Operation Prom 2015

So I had a chance to read Maya Elious' blog titled:

3 REASONS WE NEED TO SLOW DOWN IN LIFE + BUSINESS

Some of the things she stated really spoke to me. Especially the part about "Taking the time to stop really gives you chance to regain your physical and mental health, pay attention to important details and find clarity in your purpose."

For the last 2 months every other week I had been traveling and didn't have time to blog about our latest happenings and events. Also while traveling and being on the go I had been doing the minimum when it came to planning upcoming events which caused me to become inconsistent. 

With all of that being said I have gotten back on track and I am now settled. Now I can give you a quick recap of our Operation Prom 2015 efforts: 

J. Divine Group along with Prim n Edgy Boutique (for the 2nd year in a row) was able to sponsor a young lady and provide her with all of her prom essentials. This year we chose a registered Communities in Schools (CIS) Student. Our recipient was a senior at Garinger High School who is considered an outstanding student that excels academically and is recognized as a gem amongst her peers. 

As you may or may not know the mission of Communities in Schools is to "surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life." In return for her commitment to education we wanted to give back by providing her with all of her prom needs. This included a dress, shoes, accessories, hair, make-up, manicure and a boutonniere (for her date). 

However, we did not work alone and have to give a huge thanks to our sponsors who have helped make this all possible: 

Make up: www.dolledupbybri.com

Nails/Pedicure: www.instagram.com/ash.nailz

Shoes: www.milestonefamilyservice.com

Boutonniere: www.basketsandblossoms.com

Accessories: www.primnedgy.com

We were able to provide the prom dress through our previous event called Painting with a Purpose. The idea behind PWAP was to raise funds for J. Divine Group and its future opportunities. We chose to work with an independent artist by the name of Cathay Dawkins where he showed us how to paint cherry blossoms. See video below. 

As a result of PWAP we were not only able to provide the prom dress but we also provided Easter baskets to the children sheltered at the Salvation Army Center of Hope. 

Painting with a Purpose 

For pictures of Operation Prom 2015 visit and like our facebook page at: www.facebook.com/jdivinegroup.com. 

March Volunteer Challenge

PC Group 365 has teamed up with J. Divine Group to promote the March Volunteer Challenge. Both organizations are 501(c)(3) non profits that are dedicated to giving back. We want to challenge you all to do the same!!!! Specifically, during the month of March!!!! We have organized volunteer projects for each Saturday during the month that you can participate in. You can register for one or ALL of the activities at:

http://marchvolunteerchallenge.eventbrite.com

These activities will be a minimum of 2 hours each and all we are asking for is your commitment. To commit your time, you can complete the MVC pledge at: 

https://pcgroup365.wufoo.com/forms/ms4wxmh0uqvrtx/


In return for your commitment we will be hosting a raffle to win a gift card to Panera Bread or Ruth Chris. However, please keep in mind

*** To qualify for the raffle you must attend all 4 volunteer projects, submit MVC pledge and be present during the drawing****

The MVC schedule:

March 7th, 9am-12pm 

Second Harvest Food Bank

500 Spratt St. 

Charlotte, NC 28206

March 14th, 9am-11 am

Crisis Assistance Ministries 

500-A Spratt st. 

Charlotte, N 28206

March 21st, 6am-10:30am

901 South Kings Dr. 

Charlotte, NC 28207

March 28th, 12pm-2pm

Samaritans House 

611 Fortune St. 

Charlotte, NC 28205

We look forward to volunteering with you and thank you for your commitment in advance!!!!! 

Are you willing to help???

There are many individuals and organizations that service the Charlotte area. We want to take the time to acknowledge fitchixunited and Danshell Walls. These women are active in the community and have a desire to give back. Fitchixunited are women who are committed to living a fit and healthy lifestyle. Their focus is on “A healthier lifestyle for a longer lifespan”. With temperatures dropping to a record low this leaves our homeless community at risk for frostbite, hypothermia and fatality. Thanks God for these ladies stepping up to make a difference. Saturday January 17^th,will you help? Kickoff will begin at 1pm and they will be serving our homeless community in uptown Charlotte, NC. They are looking for volunteers, donations and assistants to help with preparing meals and toiletry bags. If you are interested (in teaming up with them or donating) please contact fitchixunited@gmail.com. Additional information below:  

Meal will include:

Chilli/Salad/Cornbread/Bottled water

Toiletry bags will include:

Toothpaste/toothbrush/floss

comb/brush

deodorant/lotion

washcloths/wipes

razors/personal hygiene products

socks/ear muffs/blankets/gloves 

Ways to donate:

Cash (for food)

Toiletry bag items

Collection dates:

Friday November 21, 2014-Thursday January 15, 2015

Contact info:

Nikki 980.207.9545

Sheleah.davidson@gmail.com

Aumi 704.649.3582

Auminati@hotmail.com

Danshell 248.819.0003

Danshell.walls@gmail.com

Welcome 2015!!!!!

