Hope and Homes for Children

"Every child has the right to grow up in a family and to be cared for and protected from harm or abuse."


Hope and Homes for Children is an international charity working to ensure that all children have the chance to grow up in the love of a family. Hopes and Homes for Children are leading experts in closing children's institutions and reforming childcare systems. Hopes and Homes for Children works with children, their families, communities, professionals, NGOs and governments across Central and Eastern Europe and Africa to ensure that every child grows up in a loving, caring home.


The UN estimates that 8 million children are living in child care institutions around the world. 


Hopes and Homes for Children works toward deinstitutionalisation - a complex process of working with governments to close institutions and provide alternative, family-based services to children. 


Learn about what they do and see where they work. 

Meg Got Married!

Absolutely beautiful!

Miwi and Meg celebrating Meg getting married!

Meg got married! Hooray!


I was very fortunate to meet Meg and Miwi during grad school and we spent two wonderful years together. They are incredible friends and we had a lot of good fun. 


Meg and Miwi are Child Life Specialists in Japan. When they returned home after grad school, they were about 11 Child Life Specialists in Japan - and they were two of them! They are true pioneers of good - bringing education, support, and play to children in hospitals. 


And Meg and Miwi are incredible people. 


Meg is an outgoing, social, fun, funny, enthusiastic, intelligent, caring friend. Meg always has an incredible energy about her and gets people excited about everything because she's excited about everything. Anytime we needed a boost of energy, Meg was our girl. She always made us have fun!


Miwi is a wonderful, caring, thoughtful, funny, kind, compassionate friend. She is always there to support anyone. She's a friend to have fun with, she's a friend you can talk to and trust. Miwi's real name is Miwa but when she got one of her cards, they printed her name as Miwi so now she's Miwi. Miwi also only likes to eat her food with wooden utensils. 


Meg, Miwi and other good grad school friends have shared so many wonderful memories together. We'd cook feasts of food and eat it all - sushi, pizza, okonomiyaki (our fav!), YUM! We went out for late night boba tea when we had enough of the books. We worked in preschools and hospitals together. We went on vacation together. We laughed, and laughed, and laughed a lot. 


Meg got married this past weekend. Hooray! She wrote us to tell us that she has a sweetie man and she was going to marry. We weren't able to make it to her wedding celebration so Miwi was so kind to help us all be there. Miwi wrote our grad school group and lovingly put together notes and pictures of us to give to Meg on her wedding day. That way we could all be there together and celebrate with her. And today Miwi sent us pictures of Meg's big day. So, so kind!


I am ALWAYS so thankful for Miwi and Meg. Although we live quite far away, they are always close in heart. They are incredible individuals and loving friends. Life is much richer because they are a part. 


Sending lots of love to you, Miwi and Meg! Go commando! 

Incredible friends and Maui fun!

George Mark House

The George Mark House in Northern California is the first - and only - freestanding children's residential palliative care facility. The beauty of this home is that it provides children with life-limiting illnesses high quality medical care and support services to their parents and siblings. 


At the George Mark House, they allow "kids to be kids and parents to be parents."


Since opening, the George Mark House has cared for over 275 families. Their services are not time limited and many families who children have passed return to George Mark to hold memorial services, remember, and celebrate anniversaries. 


Take a moment to learn more about this incredible program. 

A Team Effort

I hope that others saw the Gabby Giffords special on ABC News tonight. 

This story is amazing, inspirational, powerful.

And it is humbling to see that Gabby Gifford's journey - and resilience - has been an incredible team effort. Gabby's determination and fight, a husband's loyalty, a mother's love, a music therapist's talent, a physical therapist's expertise and compassion, doctor's knowledge, and everything in between. 

She continues to make phenomenal strides daily. And, as one of her doctor's said, "Sometimes it's wise to acknowledge the existence of miracles."

Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey

A food blogger recently lost her husband suddenly to a heart attack. To help with her healing process, she asked other to make peanut butter pie, his favorite, and share it with a loved one. 



Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey from Todd Porter & Diane Cu on Vimeo.

Read how others have supported her.

Shane's Inspiration

Catherine Curry-Williams and Scott Williams lost their son, Shane, a few weeks after he was born. Shane had Spinal Muscular Atrohpy and had he lived, Shane would have required a wheelchair to get around. Had he lived, Shane might not have been able to play on the same playgrounds alongside his peers.


Through Shane's Inspiration, thousands of children in LA play together at the highest level of their ability. Shane's Inspiration is a universally accessible playground at Griffith Park, 2 acres of fully accessible, sensory-rich, and physically challenging equipment. Shane's Inspiration is one of the largest universally accessible playgrounds in the United States. 


And since 1998 when Shane's Inspiration first opened, millions of dollars have been raised to build over 40 universally accessible playgrounds across southern California - and as far away as Sri Lanka. 


Shane's Inspiration is far more than a playground. Shane's Inspiration gives all children, children with disabilities and children without, a chance to play together, to learn from one another, to increase awareness, to increase acceptance, and to have fun.


Check out the Shane's Inspiration playgrounds!   

Rise and Honor

One percent of American men and women have sacrificed to fight in the longest war fought by volunteer force in American history. Rise and Honor asks us, the remaining 99 percent of Americans, to support them. 


All proceeds will benefit these organizations:

• Fisher House Foundation: Providing a "home away from home" for military families to be close to a loved one during hospitalization for illness, disease, or injury.
• Hire Heroes USA: Offers transition assistance, job search assistance, and job placement to those who have served in the military and their spouses.
• Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund: Has provided close to 120 million to families of military personnel lost in service or to military personnel or veterans severely wounded. 
• USO Volunteers of America: Lifts the spirits of America's troops and their families.
• Welcome Back Veterans: Committed to providing treatment of PTSD to veterans and their families.

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