The I’m Too Young for This! Cancer Foundation has a special history with us here at Giving Back. We first brought them to Nashville for the inaugural I’m Still Beautiful event in 2008, our very first event as a team. Since then, the event has grown as has i2y’s presence here in town. Now, we have an official i2y Nashville chapter for young adult cancer survivors to socialize and support each other right here in our community. Heading up i2y Nashville is breast cancer survivor Tara Ellis, who you may recognize as the face on our most recent I’m Still Beautiful event poster!
“I’m so excited about having the opportunity to be a part of the i2y family and hopefully be a resource for those who just want some level of normalcy during or after treatment,” says Tara. “I know how important it is to have people around you who understand what you’re going through. I want i2y Nashville to be filled with those kinds of people. I am really looking forward to it!”
i2y Nashville is hosting their first Stupid Cancer Happy Hour on July 13th at Taco Mamacita from 6:30-8:30. Take advantage of this chance to come meet other survivors in your community, or if you’re a supporter of young adult cancer survivors, we’d love to see your face, too!
“Now when you scream, “I’M TOO YOUNG FOR THIS!”, you’ll know you’re not alone. So, welcome to the club that no one wants to belong to but once you’re here, you’re family.” (From stupidcancer.com)
Tara Ellis (in yellow) with other survivor/models at ISB.
With all the musicians, songwriters, artists, fashion designers, and so on making up strong threads of the Nashville community, it is no surprise that today’s featured organization is so close to our hearts. Faith Family Medical Clinic is a primary care medical clinic serving the working uninsured, their families, and full-time students in the greater Nashville area. From a bad cold to diagnosing cancer, Faith Family cares about each patient and their needs, both physical, financial, and emotional.
Faith Family has been helping our community to receive quality healthcare at extremely affordable costs for years. Patients pay between $15 and $40 for a visit, and if needed Faith Family can refer to a specialist who is a part of their network, keeping you from racking up medial bills while getting the care you truly need.
How can you be a part of the work Faith Family does? There are many ways! You can make a donation. Faith Family is a non-profit organization, and only part of their annual costs are covered by patient fees. You can spread the word. There are so many people in Nashville who could benefit from Faith Family’s service and don’t know that they are out there. One way to spread the word: ask your friends to “like” Faith Family on facebook. You can volunteer. You can pray for them.
Plus, you can watch for news on our events! Our friends at Faith Family are often involved and sometimes the beneficiaries of the work we at GBitNB are doing. Follow us on Twitter or sign up for our email list to get all our latest news.
This week’s feature is for one of our new favorite sites, green is sexy. These bi-coastal girls (NY and LA) are passionate about the environment and provide helpful, reasonable, and interesting tips on how to make your life greener. And, therefore, as they say, sexier. “‘green is sexy’ is about tiny changes, big impact,” says the site. We are all for that!
Tips range from putting your car in park when you’re in traffic to why to buy recycled tin foil to unplugging appliances when not in use. The site also features things the girls love, like recipes, books, and spas.
If we haven’t convinced you yet, note that one of the site’s creators is actress Rachel McAdams. Be sure to bookmark this one!
If you check out the mission statement on our home page, you’ll read that one of our main focuses is “to help our community find ways to give back.” Well, today’s featured organization accomplishes just that. FundGiving is a way to use your own talents, time, and even stuff to give back to the cause of your choice!
Love knitting and feel passionate about the environment? Sell your handmade scarves and donate the money to Urban Green Lab! Have some spare time to babysit and want to find ways to help the homeless? Offer babysitting services and donate your earnings to The Key Alliance! No better system exists where you dictate how and to whom you give. Not to mention that it’s a great way to be involved in your community by connecting your possible buyers/clients with your cause of choice.
Check out FundGiving for more ideas or to become a Do-Gooder today! And come back next Thursday for another featured cause or organization.
We hope you are all enjoying summer as much as we are! We wanted to take a few minutes to let you all know what we’ve been up to this past month. In addition to some much needed downtime, we went out to Ellie’s Run for Africa on May 21st. We love to support Ellie’s Run, sometimes by volunteering at the event or including them in our events. This year, the three of us ran the 5K! Check us out, pre-sweat:
June 2nd, we co-hosted a private reception for our favorite causes in town with our friends at FundGiving. We saw lovely faces from Cup of Change, Faith Family Medical, Hands On Nashville, i2y Nashville, and so many more!
