Check!

Don't Stop Believin' may have been one of Journey's most famous songs and Gleeks all across the country now are aware of that, but it has also been the motto for the week.  It has been an amazing week of feeling like Little Pink Houses of Hope has the momentum rolling!   It started on Monday when I met with a fellow survivor who helped me create more of a strategic plan for LPHOH.  Check!  The week got better when I learned that my mammogram results showed "no evidence of cancer".  Check!  Then I met with my surgeon, who is an amazing woman who said that I was doing great physically and wanted to be a part of Little Pink Houses of Hope.  Check!  Confirmed my first member of my Board of Directors.  Check!  Doors to donors started opening up.  Check!  Had a riveting conversation about fundraising and financial structures with my LPHOH mentor from Lighthouse Family Retreat who always makes me feel like I can do anything.  Check!  Put together important LPHOH documents.  Check! 

You will notice that it has been quite a week.  I fully believe that by putting my intention out into this world that wonderful things will happen and this past week has been proof of that.  And I have lots of people wondering how you can help.  So this week, my post is about putting together a checklist to help you better understand the mission of LPHOH:

• Read the Little Pink Houses of Hope information sheet.  Ask questions if you have any- I am happy to talk about the big vision and the mission.   But I also know that this group is capable of amazing things because of our common belief in wanting to help others, and I need your help.  The best PR will be from the people who understand the mission of LPHOH and can discuss it with others. 

Click on the Image to Enlarge it

• Identify a part of the mission, structure, and/or need that you can personally relate to and can use in conversations with others.
• Think about people that you can forward the information sheet to, like friends and family.  Spread the word!

Imagine if each person in our group plays an active role in LPHOH- Amazing!  What role do you want to play?  

Little Pink Houses Beach Trip

Follow the link to see my video!!!
Video footage from Buxton, NC

This week has had its ups and downs.  First- the US Coast Guard contacted us late on Thursday to let us know that the compound in Buxton that started it all was going to be put back into Congressional subcommittee which made it illegal for anyone to view the property on an official tour.  So our June 15th date was cancelled.  But coming back to Buxton this week with my family only got me more excited about all of the possibilities.  Whether it is this area or some other area, I know that amazing things will be happening with Little Pink Houses of Hope.  To have more insight into the properties, I used my Flip video camera to shoot some video of the complex in Buxton.  It was even more amazing than I remembered!  A few details: 

• the complex contains 23 different houses
• it includes a playground and a community center
• it is located directly across from the beach
• it needs to be painted shades of pink!!!

I still think that this is one of the most restorative places in the world. 

Follow the link to see my video!!!
Video of Little Pink Houses Buxton Trip 

All business this week...

I have always been a dreamer and when I dream, I usually dream pretty big.  Little Pink Houses is a great example of that! 

Knowing that I want to provide week long beach retreats for breast cancer families has been the easy part.  This week, I have started to really focus on the business side of what I need to do to make my dream a reality.   Two things were of primary importance to me this week  1) find an organization that was doing something similar and set up that connection, and 2) discuss the financial aspects of the project with someone who lives and breathes finances for their business.  I managed to do both and had a wonderful week!

First, I connected with the Lighthouse Family Retreat Center http://www.lighthousefamilyretreat.org/ .  What a wonderful organization!  They provide weekly beach retreats for children who have cancer and their families.  I was highly impressed not only with their organization and mission, but also with their model.  This prompted me to contact their President, who graciously agreed to talk to me and offer some very practical advice.  Since this whole project is rooted in giving to others, I felt very lucky to be led to a person who was truly interested in giving of himself as we spoke.  Too much to cover with the actual conversation, but the big three things that I need to make sure that I keep in mind:

1)  When focusing on the family, do not overprogram their time so that they are capable of reconnecting.

2)  Get the right peple to help me make my passion come to life.

3)  Fun is the answer!

If you know of someone who has a child with cancer, take a look at their website and pass it on to the family!

I then met with one of the smartest men that I know- my dad.  My dad has a history of running the major operations of a Fortune 500 company both here and abroad.  I took him out to dinner to pick his brain on the financial side of this venture.  I have to admit that this is an area where I am the least comfortable.  It is amazing how clearly he can see through the passion and the ideas and get right to the core of what needs to be done in terms of financial planning.  Again, too much to cover, but here are the big three things that I walked away with from our talk:

1)  Create a financial model based on the total outlay for the cost expenditures for a week for a typical family at the retreat.

2)  Create a network of people for my board that have specific areas of expertise.
3)  Prioritize what needs to be done first.
And of course, finally, he loves me!

I know that I have a long way to go before the first family arrives at Little Pink Houses of Hope, but this week has made me more determined than ever of the reality to help make a difference in the lives of others.