Thank you. I'm very blessed. We're blessed with an extraordinary team. And, you know, I'm blessed that I get to walk in and then I get to meet people like you, too, who are out there on a campaign to make the world a better place in a lot of ways. And that's kind of what we wanted to do.
SPEAKER_03:But don't forget here, you're the blessing. It starts at the top. It's the leadership that creates the culture. They are blessed to have you as much as you are blessed to have them, which serves all of your clients. So it's one big blessing that starts from you.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Yeah. Thanks. Thanks. It's a real synergistic experience for me. I don't always wake up. in that mindset. And when I get around it, it kind of gets on me all the time. You know, it's like, it's infectious when there's that positivity and that good way about things, so.
SPEAKER_03:Mindset is everything.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. And it's what I know you have created. And it's, we're in that, I mean, it's November already and well into November. And it's that time of year where, you know, that spirit of giving is, you know, it's not always there, but it's always a reminder when you start to see the red and you start to see, you know, Starbucks switches, all the placards around, it's red. It's that time the cups go red and it's the lights start going up and it's that time of year. So I thought it, you know, a perfect opportunity for us to get to know, for everyone to get to know a little bit about you, your organization and what you guys are about. So to start off, can you Share a little bit about yourself. Who are you?
SPEAKER_03:So my name is Faith. I am happily married to my high school sweetheart that I started dating on my 16th birthday. We started from very humble beginnings. My mom worked in admin most of her life. My dad was the public safety director in our hometown of Ormond Beach, Florida. And he really saw at youth risk as something to devote time to. So he felt if he volunteered his time, he started the rec center where was one of the people in our hometown. If he had a place for kids to go after school and he could do a team environment that he could not be dealing with them later on in life through jail and through lockup. So I always saw him volunteering my whole life. It was the season of it was flag football, then it was softball, then it was basketball. So I grew up in that environment. I'm very grateful to have seen it. You don't realize when you're a child what's going on. But I just have always felt that way. And I just wanted to give back and my mom Over the years, she would always adopt a family for Thanksgiving and she would cook a homemade meal and she would just anonymously drop it off at our church. And she did it for years and years. And when she started to decline, we helped her when she received the ugly diagnosis of dementia. We started doing it for her in her honor at the Alzheimer's Resource Center that she used to attend. And we did that the last three years and we would go and we would make all of the trimmings for Thanksgiving the weekend before. And it was just a nod to my mom's what she gave back. And we did that the last time that she was able to in her honor. The following September, she passed away. And my girlfriend says, we're going back. We're going to go do this for Beverly. And we went and we served all the ladies a beautiful Thanksgiving. We had this stuffed Tom the turkey. They would go around and say what they're grateful for. And that was that day. Somebody said, you have to do this. And that was the moment of serving that Thanksgiving meal that Beverly's Angels was born. Christmas Eve 2019, a year later, I got a present from the IRS in the mailbox that was my official 501c3 status.
SPEAKER_01:Hmm. Oh, wow. So that's how it all began.
