Category Archives: DAY IT FORWARD

Day It Forward – October 2015

We believe that every individual has the ability to make a difference in our world, and we want to give our readers a chance to bring attention to a cause that is important to them.

Every month, we will ask you to submit a one-paragraph essay on a charity of your choice. We want to know what the charity is about, why it is important to you, and anything else you think is important for us to know.

Your submissions will be reviewed by bestselling author Sylvia Day and she will select one to personally contribute to for the month. Your charity will also be featured in the following month’s installment of Day it Forward to bring more awareness to its cause and allow for readers of Beyond Words to donate as well.

The submission chosen for the month of October comes from Katie Crossan:

Crohn’s and Colitis UK
I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease when I was 18. I lost all of my friends and quickly closed myself off from the world, choosing to bury myself in books instead. I have been constantly tube fed on and off in the last seven years, I now have a line to my heart keeping me from starving to death, and take a chemotherapy drug everyday. I am hooked up to a machine every night that pumps liquid to my heart. The NACC (National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s Disease) kept me sane. They support people with IBD and have a ‘Young People’s Forum’ where I met other young people who have become life-long friends and I also met the love of my life, my soon to be husband, there. The NACC encourages people to talk to each other, they offer a support line for people with IBD or family of those who suffer. Crohns can be an extremely lonely disease but with the NACC they make you feel less alone and accepted for being different. I have supported this charity with my family since I was 18 partaking in walks to raise money. IBD doesn’t get recognised for being a serious life altering condition.

Sylvia will be donating $1,500 to the National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s disease. You can donate, too, here.

We also occasionally spotlight other worthy charities submitted by readers each month:

To have your charity considered for November’s installment of Day it Forward, please email your submissions to editorial@beyondwords.life with “Day it Forward” in the subject line by October 25, 2015.

Day It Forward – September 2015

We believe that every individual has the ability to make a difference in our world and we want to give our readers a chance to bring attention to a cause that is important to them.

Every month, we will ask you to submit a one-paragraph essay on a charity of your choice. We want to know what the charity is about, why it is important to you, and anything else you think is important for us to know.

Your submissions will be reviewed by bestselling author Sylvia Day, and she will select one to personally contribute to for the month. Your charity will also be featured in the following month’s installment of Day It Forward to bring more awareness to its cause and allow for readers of Beyond Words to donate as well.

Since this is the first month of Day It Forward, just this one time, there will be a little bit of a twist. Here is a submission from the Beyond Words Editor-in-Chief:

The Gentle Barn
The Gentle Barn, based out of Southern California, rescues all kinds of farm animals, including horses, cows, pigs, and even emus and peacocks.

I first heard about the Gentle Barn when a backyard butcher in California was featured on the news for the horrific way he treated his animals. They were kept in unspeakable conditions, emaciated, infected with parasites, sick, and overall terrified with barely a chance to live. It truly broke my heart to see these innocent beings treated in such an unfair manner. When the man was arrested, the Gentle Barn took in many of these animals and nursed them back to health, giving them real hope for happy lives.

The Gentle Barn has a focus on not only healing animals, but the ability for these animals to heal children. Their mission statement is “Teaching People Kindness and Compassion to Animals, Each Other and our Planet.” Every day, children from group homes, mental health care facilities, and schools come to the Gentle Barn to visit with these animals and learn about kindness and compassion through them.

The Gentle Barn has many ways for people to contribute and help them continue their good work; their website lists supplies they need, profiles of animals who can be sponsored by anyone, and ways to visit and become involved firsthand with their cause.

Sylvia will be donating $5000 to the Gentle Barn in the month of September. You can donate, too, here »

To have your charity considered for Day It Forward, please email your submissions to editorial@beyondwords.life with “Day it Forward” in the subject line by September 22, 2015.