Today we’d like to introduce you to Cathy O’Grady.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Cathy. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I lost my mom to breast cancer in 1997 and I always wanted to do something to keep her memory alive. I wanted to share with the world who she was. She was more than her diagnosis… she was a loving, giving, forgiving, non-judgmental soul that trusted and loved everyone she met.
For many years, I didn’t know how to go about telling the world about her so I had started walking the Susan G Komen 3 day 60-mile walk so no other person would feel the pain of losing a loved one. While doing that, I still felt like I wasn’t doing justice to who my mom was…then one day, while in Boston with my then 7-year-old, it was clear what I should do. My son noticed a homeless person wearing a trash bag for a coat. He immediately looked at me and said “mom, nobody should have to wear a trash bag to keep warm. Let’s go home and get all the coats we have up in the attic. He got it!!
A couple of weeks later, the 50 moving blankets, that I had ordered, arrived. I and some friends wrapped them up in plastic and included a note that read “I am not lost, if you are out in the cold, please take me and know you are loved” We proceeded to leave them all over Boston with no identifying mark on who we were. Although, at that time, the foundation was no formed and I was purchasing all these items from the money I was making from my online jewelry business (Cathy’s Creations).
We left the blankets and we all went home… till 2 days later, when social media was buzzing trying to identify who it was that left the blankets. People were making the assumption that it was a publicity stunt from some company. I sat back and watched the buzz and asked my friends not to mention it was me.
Apparently, one of my friends didn’t receive the memo and notified the media that I was the one that left the blankets out. Initially, I was extremely uncomfortable because my intentions were not to get recognition for this but, as time passed and I noticed that it sparked something in others to follow my lead, I felt like it was a blessing as it gave me the platform to share the world with my mom.
During this time, I was contacted by a company that wanted our non profit tax ID number as they wanted to make donation I had to turn down the donation as we weren’t a non profit… so I immediately started the process of applying for non profit status and formed the Sofia’s Angels (Sofia was my mom’s name)
We then started our FB page and involved our followers with challenging them to do RAOK. One year, we challenged someone from each state in the US to go to the dollar store. Purchase a couple of park toys, bats, balls, jump ropes, bubbles, chalk… etc, and leave them at parks with a note “I am not lost, I’m just waiting for you to play with me”. We quickly had all the states covered and also Canada and England.
Then, a couple of years ago, we were lucky to be the “Layaway angels” at Christmas time at a Toys R Us. We were able to pay off over 22K in layaways and, in doing that, the families that had the layaways purchased toys for Toys for Tots. We were informed by the store manager that they have never seen so many donations as they had to empty the bin several times a day. Paying it forward is all we want people to do and they didn’t let us down,
Last year, we were able to raise over 50K in less than 2 weeks to purchase a handicap van for a very deserving family. Link to that story (https://www.fox25boston.com/news/massive-donation-gets-southbridge-family-close-to-goal-for-special-van/533028468). Sadly, the little boy passed, right before Christmas but it gave the family an opportunity to make many memories for last summer.
We just had our 4th annual Sofia’s Angels Foundation gala and, was extremely successful. Our gala provides 85% of our funds so we can perform these random acts of kindness
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has! It has brought me so much joy and comfort to know that so many people want to help and they don’t know how to go about it. Whenever I organize something, everyone is so willing to help and they feel like they are part of a bigger thing and are making a difference
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Sofia’s Angels Foundation – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We are a non-profit foundation whose purpose is to address, coordinate and provide aid and relief to assist those with unmet financial or emotional needs
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We are hoping to be able to receive grants and donations to be able to make a difference many peoples lives.
Contact Info:
- Address: 124 Coolidge Hill Rd
Watertown, MA 02472 - Website: sofiasangelsfoundation.org
- Email: cathy@sofiasangelsfoundation.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sofiasangelsraok/
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