Once again, I’m happy to announce another worthy community partnership between the Tweet Divas and Garner’s only locally owned and operated newspaper, the Garner Citizen next month.

The “Citizen Social” will take place:

Thursday, August 19th

from

6:30-9pm

at

Meet the staff of  the award-winning Garner Citizen, meet other area folks, raise money for a local rescue shelter, and have fun racing go-karts!

All attendees will receive 50% off go-kart rides ($10 instead of $20) and free head socks.

Speaking of the local animal rescue group, as we always do we will be raising money and awareness for a local charity and this time we’ve chosen Paw Prints Animal Rescue.

Paw Prints Animal Rescue, Inc. is an all volunteer nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the population of homeless cats, kittens, dogs and puppies. We are dedicated to finding forever homes for displaced or abandoned dogs and cats and educating the public about pet overpopulation and the benefits of spaying and neutering. Paw Prints Animal Rescue makes a lifetime commitment to each animal it rescues and places through adoption. We never want these animals to be homeless again. With your help homeless pets can continue to find their “forever” homes. Please join us in making a difference in these animal’s lives. You won’t be disappointed because Animals have a special way of leaving a paw print on your heart…. (from the folks at Paw Prints)

I know we usually raise awareness for charities dedicated to women’s causes but with the extreme temperatures we’ve been seeing in our area of late and the number of animals being rescued, this is one cause I felt we couldn’t ignore.  The folks at Paw Prints do an outstanding job rescuing and adopting-out animals in need of loving homes.

Diva, Rachel Healy (Garner Citizen Web Editor) came to me asking if we’d like to join them for this unique summer time event and of course, I couldn’t decline.  It’s open to all Divas (and is family-friendly) but please be sure to register soon as limited space is available.

Speaking of registration, follow this link – http://citizensocial.eventbrite.com.

So…get ready to RUMBLE with Garner Citizen staff members, fellow Divas & citizens, and raise much-needed funds for our furry friends.  They’ll be raffle prizes, food, and a whole lotta FUN.  Who’s with us?

I’ll be announcing another major partnership for the October Tweet Divas gathering soon and it will be another FUN one.  So stay tuned!

See YOU on August 19th!

In February, after the devasting earthquake in Haiti, we Divas got together to raise funds for a charity with local ties to Haiti.  The Ryan Epps Home For Children, an orphanage founded & supported by Horne United Methodist Church right here in Clayton NC was our chosen charity.  Both Helen Little and Melody Brown from Horne were in attendance that evening to mix and mingle with the ladies & Helen herself told us stories of her first-hand account as she was right there when the quake happened.

That evening we raised nearly $400 for their cause.  Recently, I received a note from Melody with their many thanks.  Here is an excerpt from her:

We did get the monies and we are so appreciative. We really are so thankful to you and all the others from the Tweet Divas that have felt led to help with the Haiti ministry. Certainly, the circumstances would be different if people like you ladies had not responded.

To learn more and to see images and videos from their progress over the last several months, please see this link – http://tinyurl.com/ryanepps.

Divas Jen, Helen, and Lisa honoring the Helene Foundation at Tweet Divas 5

In May, as Mother’s Day had just passed, we wanted to support a charity that catered to the moms of our community.  We chose The Helene Foundation, an organization that supports mothers fighting cancer.  This was truly a worthy cause on so many levels and we raised nearly $100 for them as well.  Tracy Davidian, Founder and representative  sent the Divas a “thank you” note that read:

Thank you for your generous donation for the Helene Foundation. We are so very grateful that you have chosen to become part of our mission. It is because of people like you that we will be able to help bring Comfort to so many families struggling to find peace and stability during what could possibly be the most difficult time in their lives. Thank You!

What the Helene Foundation does for our community is so important to those families whose Matriarch’s must fight their battle with Cancer all the while still being mothers – homework helpers, carpoolers, laundry facilitators, grocery shoppers, etc.  The Foundation provides for those much needed services to families that have the need.

