Helen Watt and her leadership team made a pact that each year, they would look for ways to support communities across the nation, so anyone, anywhere, could participate. Their dedication and passion to spreading joy and hope have touched lives around the country. The team’s “MAGIC Moments” name stands for Making Action Goals & Inspiring Connections through everyday moments – An inspirational name for a truly incredible group!
Helen and her wonderful MAGIC Moments team strive to participate in giving back to their community at least three times each year. They’ve done so with great success: So far, they have organized a food drive, created an upcycled sweater project to benefit homeless shelters and women’s shelters, set up a clothing drive for the Nicaragua Plantation, and contributed pet food and product donations to local shelters.
This year, a team member named Beth suggested they participate in Operation Welcome Home Maryland. This organization collects different items for goodie bags, and delivers them to returning soldiers. Helen’s team worked together to create personalized thank-you cards for these bags, but they’re more than just “thank you for your service” messages! Many of the card writers have been personally connected to members of the military and have a deep appreciation for the assistance they provide to our country. Each personalized card was laminated and placed inside a thank-you card – something the serviceman or woman could keep as a heartfelt reminder that others appreciate their work and sacrifices, even from afar. They are now working with the local Girl Scout troop to deliver the cards and greet the soldiers as they arrive. Together, the team has made several hundred cards.
The team also participates in the Reading Books project, which began when a local church started reaching out to children to help them learn to read.
This project is near and dear to many of the team members’ hearts. Katie Barbour, one of the team members, first created a book through Heritage Makers for each child in the reading program, and included a photo of them inside. For some, their books contain the only photos they have of themselves. Katie knows that the children are more likely to keep hardcover books, and she often funds the hardcover books herself, or through donations. Many of the volunteers also buy a soft cover book for each student. This has grown from an outreach to one school to nine sites with over 150 volunteers. Through their efforts, Katie and the MAGIC Moments team continue to enrich the lives of others, one book at a time.
Helen and her MAGIC Moments team truly embody our foundation’s mission to Be The Change. Their kindness and generosity have helped others to thrive and grow in amazing ways.
Thank you for everything you do!