SPEAKER_03:That's how it all began. And it began from my mom and I had a challenging relationship my entire life. I used to use the word difficult, but I've changed my mindset to challenging. And I realized trying to get her the help that she needed when she had dementia, she had undiagnosed mental health issues. And she was at the age where it was taboo to get any help for that. So I started to realize the things that I was so angry with her about and the things that I kept choosing to look at was her flaws. I was never looking at what her, what the positive side, like we talked about earlier, right? So I had the very good fortune of right before she passed away, a very dear friend helped me see the light of all that my mom was. And I rushed to her bedside. I put my hand on her back and I told her how proud I was to be her daughter, how she has been amazing. I gave her purpose for her life. She had been hanging on and that's Wow. So,
SPEAKER_01:yeah,
SPEAKER_03:that's beautiful. Yeah. Yeah. my mom was spunky she didn't like it she didn't have all of her wits about her but she was smart enough to get into trouble she the first facility she was at she was there less than 10 days the second one by two and a half weeks in the fire marshal had been called to her four times because she kept pulling the fire alarm and the fourth time he walked in the door and she got in the fire marshal said was it her and my mom goes yep it was me and he's like that's it you're out of here so I can try. I can laugh about it, but it took her. She was at the hospital NCH for 45 days because she was mobile. And she had enough wits about her that she could be dangerous to herself and others. So no one, no matter what the cost was, would take her. And that was a really low moment. I remember sitting in the parking lot, just crying that nobody wanted my mom and they would not let me take her home, that we just didn't have the ability. So she was spunky until the very end. And I have that spirit of whatever it is, we're going to make it work. We're going to make it happen. Whatever roadblock gets in front of me, we're just going to bust through. So I now embrace all those things that were really good about her. And I've let go of all the things that I wished she was.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That happens. I, I, I can really relate to that. My father and I had a relationship that could at times be contentious. He was, he was such a, he was an incredible pioneer and entrepreneur and he would see things that he saw one way. And, He was visionary in that he would see those things in the ways, but it didn't always jive with reality in the moment. But he was looking so far ahead. And at times that could be so frustrating because we worked together to see, you know, I didn't see what he was seeing yet. And, you know, we would have these battles a lot in business together. And it would frustrate me. And I couldn't truly appreciate that. who he was and what he created and and how legendary he was until uh you know the end almost it's like when you start to see like wow he had so many he was so far ahead in where he was and for me not always seeing um in in the moment being able to see those and to honor and respect and love him for that but in the end we uh you know he was he was sick for a long time in the end and we He stayed at home and, you know, we got to send him to heaven together as a family, which was a beautiful thing to be able to do that. And, you know, we completed with each other. There was nothing left unsaid. He was ready to go. And the experience was a beautiful thing. But I also, you know, every day now see all these little things that he did and said and how, what... what cherished special moments they were and who he was for me was somebody who at the time you don't necessarily appreciate. You don't really know. Like, wow, he is really loving me and looking out for the best for me and for all of us and just didn't look like it at the time. And some people
SPEAKER_03:never get to that point and understand that. So be grateful for that. And they stay with us. I hear my mom and my dad in my head sometimes. You know, those things that when they first, when they were doing it, I was like, you're wrong. You know, when we knew everything, right? And then as we become older and wiser, we realize, wow, they really did know what they were talking about. And they really did want the best for us. And so we get to pull from that. I have this bird that keeps trying to get in the house. And my husband and I both are like, there's Beverly. She wants to send a message about something. And then something will happen. I'll be like, okay, that's what it was. And the bird goes away. And then months will go by. And then all of a sudden it's back on that window again.
SPEAKER_01:You know, so it's just paying attention to those things. It's amazing when you're present to those things, you see those signs when you're actually aware, you have the awareness of it. You could see that that's, that's her, that's, that's it happening. That's him. That's, there it is again. And when you're here and now and able to be present and, you know, taking in the moment, you can be present that they are there. But for
SPEAKER_03:you to take somebody that was so legendary and created such a legacy and look what you have done, you have expanded upon that. So that is really beautiful and hard to do. It's, it's hard for some to follow in those, you know, the shadows and those footsteps and you've actually expanded and found your own lane and made it your own. So that
