three things: why i do what i do

For my second addition of three things, I wanted to share with you a bit about why I have chosen to work in the non-profit field (it's certainly not for the money!). Currently, I work at a charity called the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research as the Development Officer (which is a fancier way of saying that I'm a fundraiser). My day-to-day tasks range from entering donations into our database, to writing letters and proposals, to donor relations. I'm really lucky because I get to do a variety of different tasks and I learn as I go.  How did I end up working in a non-profit? I think it's something that was always in me to do, and helping others, as cheesy or cliché as it may seem, has always been a passion of mine. Anyway, here are three reasons (among many) why I work as a fundraiser and why I work at my current charity.

 1. Volunteering and working for/with others is something that I have been doing since I was a young girl. Growing up in my church I learned a lot about what it means to live selflessly and how to give to others. These values were instilled in me at a young age, and for me, I simply allowed them to grow and flourish into a way that I personally wanted to live.

2. HIV and AIDS have impacted me on a personal level, both from spending 6 months in South Africa and from having friends here in Canada diagnosed as HIV positive, and so the issue is something that is close to my heart. I am so blessed that my first job in the non-profit sector is at a charity that does so much in order to find a cure. I feel like I am, in some small way, having a hand in making this one aspect of our massive world better.

3. I am blessed that I live in the country that I do, and that I have a job and a house and the ability to buy food. I don't make a huge amount of money in my job in comparison to other professions, but I make enough that I am able to live comfortably. There are times when I struggle with loving fashion so much (and even with having a blog that focuses on fashion) when I know what little others have. But I try my best to keep things in perspective, and to give of my time and money (even if it's only a little) as often as I can - which is fairly easy when that is exactly what you are doing 35 hours a week :)

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I hope that you've learned a bit about me and what motivates me, and I hope that I've inspired you to volunteer or to give back in a way that expresses who you are!