As you may have seen recently, we suspended our donor campaign. Some folks have questioned that decision – who works at a non-profit and doesn’t ask for funding on Giving Tuesday?? I know, I know. But hear me out. I’m asking for “Friends Giving Tuesday” instead! As a person who chose non-profit leadership as a career path many years ago, I’ve learned a thing or two along the way. One of the things I’ve learned is that most of the funding you get, most of the contracts you get

As this year comes to a close, like many others, I’ve been reflecting on my own “valleys and mountains.” You know, those moments when you feel like you can't get back up, and those times you wish would never end. Instead of harshly judging myself for what I could have done differently or how I might have changed things, I’ve been taking the time to observe how I treated myself during those moments. When I found myself in a valley, did I show myself compassion and try to see b

Of the definitions of the word "give," "to provide love and / or other emotional support” resonates the deepest, especially in light of our current times – but in truth, to give in this way or in other ways that satisfies and sustains others is never out of season. I believe there is truth to the idea that serving others, giving of self to others, serves self. I give to me by giving to others, especially when my giving is directly linked to a specific need – and we all have s

Like many non-profits right now, we are having to get creative about bringing in funds. Some contracts haven’t renewed or have been put on pause, and our team has been focused on how to sustain our work. One of our strategies was to launch our first-ever donation campaign – which we did about 2 weeks ago when we released our Cypress 2025 Annual Report . But it just feels wrong. Since we launched our campaign, the Federal government has decided not to fund SNAP benefits for ou