Much bigger than me

"Synergism is the simultaneous actions of separate entities which together have greater total effect than the sum of their individual effects." Buchholz and Roth

I studied Martial Arts growing up, which is an extremely individual sport.  When the bell rang at a tournament, I was alone, in a ring, with my opponent.  I couldn't rely on anyone to get me through the next 20 minutes.  I couldn't blame a kick to my head on someone else missing a block.  I never really experienced what it was like to be on a team.  I was used to doing things myself and I found comfort in knowing things were going to get done on time and just the way I wanted them.

HALO team members at a fund raising event.

When HALO began, I knew its success had to come from a different formula than what I had used in the past.  I learned quickly that it was impossible to learn enough about P.R. or graphic design or websites to get things going myself.  I didn't start HALO, we did.  

It started as a group of people who made a commitment to work together as a team, each signing up for a specific "job" as an Ambassador Board member.   We were forced to rely on each other and trust that everyone was honestly working toward a common goal to improve the lives of children in need. 

I learned as much as I could about the multiple aspects or "departments" of HALO so I could be an active participant in conversations and decisions, but I was not the expert, the Ambassadors were.  They took their jobs very seriously because they knew that if they dropped the ball, it would immobilize our growth as an organization.

When we worked efficiently together, our full potential was reached and we therefore were able to reach out to more children in need.  This is how we still work today and it is how we have grown to our size with only two staff members.

An integral piece of HALO is that we are committed to a mutual growth relationship with our volunteers.  We want everyone involved with HALO to bring their skills to the table, grow, and feel appreciated.  It takes time to find out where someone may fit and help them grow in that position, but if we inhibit this process, our potential as an organization suffers.

At our strategic planning meeting in Kansas City last week, there was a charged spirit in the room of volunteers.  Raw feedback, honest opinions, and open brainstorming sessions made everyone excited about their role in making HALO a better organization and reaching our goals for the following year.  I was proud to be a part of something that is much bigger than me or anything I could have imagined and I have faith that our team is going to do a phenomenal job improving the lives of children in need. 

If you would like to join our team, visit our website.

Back to our beginning

There is nothing like the energy of a room when people are infected with the spirit of giving. It brings me back to that first day with that group of kids in Missouri who made the birth of HALO possible, and I am astonished.

Events are simultaneously exhausting and energizing. They have made HALO possible. As we strive to become a more sustainable organization with initiatives like HALO Hero and HALO Alliance (our monthly giving campaigns), we still rely on events to raise funding, awareness and give us that strong sense of hope.

HALO started with a determined group of kids from a karate school in Missouri who hosted a Boardbreakathon, raising enough money to send an orphanage of children to school. There was something magical in the air that day that the HALO light bulb switched on.

Saturday was our 5th Boardbreakathon. Last year, the karate schools were not able to do the event because students could hardly pay their monthly dues to keep the school doors open.

This year,  although attendance was down from two years ago, participants' spirits were soaring. With every board smash, the energy of hope in the air became stronger.  The Boardbreakathon made a comeback and people were more thrilled than ever to be helping children in need.


This event was infected with the spirit of giving. The students and instructors were not focused on the fact that they have been dealing with challenging times. They were focused on the footprint they leave in this world, the small changes they can make, even if it is just one small change.

It brought me back to that first Boardbreakathon, when we didn't know what HALO was going to be but we knew it was going to be powerful. Their spirit of giving brought change, impact, overcame challenges, multiplied, became contagious, and literally altered the path of hundreds of children's lives that were at stake. 

We must remember that spirit and strive for it at every day by effectively communicating the need of children around the world.

If you would like more information about HALO, please email halo@haloworldwide.org.

Small Events, Big Differences

I am in Kansas City for the next two weeks. The fall here is so familiar. It immediately puts me at the bus stop after eating a few of my mom's homemade tortillas with jelly, sac lunch in hand.

HALO is hosting 4 events here in the next week, all with different circles of people and each geared toward the same thing - raising awareness and involvement in our mission.

The first is tonight and its called "Females in Flight", to be held in downtown KC at Mildred's. Our Program Director, Lacy Voight and Art Director Kyla DeTienne have gotten female artists and crafters together to donate fabulous art items that will be sold, proceeds benefiting HALO supported girls in Uganda. Join us, read more here.

The second and third are cocktail parties, to be held at the homes of HALO supporters. These events are geared toward raising awareness about the "HALO HERO" campaign, which is truly a great opportunity to give. Once a donor signs up to be a HALO HERO, supporting basic needs of HALO kids, Woodland Charities donates $1,000 to provide a vocational scholarship for a child. Breaking. The. Cycle. More info about HALO HERO.

The fourth event is Sat., October 9th. It is a very popular event for HALO and is the 5th Anniversary event. The BOARDBREAKATHON. This event was the first ever for HALO, started by a group of kids and has raised over $100,000 for children in need. Read more here: BOARDBREAKATHON

There is something for everyone this week. It is exciting to see so many doing so much for the children of HALO. It only takes using your passions, your connections, reaching out to make a big difference.

A Bigger Apple

I traveled to the wonderful world of New York City this week.  When I got in my first cab I rolled down the window, closed my eyes and felt the city. The smell of exhaust was quickly drowned out by a bakery stand on the street.  Ahh, New York. 

