I am sure that every manager, business owner, entrepreneur, net-worker, team builder, religious leader, non-profit director… has faced the issue of loyalty at some point or other.

Loyalty is the end-goal of a well-traveled mountain path littered by barriers and detours.

I’m just sounding off on the topic, as I ponder on this after 2 years of developing and overseeing the growth of a non-profit. The core program of the non-profit is to provide community relief in the sector of housing counseling; with ancillary programs of youth development, community education, and food drives.

The initial mission was targeted towards youth development, but as the housing crisis blossomed the need for housing counseling services grew. Without a fund raising portal to hold the foundation together, the need to create a work program around the counseling service was identified.

We brought in the first core of close acquaintances and taught them in the areas of marketing, team building and housing counseling. Providing countless hours of training via website information, conference calls, quarterly training and many selfless one on one session.

Many people came through the unseen doors of The Helpful Hands Foundation receiving more than they ever gave. Some were in foreclosure and learned key points on home preservation and lender requirements. Many were at the doors of court houses and were empowered with hope; armed with confidence and knowledge they were able to talk to judges and attorneys and restore home ownership.

In a period of two years over 1,000 people were saved from foreclosure.

In those same two years we watched over 600 people come into the housing counseling work program of the non profit and… we watched them leave. People were paid on commission. What ever money came in for services was all disbursed back to the counselors. Incentive was built into the same commission so that managers can rise and build teams and get compensated for helping the non profit grow and train more counselors. This effort would maximize the community outreach.

Today The Helpful Hands nonprofit organization survives on hope, the income generated barely covers the office and overhead.

What pains me is that those that have been brought into the inner circle claim to want to help… but money is their boss. Not loyalty to a cause.

The Cause at The Helpful Hands Foundation: Helping People. The motto: “helping one hand at a time”
How do we help? Through service.

Many say they will support you … but that support comes when they pay their bills. Does your opportunity help fill other peoples pocket?

Is your organization filling a need? What kind of need? Does it create jobs? Does it fill an emotional need? Does it educate others?

I still find myself with the initial question, how does a non profit create loyalty when income margin is based on volume? People helping people. What a novelty: people helping people!!?

Why would anyone want to join a non profit and help it grow (or church, company, team etc)?

Again, I find myself at the mercy of God defining my mission as one that serves the many. Reminding myself that if I share my knowledge, my love, my compassion then in His wisdom I will be blessed.

If you are a leader and believe in your company, if you believe in its mission statement, if you believe in touching peoples lives… then let that define you. Become the best at your trade whether it be leadership, recruiter, trainer, manager.

If you are a leader and believe in the money your position can attract. Then let that define you and follow the money.

Don’t stay in a company where you will not be fulfilled (whether you are the founder or a manager).

If you are a hiring manager, recruiter or trainer (church leader, business owner etc)- remember you are influencing the make-up of the organization by the people you bring and train; and it is a privilege to be a mentor to someone. The opportunity of interaction and giving to another human being is priceless.

I have learned that many people place ZERO value on knowledge that is given freely or even emotional goodwill they receive from a kindred spirit. If they don’t see it with their eyes, if they can’t touch the results with their hands you just haven’t done enough for them.

I have been a trainer for over 25 years and I’ve embraced with much pain the lesson from the above sentence and practice the Catch and Release philosophy.

Many walked through doors of The Helpful Hands Foundation and this has allowed me to be on many Catch and Release expeditions; in these expeditions some were saved from foreclosure, others were hungry and were fed, and I’m not talking just about food… I’m talking about knowledge. Knowledge that now is theirs to grow and share with others.

The Helpful Hands Foundation the non profit that changes peoples lives.

Perhaps one day we will find a few good people that will help it grow.

Your actions will soon DEFINE… YOU.

Nothing could be more exciting than having others join in on your adventure.

This adventure is one of the chapters from our nonprofit organization The Helpful Hands Foundation. One of the focus of the foundation is helping youths via sports and our young entrepreneur program. A subsidiary of The Helpful Hands Foundation is Community Youth Development Association which is overseen by its Director – a dynamic gentleman, David Shannon.

David came up with the great idea of a Golf Tournament Fundraiser. Of course… neither he nor I have ever initiated a ‘fund-raising’ event. (Now we have something to add to our resume).

We learned a lot, had a lot of fun and are looking forward to doing it again!

Now comes the lesson. The lesson comes in the experience, in the doing and the journey. To embark on a mission for the sake of the mission means nothing. Yet the excitement of the adventure, the possibilities of a positive outcome, the relationships forged, the inner spirit is revealed as the passion behind the mission comes forth. The why.

Why do anything? Why go forth onto untrodden territory? Why step out of the comfort zone?

Embark on the journey beyond your comfort zone and you’ll have the answer to your ‘why’… and with that you’ll discover your passion.

Your ‘why’ and your passion will become one in the journey.

This combination will spawn you onward making the journey alive with purpose. The challenges that present themselves will be but like pieces of a puzzle that with time will find its match.

THHF CYDA Annual 2010 Golf Classic was our first fundraiser of this magnitude… what could we have done better for the next one? More volunteers, more time!!

If you would like to create Golf Tournament Fund Raiser (A great warm-weather fund raising event) here are some tips:

-Promote with quality posters at golf stores, high-traffic, high-visibility locations. Use newsletter and email lists, and online social networks to get the word out.