In addition, we have had some beautiful new photos taken by the immensely talented Alanna J. Taylor. You’ll be seeing them soon, as well as a new page coming to the site that introduces you to some of our partners and supporters.
We’re adding new features to the blog, too! Starting tomorrow, every Thursday we will feature a new cause in town and suggestions on how to get involved with their work.
Lastly, we are nailing down our calendar for the rest of the year. Soon we will be putting a team together for a special project. We also are partnering on a dance/art event that you won’t want to miss, and are planning a major event of our own for fall.
In short, we have a lot going on behind the scenes that we can’t wait to roll out! Make sure to sign up for our email list or watch our facebook or twitter for more news!
Much love,
Heather, Carrie, and Kimberly
We want to thank everyone who came out to The Red Party last Thursday night at the Icon. The event raised $7,000 for eXile International and donations are still coming in! Our goal is to help them reach $10,000 by the time they leave for the Congo in June. If you would like to contribute, visit exileinternational.org. Special thanks to the sponsors and volunteers who helped make the night so wonderful.
Here are a few shots by the amazing Alanna Taylor. To see all the photos, check out the facebook photo album.
We are looking forward to a fantastic turnout on Thursday for The Red Party! Tickets will be available at the door. There will be free valet parking, food, drinks, music by DJ Ryan Burleson, art, jewelry, and a beautiful view of the Nashville skyline! What more could you ask for?
See you Thursday! Remember to wear RED cocktail attire!
High-end fashion label Marchesa visited Nashville to present the 2011 Symphony Spring Fashion Show this past Tuesday, and we were lucky enough to be there in the gorgeous space of the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. The show brought a sold-out crowd of over 800 people to their feet. A performance by superstar vocalist Faith Hill concluded the evening. Backed by her band, Hill sounded as fabulous as she looked, dazzling the audience in her custom-designed Marchesa gown.
Each year, the Nashville Symphony’s Spring Fashion Show features a collection from one of the fashion industry’s most respected and recognizable designers. All proceeds from the event, which includes a cocktail reception, runway show and lavish dinner, benefit the Nashville Symphony’s commitment to education and community outreach, including the Thor Johnson Scholarship Fund.
Here are some photos from the spectacular evening!
Johnna Watson, Deborah Roberts, Keren Craig (Marchesa), Faith Hill, Georgina Chapman (Marchesa), Marissa Hartington, and Janet Bentz
Nashville Arts Magazine made a video of the evening!
First photo by Susan Adcock, all others by Michael Carlton for Giving Back is the New Black.
We all have seen the devastation in Tuscaloosa. The footage is tragic and the magnitude of the situation there is far worse. So, Alabama natives here in Nashville are ready to take action.
On Wednesday, May 4th, a group of Alabama Alumni in the Nashville area will be hosting a fundraiser to benefit the Tuscaloosa tornado relief effort. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the evening will benefit the United Way of West Alabama, Tornado Relief Effort.
Tickets will be sold for $10 at the door, and there will be drink and meal specials especially for the event.
A local band will provide live entertainment and a raffle will be held. Our goal with TIDE Together is to raise more than $5,000 to send to Tuscaloosa in support of their efforts.
Although we can’t be there, we can still help re-build Tuscaloosa by sending our support from Tennessee. We hope that you can help, and we hope to see you at Red Rooster on May 4th.
$10 at the door at Red Rooster. Credit Cards and cash will be accepted. If you would like to be entered into the raffle of prizes, please bring an additional $2 per ticket.
More information to come! We will be posting the drink specials soon, so please check back.
**All proceeds will benefit the United Way of West Alabamahttp://www.uwwa.org/
Questions? email tidetogethernashville@gmail.com
Follow us on twitter @TIDEtogether
We are hosting The Red Party on May 12th at the Icon in the Gulch, from 7-10pm. Sweets and snacks, red cocktails plus wine and beer, and music by DJ Ryan Burleson will be provided for a $20 ticket fee at the door, and free valet parking is included as well. The room will be filled with pops of the color theme – we’re requesting everyone show their support by wearing something red!
Proceeds will benefit eXile International, a Nashville-based organization which provides counseling services in the Congo and other African countries to former child soldiers and children of war, through methods of art, dance, and music. Visit exileinternational.org for more information on their wonderful work!
RSVP on the facebook event page, or email givingbackisthenewblack@gmail.com to reserve a ticket (not necessary, but a good idea!)