It’s the 9th day into the New Year and we are curious to know how those New Year resolutions are coming along? According to http://www.statisticbrain.com/ only 8% of people are actually successful in achieving their resolution. Although we didn’t make any resolutions this year we are excited about the New Year and all it has to offer. New Year, new goals and new dreams! For us the New Year means a new budget, new ideas, new events and new volunteer opportunities. In 2014 we were just getting warmed up and we ended the last quarter with a charity event called Pins for Pink. So we welcome 2015 with open arms!

“Pins for Pink” was a charity event we held in support of breast cancer awareness. This event was held at Ten Park lanes on Friday October 17, 2014. It was remarkable to see a group of people come together for a good cause. We were able to raise $400 and Carolina Breast Friends was our choice recipient. We look forward to doing this again with more supporters and more money raised. Visit www.jdivinegroup.com to see the pictures from the event. 

My Place Summer Camp (part II)

I haven't blogged in a while because I have been super busy with school. However, I wanted to go back and do a quick recap of my second visit with My Place Summer Camp. July 31st was part II of my volunteer activities with the children and once again I enjoyed every moment of it! They were such a pleasure to be around. For the second group since they were a little older this time around I wanted to do vision boards with them. I figured they were at an age where they could understand and acknowledge their vision for the future. Similar to the last time, the children came into the cafeteria excited wanting to know who I was and what was going on. The children began digging through the various magazines cutting out pictures that appealed to them and represented what they want in their future. As the kids were making their boards, I went around to each kids asking them what each picture represents. Some of their visions ranged from being a chef, being married with children, owning beach houses, being a football player, making video games and just hanging out with their bestfriends. They were very excited to explain what each of their pictures meant to them. Overall it was a superb experience! I always enjoy working with the kids. I look forward to working with them again in 2015.

My Place Summer Camp (part I)

On July 17, 2014 I had the pleasure of volunteering with A Child's Place during their My Place Summer Camp. The summer camp “a six-week oppportunity for rising first through eigth grade students. When the academics year comes to a close, homeless children lose the structure and food school provides." My Place summer day camp provides these students with a safe, fun and educational environment for the summer. During the summer camp I worked with the rising 2nd graders. It was such a pleasure and I enjoyed every moment of it! I signed up to be a volunteer months prior . As it got closer to the date of service I started getting nervous wondering what activity I was going to do with kids. I wanted it to be fun, yet educational and memorable for them.

 

I arrived at the Westerly Hills location and met Ms. Lindsay Wilson, the student advocate. She was very welcoming and explained a little of the process and what time the kids would be entering the cafeteria. Prior to the kids arriving I setup so that it can save some time since I only had an hour. When the kids arrived they were full of energy. Upon entering the cafeteria there was this one little girl who walked up to me and gave the biggest hug, mind you I had never met the little girl before that day. However, she was so welcoming and excited to be there. Once all the kids entered they started asking “is this a birthday party?” “what are we going to do?”. I introduced myself to the kids as Ms. Tori and I let them know that we would be making toy parachutes. They were all excited asking if they could keep the toys and take them home. My answer of course was yes! During the activity the kids were being kids, active, talkative, and asking a lot of questions. Overall the kids were on their best behavior. I honestly didn’t expect anything less from 7 and 8 year olds. What warmed my heart was the same little girl who gave me a hug in the beginning, offered me her toy parachute. I told her that is was for her to keep and that was my gift to her. It seemed from the moment she walked through the door she was fond of me. She wanted me to help her, asked questions about me and we engaged in some small talk. She told me that her birthday was September 18^th, and that she will be 9 which is the same exact birthday as my son who will be 9 as well. I told her I couldn’t wait to get home to tell my son I met a pretty little girl who has the same birthday as him. Needless to say, I think I made her day because she was smiling from ear to ear and asked if I could stay longer. After the children completed their parachutes it was time for them to get on the bus. They all told me bye and thanked me for coming, as well as thanking me for their toys.

 

I truly enjoyed myself with the children, they were a pleasure to work with. After working with these children I realized that a lot of them don’t get to really see or experience beyond their unstable conditions. So when they do get the opportunity to experience different things they are filled with Joy. After cleaning up and speaking with Ms. Lindsay a bit, I left. I walked to my car filling fulfilled and Joyous knowing that I may have made a difference in a child’s life that day. That child will go home talking about their day and playing with their toy that I gave them. Even if situations are not the best for them and they are not as fortunate as other children, at least for that moment they were able to enjoy themselves and experience something new. It was truly a pleasure. I can’t wait to go back on the 31^st.

 

 

Operation Prom 2014

March 2014 J. Divine Group along with Prim N Edgy boutique decided to do something special in support of a teen for her senior prom. We called it Operation Prom 2014, which consisted of us providing a dress, make-up, and accessories to complete her night. The contestant was to answer 4 questions 1. What are you doing to help your community? 2. What are you plans after high school? 3. Who do you look up to and 4. Why? We received a vast response from sponsors wanting to donate items, and provide services like hair and make-up. We were appreciative of those that showed their support for what we were doing. We want Operation Prom to be a yearly initiative that will also extend to supporting a teen male for his senior prom. We look forward to next year Operation Prom 2015!