To both organizations I say – you are MOST welcome! It is our pleasure to give back to our local community in this way.

The Divas will not be meeting this summer but stay tuned to this site for more information on September, October, and December dates.  Plans are in the works!

If you have an organization that you feel would benefit from one of our Diva events, please contact Lisa Sullivan, Lead Organizer at Lisa(at)lisasullivanpr(dot)com.  Thank you!

One June 3rd the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina held it’s kick-off event to their Kids Summer Stock program – the Social Media Mixer – bringing together many Triangle-area social media aficionados and their Families.  From bloggers to Tweeters to Facebook Fans, etc. we all came together to celebrate this amazing program, one that is so vital to our community.

Each Summer 250,000 some odd children who would otherwise receive 2 hot nutritious meals a day thanks to the free and reduced lunch programs at school don’t have that opportunity for nearly eight weeks.  When school’s out for summer so goes the nutrition.  Kids Summer Stock is a program that builds awareness, funds, & donations to help subsidize for those families.

Lisa Sullivan of Tweet Divas with Jen Newmeyerof the Food Bank of CENC

The Tweet Divas were a proud sponsor of the Social Media Mixer and it was a FANTASTIC time too!

Our chefs from The Healing Place prepared snacks from foods that Food Bank beneficiaries receive (and oh that sweet potato whatchamacallit was OUTSTANDING!).

Ed and Heba pose with attendee & Food Bank Rep, Christy Simmons

We had special guests in attendance, including Ed Brantley and Heba Salama from NBC’s The Biggest Loser who were available to talk about their journey, take pictures, and sign autographs with attendees.

And of course, what event wouldn’t be complete without prizes – TONS of them!

One gal walked away with a weekend retreat at Adlerhost, Mountain Cabin NC located near Boone.

Tweet Diva Amanda Moralis with her winnings!

Another put her tickets in for up to 10 cellphones courtesy of Best Buy.  She won 5 and you know what she did? She paid it forward by giving 2 away!  The recipients were surprised and very grateful.

Divas Amanda and Jen

Jennifer Newmeyer of the Food Bank was the Lead Organizer for this event and she did an amazing job!

Thanks to ALL of our sponsors including, the Carolina Hurricanes Kids in Community Foundation, Whimsy Two, Treasure Trove Jewelry, Regal Cinemas, Author Sarah Dessen, and so many, many more.  Thanks to the countless volunteers who gave their time to help with the various components of the evening, the staff at the Food Bank, and our two blogger sponsors – Motherhood and Me as well as Dirt and Noise.

The registration table filled with all kinds of goodies!

The Kids Summer Stock program continues throughout the month of June.  For more information on events in the Central and Eastern part of North Carolina, see this link.

These kids need your help! If you’ve been thinking about contributing but haven’t had the time yet, please give what you can as the month winds down.  It’s never too late to donate to this worthy cause!

Today is the day!

Below are the directions to the Mixer as forwarded to registered attendees last night.  Tickets are still available! Click the link at the bottom to register.  See you tonight!

Location:
Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC, Raleigh Branch
3808 Tarheel Drive
Raleigh, NC 27609

Directions:
From 440 (inner beltline): Take the Wake Forest Road exit 10 (north). At the bottom of the ramp, turn left (north). Turn right onto St. Albans and bear left, go down 5 blocks make right onto Tarheel Drive. The Food Bank is on the left.

From 440 (outer beltline): Take the Wake Forest Road exit 10 (north). At the bottom of the ramp, turn right (north). Turn right onto St. Albans and then bear left, go down 5 blocks make right onto Tarheel Drive. The Food Bank is on the left.

From Atlantic Avenue (from downtown): Proceed north under the beltline. Turn left at the light onto Wolfpack Lane. Cross over the railroad tracks and the next right is Tarheel Drive. (Street may not be marked). The Food Bank is on the right about a mile and half.