The song by Alisha Keys about New York with the lyrics, “the big lights will inspire you” is true.  I felt inspired just watching people walk briskly to their next important destination. Times Square reminded me that people do big things. Somebody started each of those stores/campaigns/organizations/companies and somehow they all grew to astronomical sizes.  It made me think bigger about HALO.  Thanks, Big Apple.

I had a meeting with an acquaintance who works on the corporate philanthropy side of a very well respected clothing company.  She was kind enough to let me pick her brain on how HALO could possibly benefit from partnering with a company focused on CSR (corporate social responsibility).

We have produced items over the years for HALO geared toward raising funds and awareness about our cause.  We have t-shirts, necklaces, onesies and bags for sale at our events and on our website store.  Its very small scale, but it has been successful and for whatever reason we haven’t put much effort into growing it.  We print artwork on greeting cards and sell them.  We also sell t-shirts that say the difference they make. 

Wilson with his picture of someone who cares for him.

This meeting made me think bigger.  We have thousands of pieces of artwork that need to be shared with the world.  Why couldn’t we mass produce these items and sell them at stores around the US?  What is stopping us? 

We have a very unique product that has the potential to connect the consumer with the cause and the spirit of the child artist.  We could expand to putting artwork on t-shirts.  We have such potential to make impact on the consumer and on the lives of children in need around the world.

I leave feeling invigorated.  If anyone knows anyone in merchandising or with experience in these sorts of endeavors, please send them my way.  I want to talk to people who have done this before, bought for a company, created and driven campaigns… anyone with experience in this arena. 

If you would like to purchase a HALO shirt or greeting card, please visit our store at: http://www.haloworldwide.org/store.php

A little investment

Over 3.5 million people in the U.S. are homeless. 39% of those are under the age of 18.  1.3 million runaway and homeless youth live on the streets of America - almost half left their homes because of abuse and over one third because of sexual abuse.  Many are homeless with their single mom or dad.

My first time going to a homeless shelter I was expecting to see mostly older men who were addicted a substance, like the ones I see on the side of the road.  I was wrong.  There are families. There are children.  There are teens.  It was an eye-opener.

The HALO Learning Center, Kansas City

HALO currently partners with homeless shelters and residential care facilities in Denver and Kansas City with the mission of giving at-risk, homeless, and foster care children life skills, art therapy, tutoring, and hope of a brighter future. 

Unlike in the other countries where HALO provides support, in the US there is federal and state funding available to help support these children through the foster care system, shelters, and residential care facilities that provide their basic needs.  But most of the time, the missing piece is life skill development and exposure to resources.


How do we break the cycle?  It is rare for them to have a role model capable of inspiring them and helping them set tangible goals.   Simple things like how to balance a check book, how to get a job, how to pursue an education.  There are scholarships and resources out there...we just need to connect the kids with them.

Showing them that there is hope,  that they can be happy, responsible adults who are capable of supporting a family one day.  All it takes is a little investment from others to share life skills. 

If you are interested in sharing a life skill or just spending time with kids who need your support, please email lacyvoight@haloworldwide.org in Kansas City or blaineheydt@haloworldwide.org in Denver.

 PS.  One way to help homeless people you drive by on the streets - type up a page of shelters and resources in your area, print out multiple copies and keep them with you in your car.  You can even tape your pages them to little packages of crackers for a little sustenance :) Shelters are amazing places with missions of helping homeless people get back on their feet.

A good quick read

I recently picked up the Time Magazine special edition of Mother Teresa at 100, celebrating her work over the past 100 years.  Her story absolutely captivated me.

Mother Teresa started working with street children.  She would gather them under a tree, and invite other sisters to teach them until their group got so big that the city built them a building.  The sisters now reach thousands of orphans around the world.

Her humble beginning invigorates me.  She started with that one group of children at 38 years old.   62 years later, millions of people have been touched - the poorest of the poor - from orphans to people dying from horrendous diseases.  She loved them with all her might. She was their voice in this world, fighting for their right to live without suffering.

HALO has been around for just over 5 years.   I think about us when we are 62 years old. 2067.  I can only hope we reach millions, that with each child who comes into our care the world becomes a brighter place.   Actually, I hope the world will no longer need HALO by that time. 

Boardbreakathon!

Its an exciting day for everyone at HALO today as we prepare for our 5th Boardbreakathon.  HALO was started by a group of karate students (kids) who wanted to raise funds for orphans in need.  They raised $5,000 for an orphanage in Mexico.  The next one they did raised $40,000. 

Needless to say a light bulb went off.  Children helping children.  This is how HALO was born.  It is a unique concept that benefits everyone involved.
 
Youth in the US learn about what it is like to be an orphan on the other side of the world.  What language do they speak?  What do they eat?  Do they have an X-Box?  Learning these things made everyone aware and full of compassion with a desire to make a difference.  It is inspiring to say the least. 

This is a photo of one of our HALO supported children in India who made this sign for kids who raised funds at the Boardbreakathon.  Its a beautiful thing to connect the world and watch kids flourish, making a huge impact on youth just like them.

To read more about the event or watch a video, click here.