Tammy Pendleton has been volunteering for a number of charities for years, and has been deeply touched by the people she has met who have worked with her on countless causes. She decided to do something to bring all of those people together in order to strengthen their efforts and make more of a difference. So she started Many Hearts, Many Causes, an incredible community dedicated to working together to help foster change together. As a result, they have been able to do incredible things in a very short time, and they’re just getting started! Here is what Tammy had to say about Many Hearts, Many Causes, and how you can get involved.
Love and Water- What prompted you to start MHMC?
Tammy Pendleton- This past November I envisioned Many Hearts Many Causes (MHMC) upon reflection of the inspirational work of an extraordinary group of individuals whom I have had the pleasure to support and collaborate with on various fundraising campaigns and charitable efforts over the past years. This remarkable group of individuals have tirelessly crusaded on behalf of countless thousands around the world. Their efforts have changed the lives and touched the hearts of many. I thought’ “What if we were to team up to become one voice, one force, one heart, and together, channel all this energy, passion and love for helping others into a coordinated effort.” With this effort, we could endeavor to reach out to many as a group and continue to raise awareness and funding on an even larger scale. We could aid one cause at a time once a month.
L&W- What would you say is the main driving force behind MHMC?
TP- The love and dedication felt in all the hearts of our members. MHMC members have demonstrated their steadfast willingness to reach out to those in need in countless ways, hour after hour day after day, cause after cause, tweet after retweet. Our members’ unending acts of generosity and kindness are blessings to those who are in need around the world and that is the heart, soul and driving force behind MHMC. You need only to read the efforts of the individuals on our 2009 Highlights page http://newenglanderprops.webs.com/2009charityhighlights.htmto get a glimpse into the driving force and dedicated compassion of our members, of whom I am so proud to say you are one.
L&W- That is so wonderful. What gives you the most satisfaction in leading your organization?
TP- Leading this amazing group of individuals who believe as I do that together we can do great things for those in great need. This is accomplished through our monthly contributions, auctions, and campaigns that spread hope and healing through awareness and fundraising. And as a result of our efforts, perhaps a child may live to see another day and than another and another, or a mother/father will be able to give their thirsty child a drink of water and have medicines to see their children grow and be free of endless suffering, or a lonely orphan may be given hope and love, or a child suffering with a terminal illness will, for a while, feel the joys of childhood. By supporting the wonderful efforts of the organizations set in place to reach out to those mentioned above, we know that it will be more than just a hope but a realization that things can and will be better for those in need. Every single one of our members have already achieved reaching out in the ways mentioned above. Through MHMC, we can now combine our efforts and support one another in hopes of reaching an even greater number in the coming years.
L&W- What is the most moving moment you’ve had so far with MHMC?
TP- The most moving moment came in the first hours of the news of the Haiti quake. Every single one of the Many Hearts members snapped into action the very moment word broke about the devastation. There have been countless thousands of round-the-clock efforts by our members spreading news and awareness on this crisis while providing donations to Save The Children and many other organizations who the members have each individually chosen to provide assistance to in various ways. The outpouring of love is something that I shall never forgot.
L&W- You have really been using social media to your advantage. What kind of awareness have you been able to raise through Social Media for MHMC?
TP- First and foremost, the awareness that yes, a few can have an enormous impact on the lives of many! This was demonstrated within the first few weeks of the formation of MHMC. That through Social Media, one heart can touch another to inspire yet another, and set in motion an entire universal movement of caring individuals who want to use their talents to be the driving force behind change. When the online publication, The Daily Tell (http://www.thedailytell.com/), learned of our efforts by reading our Twitter postings, it featured our efforts among the many inspiring stories that “chronicle the philanthropy work of many caring people and organizations striving to make this world a better place, one person at a time.” I realize the powerful role social networking can play in changing the face of fundraising and how we can reach out – whether a huge corporation or a concerned individual citizen of the world. Each one of us are vital in playing a crucial role in making this world a better place. This is our time to stand up and get involved. Social networking has made it possible for us to do just that.
L&W- What do you think about Love and Water International’s online community raising awareness and money for charities one drop at a time?
TP- I am deeply moved by your Love and Water community whose spirit echoes so much of what is in my own heart and the hearts of so many around the world today. Your gallant efforts and innovative creativity is a shining example of how to take compassion and caring to an exciting level of proactive philanthropy. Your efforts are very much in tune with and touch a chord with the amazing world of Social Networking. Your T-shirt design contest is going to have an enormous impact both through the generous donations and the immeasurable awareness. I am so very honored to have you as a dedicated member of our MHMC. Your company captures the very spirit of MHMC. Your work will continue to touch the lives of many in a major way, of that I am certain, and will encourage countless others to join your spirit of caring and philanthropy. Your efforts will leave a lasting impact upon many, both young and old, from varied walks of life around the world. I am so very excited and look forward to supporting your efforts in anyway that I can.
L&W- I feel that same about MHMC, and am very happy to let others know about your work as well. On that note, what is the one message you would like young people to understand about MHMC?
TP- The message that together we can make a difference in the lives of many by supporting the efforts of those organizations who are impacting the lives of others throughout the world. Together our individual contributions can grow into a substantially larger amount of much needed funding for the charitable organizations who are first on the scene and often times the only ray of hope for many in need. It is imperative that we not wait until disaster has struck to reach out in numbers, in a show of support. We can and will provide support year round so when the alarm bells of disaster ring out and the heroic efforts of the humanitarian organizations are once again called upon to respond, the much needed resources and financial support will already be in place. We believe THOUSANDS of dollars can be raised YEAR round, and not just in the darkest hours when disaster first strikes. I would like to invite all who are reading this article to join us and together we can touch the life of many and provide a tremendous amount of support to those causes that are near and dear to us all.
Join Many Hearts, Many Causes here: http://newenglanderprops.webs.com/manyheartsmanycauses.htm
Follow MHMC on Twitter: @ManyHManyC