From Atlantic Avenue (from North Raleigh): Follow Atlantic Avenue past Fed Ex, UPS and through the New Hope Church Road intersection. At the first intersection after Boy Scouts of America, turn right onto Wolfpack (no road sign), then go across the railroad tracks and turn right onto Tarheel Drive. The Food Bank is about a mile and half on the right.

From Highway 1 (Capital Blvd): Coming from the north, turn right onto Highwood Blvd. This becomes Wolfpack Lane after crossing Atlantic Avenue. Turn right on Tarheel Drive, which is the first right after the railroad tracks. Food Bank will be on the right about a mile and half.

Parking:
Look for our volunteer “Parking Director”.  They will direct you to park on the street in front of the warehouse. Once slots get full, we will direct you to the warehouse lot across from the Food Bank.

For more information click here: Kids Summer Stock Social Media Mixer

We’ve been talking about it for over a month now and it’s finally here!

Tweet Divas is proud to sponsor the kick-off event for the 3rd annual Kids Summer Stock campaign.

In 2008, the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina launched a food and funds drive called Kids Summer Stock.  The purpose was to reverse the historical decrease in donations to the food bank at a time of the year when the need increases.  More than 250,000 children across the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina’s 34-county service area who currently have access to the free and reduced meal program at school will soon be on summer break.  This creates a deficit of millions of meals that are not available for these children. Kids Summer Stock has provided a combined total of 3 million meals to children and their families over the past two summers. The 2010 Kids Summer Stock Food and Funds Campaign kicks off at the main warehouse on Tarheel Drive in Raleigh on Thursday, June 3 with a Social Media Mixer. (Food Bank CENC Press Release, 5/28/2010)

We’ll have special guests in attendance.  We’ll have opportunities for you to talk to current volunteers to learn all about why they do what they do.  For the kids, we’ll have pictues with Souper Can and a lemonade stand, just to name a couple of the activities.  There will be drawings for amazing prizes thanks to the Carolina Hurricanes, Adlerhost mountain cabin in Boone, Regal Cinemas, and several of our other sponsors.

But, it’s not all about that.  It’s about raising awareness for this need.  While the event is FREE, donations are welcomed.  Who knows – you might help a child in your own backyard and for some of you, you won’t even know it.

Join us tomorrow night at the Food Bank of CENC headquarters on Tar Heel Drive in Raleigh from 6-8:30pm.  It’s sure to be fun for the whole family!

Register here – http://socialmediamixer.eventbrite.com.

Help us, help our children.

See YOU tomorrow!

If you aren’t registered yet, no worries!  Here’s the link – http://socialmediamixer.eventbrite.com.

Please come out to support your local Food Bank through this wonderful cause.  Lots of GREAT prize give-aways (Carolina Hurricanes Memorabilia and a weekend getaway at Adlerhost mountain cabin near Boone NC to name a couple!), local celebrities (Ed Brantley and Heba Salama from The Biggest Loser), and pictures with Souper Can are just some of what you can look forward to at this kick-off event.

If you have any questions or need additional information, leave a comment here and we’ll see what we can do!

Follow us on Twitter at: @LisaSullivan, @CharityJen, @FoodbankCENC

See YOU on June 3rd!

We gather together every other month for a little mixin’ and minglin’ while always giving back to a local charitable organization that benefits women.  There isn’t a membership fee but we sometimes ask you to bring your checkbook or an in-kind donation to whatever the chosen cause may be.  Our motto is “Because our worth is far above 140 characters” after all!

Join us on June 3rd as we support the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina’s Kid Summer Stock progam.  We are proud sponsors of the Social Media Mixer that evening from 6-8:30pm.  Cant’ get a babysitter?  No worries!  This is going to be an event chock full of fun for the whole family.

Register for the Social Media Mixer here: http://socialmediamixer.eventbrite.com.  If you’re a Tweet Diva, register you & your guest under our very special ticket!

Hope to see YOU on June 3rd! 

Ed Brantley and Heba Salama of The Biggest Loser

Announced by the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina late Friday afternoon, NBC’s The Biggest Loser contestants Ed Brantley and Heba Salama will be joining us for the Social Media Mixer on June 3rd.  Come hear their story as they mix & mingle with the Triangle’s social media mavens as we all learn more about the Food Bank of CENC.