-Distribute a press release about your golf fundraiser to all your local media outlets.

-Most golf courses will give you a substantial discount for a large group, you can charge the regular price and do quite well.

-Contact local businesses and ask them to sponsor a hole. Show a mock-up of the signs that will be placed for each sponsor and your event program where you’ll list all your sponsors.

-Contact corporations and ask them to sponsor your event.

-Have a sponsorship request on your letterhead and offer: prominent signage at the event, corporate logo golf balls for all golfers, newspaper coverage, etc.

-Player sponsors, ask each player to raise at least $100 in pledges.

-Silent auction: Solicit items from local businesses.

-Hold a raffle: Increase sales, sell tickets to the general public and not just to your group of supporters. You can even set up a sales table at high-traffic locations like shopping centers – this will get your event more recognition.

-Cater lunch: Offer a boxed lunch of sandwich, chips, and a cookie. Depending on what you’re offering, markup your costs by $3 to $5 per person and you’ll do well.

Daisy Says: Step out of comfort and into excitement.

In seeking the lighter side of life, I seek the brighter side of me.

Life is so truly amazing, never a dull moment. Just when you think you have it figured out. Right there at the peak of monotony – BAM! Something presents itself to shake the floor underneath you.

Yes, I had one of those moments, getting into the swing of life; I had reached another plateau just getting comfortable. Comfortable in my plateau. When out of the blue, something odd happened, something unexpected and by all external purposes seemed trivial.

Many of us have this very same experience, where life is on a smooth track and for no apparent reason you’re taken off course. This is a great test of character. Moments like these test you at the very core.

Do you give in to the circumstances?

Do you question the circumstances?

Do you welcome and embrace the circumstances?

I did all three. I gave into the moment and swam in the sea of emotions. I than questioned the events and dug deep for answers; and after the swimming and the digging I then embraced the situation and welcomed the change.

Whether the challenges that knock on the door of your life be mental, emotional or physical they present themselves as an opportunity for you to grow. These challenges tend to test your resolve and your capacity. To choose the brighter side of life is one of the greatest challenges we face as humans. It is so much easier to point fingers outside of oneself, unfortunately it doesn’t get you closer to the transformation you seek.

Embracing the brighter side of me, means that I chose to focus on what is working, on what is beautiful, on what is possible. By offering the brighter side of me, others can experience the magic of faith and hope.

Daisy Says: Let the brighter side of you shower others with the rays of your love.

It does not seize to surprise me when people demand so much out of life and yet they themselves fail to give back to life what it demands of them. There are those individuals in my quiet observation that just can’t go by their day without complaining about something wrong with everything in their world but themselves… they are doing everything right (from eating right, exercising, sharing goodwill, going above and beyond their job description at work, being a good son/daughter – father-mother-wife-husband, giving back to their community) — I mean… gosh if you talk to them … you would assume you are talking to the most perfect human being on earth!

Yet, when you have the opportunity to REALLY enter into their space – they have bad eating habits, they lack discipline, their homes a mess, their relationships are lacking, they have poor work ethics, they gossip as they walk out of their religious house, their cars a mess and even their pets are ungroomed — and on and on.

I’m not much of a theosophist yet I have enjoyed the many parables found in the Good Book. A particular story of interest is in Luke 12:36-48, where Jesus tells a parable of servants who are waiting for their master’s return. Many lessons have been drawn from this parable; the lesson I extract from this reading is that those endowed with a gift – be it artistic, intellectual or circumstantial – should cultivate that gift and use it as a vehicle for excellence in life.

Many may confuse the parable to refer to those that are given much financial awards… while financial success is the world’s yardstick, it must not become ours.

Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.

‘God doesn’t give us more than we can handle’ – often used when people are suffering, yet this can be applied to: spiritual blessings, material possessions, and our personal characteristics. Within our core being we should strive for excellence… to Give more than is expected, to BE more than is expected, to LOVE more than is expected – You are the gift… do not be an unopened gift box.

Dig deep within yourself today and find out what areas of YOU that you keep hidden and ask yourself WHY?
Why not share that part of you, why have you not given more? Are you simply afraid that MORE will be expected… and you JUST want to get by? Don’t expect others to give your their best! and Don’t expect the world to give you its best. Before you open your mouth to spew your negative web… gauge your words and see if you yourself measure up.

Am I perfect? HEck no! I share this with you because, striving to be a better human is not easy…it is an EVERY DAY event… as well as a worthwhile cause.

If you are not getting more out of life and your relationships ask yourself why, and before you put the blame on anything outside of you seek within and weed your garden first.

Daisy Says: Share the BEST of yourself with the world..

In stillness we find life
~ ~ ~ sojourn into the day

Take hold of your spirit
~ ~ ~ soar through the ether’s free

Be not afraid to discover yourself
in the moment known as experience.

Let no other steal your dream
for it is YOUR path that lies ahead
and it is your feet that takes that first step.

Be brave my dear heart
~ ~ ~ gather your strength
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ for the sun awaits.

Embrace the dawn of a new day
the quest is yours oh kindred one.

All the beauty and the pain
exquisite in each extreme

guard this treasure close:

My Dearest it is in the journey that you will find yourself.

((Daisy Raisler))

Daisy Says: You will discover yourself in each experience.