SPEAKER_01:is really beautiful. Yeah. Yeah. We, uh, you know, and we complimented each other well in many ways cause I, I am, I'm a beauty school dropout. I don't do hair. I don't have hair. Okay, Sandra Dee. So it worked really well. We were able to, you know, compliment each other throughout, throughout our time together. And, you know, as a family business, which is always, which is an entity in and of itself to be in family and in business and now working on a third generation and it takes, there's other dynamics involved, but I, you know, gave me a lot of opportunity, but more than anything I saw and what I love and I'm so passionate about in our industry is that we get to move and to really impact somebody's life because yes, it is hair, And some people say, well, it's not brain surgery, but it impacts somebody's feelings about themselves. It can have that kind of impact. Right, right. And when you add it all together, we can have a huge impact on people in their everyday life. It's the one business where you get to actually touch somebody And physically, in a way that's okay, because you can't get to the doctor's office. They're like, they have the slider there. And you're just, you know, it's like you go there for treatment. Here you come here for love. And it's Disney World for moms. So it's a special place for people. And, you know, I think that what you're doing is an extension that gives us an opportunity to... because we're blessed. We live in paradise. We live in the greatest place on the world. I mean, Naples is just, Florida, Naples, the whole experience. Like, where do you go on vacation from here? It's just such a, you know, we live in such a great world and are so blessed with the people that we have around here and the people in our community and the, you know, the pristine, perfect streets and the restaurants. And it's just a great spot. And I know that you're doing a lot of things to make sure that the people who help support this community Those that serve us. Those that serve, right, are also taken care of because without them, you know, we don't have that community. So there's such a necessity, especially with the cost of living and the amount of money it costs to live and feed a family here and to just, you know, for those that aren't just transients or aren't just seasonal residents here. So I know you guys do some work with those people, too, and we want to partner up with you on that. So we'll talk more about that, too, because I definitely want to. collab with you on making sure those people are taken care of too. And in whatever way we can support you with that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Serving those that serve us. That is just, um, you know, when I started this, I had no cause to champion. I was looking for kindness and I was looking to heal and it has been an amazing journey. And I didn't think anybody would come to me that didn't need help that would abuse the system. And you learn that there's a reason why you have to have a vetting system. There's a reason why you have to have applications. It's not to deny people. It's to make sure that those that are receiving the The services deserve and should have the services, right? So I found... It's very fulfilling to work with businesses. We kind of leaned our way into this that actually are trying to show appreciation back because there are people that serve our community, the people that cut our grass, the people that are cleaning the dishes in the kitchen and serving us and housekeeping and all different admin, our police officers, our firefighters. They all can make a really good wage that anywhere else in the country would be a nice living. But here in Naples, it is not. So we want to be able to bridge that gap. and keep these quality people that are these type A players that we really need in all of our businesses and serving us. So we want to partner with businesses to be like, let's show appreciation, right? I'm most proud of one of the first recipients that I had, Diana. I helped her and her son back five years ago when I started Beverly's Angels. And every year she would come back and she would volunteer. And last November, due to circumstances beyond her control, she lost her job and She was volunteering a lot during the holiday season. And I found out that she was no longer working. And I was able to find a grant. And she now is over our fulfillment department, which is wonderful because she knows how to receive what we give. So she knows how to then give it to those that are receiving. And it's done with beauty and grace. And it's not this, you're a charity case. It is because we see you. We love you. We value you. You are worthy. Mm-hmm. same thing. When people look in the mirror, we help them like what they see. So it's very similar than what we do, right? We're here to serve. We're servant leaders, obviously. And that's what we're doing in our community. We just do it in a little different way, but together we can collaborate and really make a tremendous impact on where we live.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. So for people who don't know, what is What is the organization? What is Beverly's Angels? So