Ed and Heba have partnered with the Food Bank for their “Pound for Pound” Challenge continuing through June 10th.  Here’s a short video from their announcement to that end:

So…now we have Adlerhost donating the GRAND PRIZE for that night, the Hurricanes donating a certified autographed hockey puck and other memorabilia, and local Biggest Loser celebs joining the cause.  Will you be coming?

Register today – http://socialmediamixer.eventbrite.com/

The Social Media Mixer hosted by the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina is the kick-off event for their Kids Summer Stock program to build awareness for the 250,000 children that go hungry in the summer months thanks to the lack of the two hot meals a day they receive with the free and reduced school lunch programs during the academic year.

We hope to seee YOU at the Mixer!

Tweet Divas is a proud sponsor of this initiative

Image courtesy of the Food Bank of CENC – http://twitpic.com/1nqu1h

Take a look at these:

Official Canes hockey puck signed by Cam Ward!

Canes T-shirt signed by the team!

And if that wasn’t enough the folks who own Adlerhost, a 3 bed/2 bath private mountain home located just 15 minutes from Boone, North Carolina have offered their cabin for a 3-night stay (restrictions apply) as the GRAND PRIZE for donations that evening.

Why are each of these organizations offering such amazing prizes?  Simple.  They believe in the cause.

The Social Media Mixer is the kick-off to the Kids Summer Stock June celebration, a whole month devoted to the awareness of the Kids Summer Stock program, a program that helps to provide food and other essential non-perishable items to nearly 250,000 families in Eastern North Carolina during the critical summer months.

Many children in our area miss out on three hot meals a day because the two they usually get are part of the free and reduced-lunch programs that are available during the school year.  For nearly 60 days in the summer, these kids & their families have to make due with what they got and sometimes, it’s not much.  The Food Bank helps those families and they need OUR support!

The Kids Summer Stock Social Media Mixer is just one of several events throughout the month of June but it’s the kick-off event.  It is our hope that this event raises the awareness of this need through participation at the event itself as well as online promotions through such sites as Twitter, Facebook, and the blogosphere.

Help us spread the word!

To register click here: http://socialmediamixer.eventbrite.com/

Blast off that link to everyone you know through the social media space & encourage others to participate in some way.

And on June 3rd, let’s show Eastern North Carolina how much the Triangle social media community rallies together in support of such an important cause as this!

Tweet Divas is a proud sponsor of this initiative.

Images courtesy of the Food Bank of CENC and Adlerhost.

The cause chosen for this event was The Helene Foundation, an organization that supports mothers going through cancer treatments by providing such services as laundry, grocery shopping, child care, tutoring, among many other things moms are most known to take care of on a daily basis.  The burden placed on mothers can be so overwhelming during this time and the Helene Foundation serves to alleviate it as best they can with the means they have.

I am happy to report with 20 lovely ladies in attendance we were able to raise $200 for the Foundation.

@MarcieBarnes, @CharityJen, and @ldbaldwin

To this day, it still humbles me the generosity our Tweet Divas show every single time we get together.  We’ve given back to Abbey Gail’s Re-Chic Boutique, the Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC, the Kramden Institute, the Ryan Epps Home for Children (in Haiti), and now this Foundation.  Thank you, Ladies!

@hesketh and @marynations

Our next event is in collaboration with the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina as we help them kick off their Kids Summer Stock program with a Social Media Mixer on June 3rd that welcomes all those that blog, Tweet, Facebook in the Triangle area to raise awareness for a very important cause.  Stay tuned to this blog for more details as the weeks continue.  In the meantime, check this link to register -

http://socialmediamixer.eventbrite.com

You don’t want to miss this event.  The Door Prizes are amazing (hint hint: @jkennedy93 *wink, wink*)!

@CharityJen, @HelenCroghan, & @MidTownRealtor

See you June 3rd!