Ah, December in the City. Wide-eyed children stumble out of performances of The Nutcracker and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular to dream of sugarplums. Three-foot pine trees are for sale on your corner for $45. And somehow even more tourists are taking pictures with Little Kitty and Iron Man in Times Square.
It’s certainly the season to share with loved ones, do special things, and create memories. But for so many of us, it becomes a frantic hustle – buy more stuff, do more stuff, cram more stuff in. We end the year feeling exhausted, broke, and empty.
Just for the sake of experimenting, how do you want to feel on January 1, 2016? Take a minute and close your eyes. Picture how you want to wake up.
Peaceful. Energized. Content. Inspired. Grateful. Connected.
What if you didn’t have to wait until January 1 to feel that way? What if you started TODAY?
One of the best ways to connect with those feelings – and a lot of other “warm fuzzies” – is to give back. In this season of overindulging, share some of your abundance with someone else.
Join the 300+ Ninjas and Muggles who have made 2015 the year that they make a habit of making a difference with The Uprising. For as little as $10/month, you can make an investment in this community of superheroes and help make New York City the best it can be. START HERE
See, at MFF you know that strength isn’t just swinging iron, it’s showing up every day for our families, our communities, and ourselves. The Uprising is dedicated to empowering YOU to become a Superhero by developing a transformative habit of generosity – not just getting 1% better every day, but GIVING 1% better.
This year you and the Ninja Army helped The Uprising make over $10,000 worth of grants to The Ali Forney Center and the 52nd Street Project. We also volunteered over 500 manhours – doing everything from painting bathrooms to sorting books to making healthy meals to teaching interview skills and beyond.
Here’s a couple of quick stories to give you a little bit more of an idea of what being a Superhero looks like.
The Ali Forney Center: Cooking Up Magic
Jess is the incredible human who was singlehandedly responsible for making 50,000 meals in 2014 for homeless LGBT youth. As the head chef of the Ali Forney Center, Jess has to balance the demands of a tight budget, dire nutritional needs, and the emotional and psychological value of shared meals.
Facing the upcoming Fall Ball – one of the few nights a year when many of these young people get to enjoy a festive atmosphere free of the stress and crisis that often occupies their days – Jess needed help. He had the vision: serve holiday treats and snacks that bring JOY, not just calories. But he needed extra manpower to make it possible. So Jess called on The Uprising. Our volunteer group of Superheroes sliced, diced, and served up a party to remember, contributing to an evening that reminded these young people that they are seen and valued and loved.
PS 54: The Power of the SWARM
And then there’s Principal Anthony Pirro. Anthony was named the new principal of PS 54, a desperately under-resourced elementary school in the heart of Bed-Stuy Brooklyn. When he took the reigns of PS 54 this summer, 87% of students were failing the state standardized exam, and yet Anthony saw hope. He wrote, “For too long, PS 54 has been neglected and tucked away in the shadows of Bed-Stuy… No more. We will clean it out, start fresh and in time, PS 54 will be a recognized name in the area of where teachers, students and families want to be.”
But how could he get a fresh start and remove decades worth of clutter from a five-story school with no elevators? He asked The Uprising, and on the last beautiful Sunday in August, one hundred Superheroes descended upon that once-forgotten corner of Brooklyn. 8 hours and 1,200+ cubic feet of garbage later, PS 54 began a new year and a new era.
Next year we hope to take on even more ambitious projects for even more do-gooding! But we need your help. Can you start making a difference today?
When you make a gift of personal significance to The Uprising, you are investing in your community and making a commitment to yourself to be an agent of powerful good in the world.
Research shows that regular service is the “happiness equivalent” of DOUBLING your salary. That’s an idea that most people can get behind. And it makes sense: you build bonds with your community, practice gratitude (both giving and receiving it), develop your social network, and celebrate your personal power. That sounds like a good way to end (and start) the year, right?
Happy Holidays, Superheroes. May your season be filled with light.