SPEAKER_03:365 days out of the year, we do socks, pajamas, and underwear in their favorite color or favorite character. That is what we do most of the time. However, our signature project, which is really becoming year-round, is our Dear Santa campaign. And we kick booty when it comes to that. We find out what they would really be asking Santa for, and we have these homemade sacks that we work locally with businesses and organizations and churches and sewing groups that make these sacks that for a lot of these kids become their gym sack throughout the year. So we learned quickly not to make them in Christmas because they're using them all year long. And we stuff them with at least four to five toys of their choice. We give them pancake mix and syrup for breakfast morning so they have really the true spirit of the holiday. We typically give them wrapping paper instead of wrapping. We want mom and dad to have the joy of wrapping. Now there's some that have time Because we've also learned it's not only that finances are an under-resourced here, it is time. Some people are working 14 hours a day, then they're working a second job, and they just don't have the ability to wrap. So for those particular cases, we wrap. But those Santa stacks, they have stocking stuffers, they have socks, pajamas, and underwear. They have sprinkle items. They are really like Santa saw me, Santa knows me, Santa came down that chimney and made sure that I was taken care of for Christmas. And how that all came about was, like I said earlier, I didn't have a cause to champion. I was the typical organization that started taking people's things that I later learned are people's junk. And they're not worthy of the people that I serve. When someone comes to you in crisis or someone is referred to you, the last thing you want to do is give them something that, oh, this is outdated or this has a stain or this is broken zipper or the button doesn't work, but it's good enough. Right. Like that, I quickly learned that was not fulfilling to me. And one day I had this little boy. He was eight years old, big, big brown eyes. And I was working with him on some clothing and I had received some items from another organization that was khaki pants and they were folded with the tag in a cellophane bag. And I don't have children, so I struggle a little bit with sizes. So I gave him a couple and I'm like, let's go try these on. And he stopped and he looked at me. I really thought something was wrong. He really didn't move for at least about 30 seconds. I'm like, are you okay? And he looked up at me and he goes, I never can get through this. He goes, I don't ever remember something being mine first. And that was like, I have not given a used item a gently loved item. If it doesn't have a tag and it's not brand new, our recipients don't get it. And that just changed the whole world. Fast forward, my team saw all the people that were helping from Hurricane Ian, people that have never asked for help before that just... Right. So. That's really a pivotal. You have pivotal points in your entrepreneurial journey. And that was one of them. That little boy saying that has been our slogan. And since then, we only give new and not only do only give new. We want to make sure it's something that you're going to love, not something here. Something that you're going to be like, this is my favorite. That's what we want. We want people, when they find their way to us, to truly feel our presence and know that we see them, we love them, we care about them, and every one of them, no matter who you are, is special.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Oh, that's beautiful. It makes me think, because this time of year, we always go through what we're going to buy all the people in our lives. What are we going to get for them? And you know, you run out of things. Like what could it be now? Everybody kind of has, I mean, we're in an Amazon world where you have whatever you want, whenever you want now, like right away. So whatever somebody wanted, they probably already have. And what do they really want? And so you end up buying something that, you know, you see on the shelf at their house six months from now, still in the box. And you spent this money and, you know, yeah, they had to go through the motions of saying, thank you so much. I never thought about this. I love this, but I don't really need it. So the last couple of years we've been saying, well, why don't we do something, you know, that instead of buying for each other, we'd buy for somebody else. And, you know, this sounds like a great opportunity for us. And I know, you know, when David... found out about you guys, how perfect this is, because we can do our shopping, at least as my own family and then as an organization, too. So I know that you dropped off some little tree cards. Is that what they are today? Yes. So they're tags.
SPEAKER_03:They're actually children's wish lists. Always, there's something that stands out every year. And last year, we had a little girl that asked for rain boots, an umbrella. and a jacket, a rain jacket. And her favorite character was Frozen. And so we did a little bit deeping, dove a little bit deeper because that is like an interesting request, right? And she goes, I'm getting wet at the school bus stop. Like, I don't want to get wet at the school bus stop anymore. So it's like the children that come to us, I have done this now for five years. I have had, and I can count on one hand, the people that have asked for something like an electronic device or something crazy or stupid. A lot of our people are like, can I have a pet of sheets? Can I have something for my sister? Can you make sure that she has a toy? Can you just give me some clothes to wear to school so I fit in and they don't not fit me? Yeah. So these tags are specifically either what the child has asked for. We try not to go directly to children. We like to ask the parents or the guardians or we work with several after school programs and be like, find out what the child would really ask Santa for. So then we fill out the tags and we give you at least two things that they have on their list on the tag. Something that they say they love, like Spider-Man. We can never get enough Spider-Man. Never. We actually have parties for Spider-Man themed because the Marvel is just something we can't get enough
SPEAKER_00:And
