Moms Helping Moms Around the World

“Talking with Nancy Alpert always leaves me inspired and with a new perspective. She is one of our most loyal and thoughtful supporters. She lives in the Bay Area with her daughter. A geriatric social worker for 20 years, she now writes and volunteers her time. I talked with Nancy recently about the Fund: Child Safety and explained how this Fund would make a big impact on the ground. How she responded was wonderful and so I asked her if she’d be willing to write down her thoughts. Thank you Nancy for your generosity and thank you for sharing your experience with us.” Joop Rubens, Firelight Development Director graphic with photo of children

Moms Helping Moms Around the World

by Nancy Alpert

When I was asked to “close out” the Fund: Child Safety, I barely hesitated. Why? The truth is it’s not easy for me to spend large amounts of money, and I'm also not so good at saying, “Yes” to things that come along. I tend to deliberate (read that, “obsess”) about most decisions. But this time, I did say, "OK, I'll do it."

For one thing, I trust Firelight Foundation to spend my money wisely. I've been a donor since early in Firelight's inception after I saw an article about effective new foundations. Firelight appealed to me in part because I wanted to expand my support of programs outside of the U.S., so I started giving $1000 a year through my family's foundation. I give to many social service organizations, as well as to cultural and animal rights causes, but Firelight struck me as mattering to people on a “basic need” level. And Africa seemed to be a place that had endured more than its fair share of hardship.

For years, I received “Thank you’' letters and annual reports from Firelight. One day Joop Rubens, from the Development Office, contacted me to find out more about me and why I donated. That personal connection led to a greater understanding of Firelight, the programs it supported, and the passionate people working on opposite sides of the world to make a difference for children in Africa.

I've never been to Africa, but the photographs of those children with their beautiful eyes taken through the eyes of people who care, moved me and continue to speak to me. I'm a mother of a 12-year-old, and as a mom, I relate to all moms everywhere. The Fund: Child Safety will help me to help them.

I like that my total gift will be spent in Africa and not on administrative costs in the USA (though I know those are important!) It’s gratifying to think that my gift might change the course of even one child’s life. There is a quote in the Talmud, "Whoever destroys the life of a single human being ... it is as if he had destroyed an entire world; and whoever preserves the life of a single human being ... it is as if he had preserved an entire world.”

Firelight Foundation is on the right side of that Talmudic equation, and I’m happy to support its work. I look forward to traveling to Africa one day to experience the results.