Story
In 2019, I was crowned Ms. World America and Ms. World International and I wanted to use my titles to bring attention to charities that make real, meaningful impacts. When I was introduced to the Central Park Angels, and learned about its mission to help educate women and girls in Haiti, it immediately spoke to my heart.
Throughout my previous volunteer work in Haiti, I had witnessed the struggles women and girls faced to earn an income. With high rates of illiteracy and very few work opportunities, they only had one option to make money: the sex trade.
Central Park Angels, a women-led New York-based organization, was initially built on a mission to give these women and girls more options through education and entrepreneurship. I felt deep down that I had to be a part of this powerful mission, so I joined Central Park Angels in 2020 and began serving as its pro bono treasurer 2022. Over the past two years, I’ve done more than offer this amazing organization free tax advice – I’ve also been the public face of the charity and have helped promote Central Park Angels across the five states in which we operate. I also help publicize the latest fundraisers we host across the country.
But on February 24, 2022, my responsibilities – as well as our mission – grew significantly when the war in Ukraine broke out. The war has seen devastating impacts on the Ukrainian people and has had a profound personal impact on many of Central Park Angels’ board members who are from Ukraine, have family there, or both.
Our board members, of course, want to do everything they can to help their family and friends. But because of their deep emotional attachments to Ukraine, they are unable to make unbiased decisions. As one of the only non-Ukrainian board members with no ties to the country, it’s my very difficult responsibility to decide where to send our volunteers who deliver vital supplies on-the-ground to Ukrainians. I don’t make these decisions lightly, and I constantly need to weigh what is realistic and achievable while at the same time, keeping our volunteers safe.
Impact
Central Park Angels’ work in Haiti has completely revamped a small Haitian community called Bell Anse, which includes three villages and about 600 residents. In exchange for sending their children to school, our organization feeds their children and families lunch everyday – a major improvement from eating one meal every three days. We have also been able to get women out of the sex trade and running their own businesses by connecting them with local co-ops where they can breed goats and chickens to produce a herd, which opens so many economic possibilities and has the potential to change their lives.
In Ukraine, we’ve helped hundreds of thousands of people both on-the-ground and in evacuation efforts – providing shelter, food, basic medical supplies, drinking water, fuel, and psychosocial support to refugees and those who are still in the country.
As a mother myself, our work in Ukraine has impacted me on a very personal level. I will always remember two little girls I met at a charity event who lost their family and had to find a new home within the Seattle Ukrainian community. They were the same age as my own kiddos, and it was such a joy to spend time with them. My heart ached for them, and I just wanted to bring them home with me.
While it’s completely gut-wrenching to meet these people in person and learn about what they are experiencing, it’s a constant reminder of the important work we are doing and why our fundraisers are so crucial.
Our next major fundraiser will take place in Fall 2022 during Metropolitan Fashion Week, which has graciously chosen Central Park Angels to be its charity this year. The money raised will go towards feeding people across the 12 different locations we serve in Ukraine, which totals about 144,000 meals per week. Fundraisers like Metropolitan Fashion Week make our efforts possible, and allows us to fulfill our mission to lend a helping hand when it’s most wanted – helping those in dire need.