SPEAKER_03:so it'll also say their underwear, their socks and their pajama size. And you can go pick up the tag, shop locally. You can shop online. You can ship it to here. You can ship it directly to our boutique, but it's actual items that children have requested. We are not that organization is like you're eight years old. You're a girl. This is an age eight appropriate gift. That is not what happens. Our forms, you cannot go to the next section without filling it out. You have to tell us your size. You have to tell us your favorite color. You have to tell us your favorite character. Because we don't want to just... Santa can be a negative. If you get a gift that you would not ask for, that is not germane to anything that you like, and you actually dislike it, and Santa brings that to you, that's actually a negative to a child. Right? I want to make sure the child gets something and be like, I feel good about this. Before I started Beverly's Angels, I remember there was a beautiful lady, Carmen, that used to do... a toy drive out for the Manatee Elementary. And she used to talk to me about, she started this because they noticed the first two days after Christmas break, there were kids not coming to school. And she did some research and she found that the kids were like hearing, I got this, Santa got me this, I got that. And Santa didn't go see these other kids. And so it's like, I want to find those kids. No? Well, I want to give the magic to Santa. So that is what we do. When we tend to find them, I don't know how it happens, but Someone says, hey, I have this brand new bed. It's still in a box. We don't do beds all the time, but can you use it? I'm telling you the same day that afternoon, I will have another organization be like, do you happen to have a twin bed? It's just because when you create magic, there's magic all around you. When you put it out there with your good intentions, just good things happen.
SPEAKER_01:Beautiful. And how do you find... How could people refer people to you that are in need? How do you find these people?
SPEAKER_03:Our website, you can always reach out to us for our website, which is beverlysangels.org. You can find us on Facebook or Instagram. There is a form to fill out. Self nominations, we do go through an elaborate process because everything we give is new and everything we give is a lot. So we need to make sure and vet for those that donate to us that you're going to make sure these items are going to a child and they are not going to be a to say this, but this does happen. Things can be resold, right? So we have to be very specific. That's why we partner with businesses and other organizations because they vetted already, right? We're working with Lighthouse. We are working with the rec center. We work with the police department, the fire department, several of school principals, because we know that when they send us the children, they're going to be children that they personally see that are in need, right? But you still can nominate a family. You can still reach out to us at beverlysangels.org and Diana will pick up the phone and we'll We'll have that conversation and find out what the needs are, what the story is of the family. Why are they looking for help? Because a lot of times they are very legit and they need more things than what we can do. So we can do Christmas, but they might have problems paying their electric bill and I can refer them to another nonprofit that does that. Or they have somebody that's in the family that's elderly that needs a walker. I can refer to another organization for that, right? So we are not just like, here you go. We are, how can we significantly impact you? So everybody that comes to us in some way walks away with something, even if it's not a service that we can provide.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, awesome. So if somebody wanted to give gifts or to... support the organization what are some of the best ways that they could do that how can people help
SPEAKER_03:you know when i started beverly's angels i really there's a lot of philanthropic things here and i found that if you were ones that big fishy that write the big checks you get all of the accolades right and look we need that funding we need somebody to write those checks but i wanted everybody to feel like they could be a part of it so you can volunteer your time and be a tensile team elf you can scan our
SPEAKER_01:team elf a tensile team elf yes
SPEAKER_03:we call our sandals workshop, the tensile team headquarters. So you can volunteer your time. We have packing with purpose parties to where you can pack the pajamas. We have drives where you can organize them through your business or your organization or a civic outlet. Um, but you also can scan our Amazon list. You can buy one item or you can buy a hundred items. I wanted to make it so anybody and everybody could feel like they could give back. So you can write a check, you can go online and do a donation, automatically get a You can always find our Amazon wish list. I know I love shopping local. I get that. But when you do thousands of kids at Christmas, you need a way to where it ships directly to you and we can have some sort of reference of why it's coming to us. So that is why we do the Amazon wish list. So there's Amazon. You can do a packing party. You can donate directly. You can volunteer your time. You can spread the word. You can be somebody that has resources and be like, I don't have much time, but I have this contact. I know this person that works at Nike. I see that you need a lot of hoodies. I know somebody at Adidas. Let me get you some merchandise. People can be a connector for us, which is a beautiful thing that one thing leads to another. So we are looking always for awareness and we are looking for people that wholeheartedly embrace our mission. Those are the people that can help us in some way. spread the word and help our web be larger.
