At Moonridge Group, we work alongside people with great stories behind the great things they are doing in their communities and around the world. Sharing these stories is an opportunity to recognize the positive influences around us.
With the holiday season upon us, we're all in the giving spirit. Of course, we're thinking about our loved ones, building shopping lists for our friends and family, but this is also a common time for people to consider giving to the less fortunate. The gratitude we feel around the holidays helps us recognize things we are lucky to have that others might not have. However, there's so much going on that sometimes it feels hard to find the time to do something for others, and then there's the questions of how to get started. Where does one begin if wanting to give and have the most impact? Can you trust the organizations out there asking for money?
Well, looking to the Fertittas as an example, if you make the time to take giving into your own hands, it proves well worth it. The old adage rings true: You get what you give.
The Fertitta family has been heavily involved in Las Vegas philanthropy for years, sharing their success with people in need. We at Moonridge met with Vicki Fertitta and her granddaughter Kelley, VP of Corporate Marketing and Guest Experience for Station Casinos, in order to talk about how they got involved in giving. Kelley immediately smiled at her grandma and said, "My grandparents instilled the importance of giving in us early. Every year growing up, the whole family would pile into a van for Christmas and drive around giving supplies to the homeless around town."
Vicki nodded, a smile spreading across her face too. "A whole lot of laughter on those trips."
Both grandmother and granddaughter clearly had fond memories of the experience, as they went back and forth recounting specific instances and interactions from those family trips. Then they started recalling improvements they made every year, making adjustments to the items included in the gift bags and learning the most efficient ways to make a long lasting impact. Now their giving has grown far beyond that annual family event, but they never would have gotten to where they are if they hadn't started somewhere, by jumping in where they saw need.
Now, Kelley chairs the Nevada Advisory Committee for the Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels and cites her grandparents as major influences in her philanthropic path. The fact that they made it a point to get everyone involved early made all the difference (and it probably helped that the whole family had fun bonding together too). Of course, the way that they give has changed, now working with and through organizations that are making sure to tackle issues efficiently. Their forays into giving as a family have led them to even more impactful ventures.
The key for the Fertittas was to start getting involved early, being willing to learn along the way. We can all take heed from their example and the lessons picked up over the years. If you have the opportunity to get involved this year, it will prove well worth it; if you aren't sure where to start, don't be afraid to ask those who have experience; and if you do get involved, you just might be surprised how much joy it brings into your life. You get what you give, and sometimes more.
See other great things you wish we were talking about? Reach out to us via email at AJ@moonridgegroup.com, via social media through @MoonridgeGroup on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and use the hashtag #bethechange. We love hearing about the wonderful things going on around us.