When we created our blog series “People Who Move Us” over four years ago, the goal was to feature individuals who have gone above and beyond to accomplish good deeds for the benefit of those less fortunate. Now in the midst of this holiday season, after the difficult times of the last 2 years, we remain inspired by these amazing people and their life-altering nonprofit organizations. These great nonprofits deserve your support and holiday cheer.
People Who Move Us Inspire Us to:
Go live your best life.
Our first People Who Move Us honoree was Claire Wineland, founder of Claire’s Place Foundation. She made great strides in raising global awareness for her genetic disorder, cystic fibrosis. Although we lost dear Claire in 2018, she lived her best life and moved us to do the same. Since then, her mother, Melissa Yeager, has tirelessly continued Claire’s mission to fulfill the needs of the families and children living with CF by providing both emotional and financial support.
Food to feed body & soul.
According to the LA Food Bank, before the pandemic, an estimated 1 in 5 people in Los Angeles County lived with food insecurity. With the COVID-19 outbreak, the numbers are now 1 in 4. Two of our featured honorees specifically fight hunger by striving to reduce food waste.
For Adam Lowy of Move For Hunger, this meant teaming up with over 750 moving companies to collect unwanted, non-perishable food items from clients on the move. The donations are then delivered to food banks. Move For Hunger also organizes community food drives, participates in awareness campaigns, and creates employee engagement programs.
Led by Rick Nahmias, Food Forward also aims to increase access to healthy fruits and vegetables. The organization rescues fresh local produce from backyards, farmer’s and wholesale produce markets. Hunger relief agencies then distribute the goods across eight SoCal counties.
Layout the welcome mat.
At this time of the year, it is especially meaningful to reach out and support those who have sought refuge in our country.
Miry Whitehill founded Miry’s List, an organization dedicated to welcoming new arrival refugee families to the U.S. through inspired crowdsourcing solutions that allow people to directly help provide the things needed to start their new lives – from diapers to beds to cleaning supplies and toiletries.
Similarly, Sloane Davidson developed Hello Neighbor, an organization that matches post-resettlement refugee families with dedicated neighbors who help them acclimate to American culture.
Breaking barriers for inclusivity.
Everyone, including those with disabilities, deserves the chance to thrive in a positive, opportunity-filled environment.
Scott Elliott and his ICAN organization empower people with disabilities to discover and achieve their own ‘I CAN’ statement while providing them and their families with life skills training, supported employment, and social programming.
For Tiffany Harris of Inclusion Matters by Shane’s Inspiration, what began with a personal tragedy led to one very simple idea: Children with disabilities deserve to play, too. They work to foster a bias-free world for children with disabilities. They create inclusive playgrounds and educational programs that unite children of all abilities.
Give back to the Youngest in our Community.
Kids are the future of this planet. Particularly for kids in need, it benefits us all to take a vested interest in the life experiences that play a critical role in their development.
Janeen Holmes and her My Stuff Bags Foundation provides new belongings, comfort and hope to children in the U.S. who are rescued from abuse, neglect, abandonment, and homelessness. By rallying individual and corporate involvement, My Stuff Bags addresses the immediate physical and emotional needs of rescued children, and also supports the agencies caring for them.
Sean Lawrence worked with Giving Children Hope, a community-driven nonprofit, to gather and distribute basic needs, nutritional foods, and medical resources to vulnerable children and their families. Wellness programs and disaster response, created in collaboration with local and global communities, help to accomplish
Hilda Pacheco-Taylor and Corazón de Vida support orphaned and abandoned children of Baja, Mexico by financially assisting orphanages and offering quality-of-life improvement services. Corazón de Vida also invests in the children’s futures by funding their higher education needs and transitional programs.
Lisa Cook founded All KidSwim to provide early childhood swim education to underserved communities nationwide. The outreach combines in-class water safety instruction and foundational education practices for kids 5 and under.
An athlete herself, Emily Eisner started Play It Forward to supply sporting equipment to underprivileged students in Los Angeles area schools. Emily realizes that values such as teamwork, responsibility, success and a strong work ethic are learned through school sports programs.
Inspired? Get involved. Make a difference.
For over 25 years, NorthStar Moving has been a leading moving company. We strive to be a vibrant part of our community. We wholeheartedly support these nonprofit organizations led by people who move us.
You can also help create a brighter future. Simply make a tax-deductible financial donation to any of these People Who Move Us and their nonprofit organizations:
And remember, it is almost the end of the year… This is the last chance for donations to be applied to your 2021 tax returns.