SPEAKER_01:And there's a storefront too.
SPEAKER_03:We have a location. It is a converted garage, but we call it a boutique and our tensile team headquarters. We have totally from top to bottom renovated it. It's a very magical space. There is snowflakes hanging everywhere in there now. And so we do have a hybrid to where some people like the police department this week, we have three people from their admin team. They're actually coming into the boutique. They have a list from all of the officers and the admin, and they're going to actually shop at as a team building bonding experience for the children, because we just can't get the officers to come in because they're like, we appreciate a gift. Right. So they wouldn't take as much for themselves. So we do have a beautiful space and some people get to come in and shop and it's just a beautiful experience. And it's a team building and they get to see these officers, children grow up. Right. And they get to be a part of, I know this child where we don't know the children, but the people that work with them do. So they can be like, Oh, I would know that he'd love this Spider-Man or he'd love Love this backpack. We had a mom shop last year. And she gave us a very detailed list and she thought, you know, she was good to go. And I'm like, just come in just, just to make sure. And she walked in and there was this unicorn backpack that if you touch it, it was sequence and it moved, right? And she goes, my daughter would love that. And that out of everything on her Christmas list was her daughter's favorite item. And she never would have thought to ask for a unicorn backpack. So actually having a place. So our long-term goal is to have a pop-up next year. The year after is we want to have a place that is known kind of like how spirit of Halloween does it, where you can shop for Halloween. So people can actually come in and shop for themselves. One of the things that we do serve children from one to, they say 92, we do take care of a lot of senior citizens. There are seniors in this town that need our love and support that don't have family or support. So we always take care of them as well.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, that's awesome.
UNKNOWN:So, uh,
SPEAKER_01:What's who's, who's this guy?
SPEAKER_03:So Benny, Benny is, um, he, I wanted a mascot and I set a couple of children around my dining room table when I first started this. And I, cause I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't have a cause. And I thought children are going to be able to see what other children need more than me thinking. I think this is what children need. So I was having brainstorming sessions and round table discussions with them several times. And I brought Benny in as just a bear and as a thank you. And one of the girls, Madeline, immediately raised her hand and said, I have a girl in my classroom that could use some sunshine. Can I give her my bear? Well, the rest of the kids, they all wanted to give their bear away. So that created Benny and the Kindness Squad book. This is actually an interactive book that is all real stories of children in Collier County of how they gave their bear away. 100% of the proceeds go back to Beverly's Angels. They had a naming contest. Charlie was in a really big running for the name like Charlie's Angels. But Benny was what the kids loved. So he has become Benny. I am petitioning Gund one day. His his legal name is Toothpick and I'm hoping that we make such a noise with Beverly's Angels that we can rename him legally through the company of Benny. Oh, awesome. So that's how it all came about. It's children giving back to children and we have several of those kids that still give back. They volunteer their time. We give community service hours. We attract kids, especially with autism. We get a lot of kids that feel like they don't fit in other places and they are great in our boutique. They're very meticulous. They're very detailed. They're very giving and kind. Uh, I record with this one little boy, Dominic, and I was explaining to him, okay, we're talking about underwear. And I was saying, you know, some kids don't have underwear and, um, this is what the package is. And I just need you to talk, whatever you want to say about underwear. And I turn around, you know, turn the camera on and I look back and he's crying. He's got a tear in his eye and he's like, I get to just go to my underwear drawer and pull it out and I get to choose whatever character color I want to wear that day and it fits me. And he's like, there's kids that are in my class that don't have underwear that's wearing too small or they're turning it inside out because they can't do enough laundry. They don't have enough. So that has been one of the most beautiful things. And we actually have been on NBC2 News with Lester Holt. The Kindness Squad has been interviewed for all of their good work that they do.
SPEAKER_01:The Kindness Squad.
SPEAKER_03:The Kindness Squad. So the book is Benny and the Kindness
SPEAKER_01:Squad.
SPEAKER_03:So they just spread love and kindness. And we don't have a lot of people on it. We have a small group because we really We really want to make an impact on the children. You can do a lot of things. with one person wanting to do something beautiful. Then other people just come into line and it really gives the children an opportunity to shine. That's what I'm really, of all the things, I love the kindness squad and I love children giving back to other children. In this world, we need it. It gets them off the devices. When my dad was teaching, we didn't have any of that stuff. We played outside. We rode our bikes. We didn't have cell phones. When it was dusk, we came home. The neighbors knew, you're not home. You need to get home. Right. So I try to bring just a little bit of that piece of my childhood back. Cause I think that's really missing this day and age. And that's really kind of what the kindness
SPEAKER_01:squad is. Yeah. Oh, it's a, you know, it's an activity that parents could get their kids involved in that you don't think about. It's, it's, um, unless it's a camp or an organized thing, it's a great opportunity. I mean, it sounds like something fantastic that, especially starting at that level as a child, getting involved in the kindness squad. How cool is that?
SPEAKER_03:Because kids these days are so busy. It's hard to get a group of them together all the time. So we offer spurts of areas where they can help and really give back to their community so they can understand some appreciation, right?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. And it's done physically, not On a cyber world, it's not done on the internet. It's done one-on-one.
SPEAKER_03:One-on-one, right? You know, we're not the organization that's looking to do thousands and thousands and hundreds of thousands of people. But every person that comes to us, that one person gets our full attention that day, that moment, that second. And one person at a time.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's so great. I love that it directly... goes to another soul another human it's not just just doesn't go in a big pot and then it just doled out at random this is something specific that they wanted that they needed that they asked for that you know could be so easily fulfilled by so many people i mean you know uh especially in our community, we're very, very blessed and to be able to directly impact a family child. We don't think about it. We don't see it. We don't always hear it in Pleasantville because we live in Pleasantville. Yes. We don't always see that. So that you guys have, you know, made this opportunity available for people so that, you know, we don't just end up with a bunch of a shelf full of things that, we didn't need and that somebody else certainly could have impacted their life in such a positive way. So love that you're doing this. Thank you. Thanks for doing it. I'd
SPEAKER_03:love you to see the space. We've had it donated to us for the last couple of years. Life has changed for the person who owns it. So she is in a position that she needs us to vacate to sell. So after this holiday season, we will be homeless. Um, but I'm not worried about it because when one door closes, another one opens, something beautiful will happen and we will continue to spread love on a bigger, better way. We have several people already looking. Um, you just have to believe that you do the right thing. You have good intentions. You're there to make a difference in your world. Things will happen, right?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:You know, have that mindset of we wake up in the morning with a smile on our face and something magical is going to happen
SPEAKER_01:today. Yeah. Beautiful. Now the people who come in into the salons and they're looking at archery, which isn't up yet, but when it's up and they see one of the tags on, What do they do? So they
SPEAKER_03:grab a tag. They get to go shop. They can do it locally. Or it's really nice if you have children to do it locally because you can take them to the store and they can actually help and pick out, especially in the part that says, I love. Like, let's just say it is princess for a little girl. Then the little girl can go pick out some princess item for that child, right? Then they bring it back to your salon because we also want traction of them coming back to you. And maybe they pick up some hair products or something as another gift for somebody else, right? So they bring it back. to you. And then our Tencel team once a week comes in and does a sweep and picks up the presents, restocks the boutique because we actually have had people in shopping since the 1st of September. We've already done a lot of kids just to get to this point because we are not Santa. Like I am not going down the chimney in the red suit on Christmas Eve, right? Our Christmas really slows down by the 20th of December. And those are for the last few people. We really try to get all of our children served by like the 10th of December because there's always kids that you don't want left behind that come in at last minute. So we really try. We back it up every year. Last year it was October 1st. This year it was September 1st. And for the first time we created a Christmas in July campaign. But now it's just going to become all year long to really serve significantly and give personalized sacks to every child. It takes a lot of effort and energy. and love in a beautiful way. I never want anybody to cut a corner or feel like they just got an age appropriate gift. Yeah. Right. Yeah. You know, there are times that we have sacks sitting for one item to come in. So that's why we do an Amazon wishlist on our Instagram every day. It's the hottest item that we're looking for. People can click on it. It stays up to date. It's literally the toys that have been requested on a dear Santa list that we do not physically have in our boutique. So that's a really great thing that they can do as well as come in and grab a tag They
SPEAKER_01:could also drop things off at the store, at the salon, wherever, when they purchase something.
SPEAKER_03:Yes. I can give you our phone number is, for anybody that wants to write it down or put it on the screen, it's 239-404-2082. Again, that's 239-404-2082. You can send a text message. That'll go straight to our head alpha, Diana, and she can schedule a time because we're very mindful of we do not want drop-offs when we actually have a recipient shopping in the boutique. So we want to keep privacy of both our donors and those that are receiving. So we do them at certain times. She can also send you a link or whoever wants to drop off a link of like pick the best time for you because we also want to be professional. Yeah, sure. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So, and the website's always being updated. So at any point, somebody can always go to the website and do everything right from there.
SPEAKER_03:Yes, beverlysangels.org gives you a lot of information. You can contact us through there. You can donate through there. You can click on the Amazon wish link. If you're not on socials, that will always be updated throughout. We keep it up all year long, but this time of year, it's specifically the toys or it's clothing. Right now, the thing that we're the shortest on is makeup and hoodies. We cannot seem to get enough of them. because yes we do focus on dear santa age children but guess what they have siblings and you can't take care of and really go all out on dear santa for those that believe in santa and then they have siblings that are 12 13 14 16 years old and be like you don't get anything under the tree so that is why we have older children is their siblings of youngers and we really want them to feel just the magic and love too right those are tough years our teenage Yeah, yeah, yeah. people really show up for themselves and really live life.
SPEAKER_01:Well, I'm so happy we discovered you and we're here for you fully. I mean, whatever we can do for you as an organization and our family of people, we're here a thousand percent. And I would love to follow up after the holidays or whenever we can to keep this conversation going so that people know the impact that they've had and we can hear some of the beautiful stories that come out of this too because we want to be a part of whatever it is that you're up to because I know you're championing the kindness squad and good... Good humans, good people in the community.
SPEAKER_03:It's fulfillment. You know, it's purpose. It's giving people that true purpose and feeling good, right? And we can take care of our families and we can take care of ourselves. But when you adopt a child for Christmas that you'll never meet in your life and have no idea the impact, the feeling, it's just beautiful. You know, when you really know that you've touched somebody that you never get to meet, but you've given that magic of Santa that a mom at the moment can't give. That's just a beautiful thing. So I love your organization. I love the vibe. When I walked in here, I'm like from the moment, like I said, it's an experience here. We're both totally on vibes and I get a really good vibe from you and let's just collaborate and let's really show people. It doesn't, you don't have to have the big pocket book. You don't have to have all the connections, but one person at a time can help one other person significantly and a smile because you never know what someone is going through. Just sharing that means all the world.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I love it. I love it. Well, we're all about it. Mila and Mason, my grandchildren, this is for you guys. You're going to become a part of the kind of squad. Yes.
SPEAKER_03:This is really beautiful. I'm very grateful
SPEAKER_01:so very much. Yeah, honored. Thanks for what you're doing. We really appreciate you. Love, respect, honor, and we'll always be here for you. Thanks again.
SPEAKER_03:Thank you. Thank you very much. Awesome.
UNKNOWN:Thank you.
