BALTIMORE TIMES | Mikey’s Miracle Foundation Hosts 5th Annual Giving Campaign in Support of Baltimore area patients and caregivers

Baltimore— This year is unprecedented. Our country is amid two global crises— the novel coronavirus and racial and social unrest. Unfortunately, cancer doesn't take a break, even in a pandemic. With a mission to provide supportive resources to marginalized communities impacted by cancer, Mikey's Miracle Foundation, Inc. seeks to raise funds and awareness on Friday, July 24, 2020,in support of our fifth annual giving campaign GiveMoreOn24.

Beginning at 12:01 a.m. and running until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, July 24, we seek to harness the collective power of ambassadors and supporters to raise funds and awareness in support our five core programs and services: meal and nutrition planning; caregiver support; appointment transportation; community outreach and education; and virtual wellness support. Amid crises, our work cannot stop, and we continue to provide support for immunocompromised patients and family caregivers, as they have been the most vulnerable during these times.

No one wants to hear, "You have cancer." In an instant, your life is forever changed. And with that change comes stress.

Stress is a major issue in cancer patients from diagnosis, through treatment and prognosis. According to the National Cancer Institute, when people feel they are unable to manage or control changes caused by cancer, they are distressed. And it is all-the-more stressing for the patient who is already stressed by poverty. With over 3,000 diagnoses in Baltimore City annually and estimated new cases of 34,710 in the state of Maryland, Mikey's Miracle Foundation, Inc. provides assistance to patients and their family caregivers by helping them manage daily tasks, reducing stress, and helping them spend quality time together.

GiveMoreOn24, a 24-hour online giving campaign, began in 2016 to celebrate the birthday of the inspiration behind our organization, Mikey. Although Mikey has transitioned, we continue to celebrate her life and legacy by giving life to those in the everyday fight against cancer. In this time of uncertainty, there's a fundamental truth that gives us hope— together; we can make miracles happen.

Visit www.mikeysmiraclefoundation.org to learn more about Mikey's Miracle Foundation, Inc., the services we offer to patients and family caregivers in the fight against cancer.

MEDIUM | Baltimore’s Best Makers Support Local Makers Support Local Nonprofits

The Baltimore chapter of Make a Mark, a 12-hour design and development marathon benefiting local humanitarian causes, will hold their inaugural event tomorrow, Saturday, April 14, 2018 at City Garage. During the event, nearly 45 of Baltimore’s best designers, developers, filmmakers, and illustrators will collaborate to provide complimentary services for 13 of our city’s impactful nonprofit organizations. 

Saturday’s event will be the culmination of months of planning and preparation. Baltimore Make a Mark committee members selected nonprofit and maker participants from dozens of applications, formed maker teams, and facilitated planning meetings to introduce each nonprofit’s project. During the 12-hour make-a-thon, the maker teams will collaborate to create a design, marketing, or technology project for their designated nonprofit. 

Nonprofits participating in the event include Baltimore Rock Opera Society, Baltimore Teacher Supply Swap, BeeMore, Hālau O ‘Aulani, Holistic Life Foundation, Icing Smiles, Mikey’s Miracle Foundation, PIVOT, Project Beautify You, Touching Young Lives, Trash Free Maryland, Volunteering Untapped, and WTMD.

In addition to the chapter in Baltimore, Make a Mark hosts events in Asheville, North Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; Chattanooga, Tennessee; New York, NY; San Francisco, CA; Roanoke-Blacksburg, VA; and Brussels, Belgium. For more information about Make a Mark, visit www.letsmakeamark.org. 

LYFT | Driving Baltimore’s Nonprofits

Through our community grants program, Lyft is committed to empowering nonprofit organizations doing incredible work around the nation to make our communities stronger, healthier, and more equitable, all year long.

Thanks to this program, Lyft Baltimore is ringing in the new year celebrating the great work being done by local community grant recipients with #LyftHealthy2019. Ahead of 2019, Lyft chose seven nonprofits to each receive a $1,000 Lyft Community Grant in the form of Lyft ride credits to help them achieve their missions. The credits will be used to ease transportation challenges and support the organizations’ work to create positive change in the Baltimore region.

Using #LyftHealthy2019 on Instagram, Lyft Baltimore teamed up with area influencers over the course of a week to highlight one nonprofit per day and promote how they are making the city a healthier place. Special thanks to DiscoverCharmCity, HealthyLivingwithAsh, Sebasmarin, AestheticDistance, Living_Alexis, CaturdayStyle, and StylishlyTaylored for the promotion of #LyftHealthy2019!

Read more about the amazing work being done by Lyft Baltimore’s community grant recipients for #LyftHealthy2019:

• NICU Parent Project (Preemie Moms Rock), which provides healthy food, therapeutic crafts, and in-person parent-to-parent support to NICU Moms.

• Pro Bono Counseling Project, which helps provide access to volunteer licensed mental health professionals and other necessary supportive services to Marylanders with limited resources.

• Charm City Care Connection, which connects residents of marginalized communities in Baltimore to high-quality healthcare services and seeks to address any obstacles that might threaten that connection.

• SOURCE, which engages the Johns Hopkins University health professional schools and Baltimore communities in mutually beneficial partnerships that promote health and social justice.

• Mikey's Miracle Foundation, Inc., which works to improve the quality of life for patients and their families during their fight against cancer.

• The Red Devils, Inc., which funds services that improve the quality of life for breast cancer patients and their families.

• National Kidney Foundation, an organization dedicated to preventing kidney and urinary tract diseases, improving the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by these diseases, and increasing the availability of all organs for transplantation.

Lyft Baltimore’s Community Grants recipients were selected through a competitive application process. Any 501(c)3 organization that operates in the Baltimore metro area is eligible to apply for a grant at http://go.lyft.com/communitygrants. Your organization is driving toward something — let Lyft help you get there.

KE IN THE CITY | Mikey’s Miracle Foundation

Jade Merritt is a Baltimore native with many titles. She is a blogger (Charm City Pretty), a proud Delta, a Towson University graduate and a Microbiologist. In January, 2016, Jade lost her mother Michal Merritt, affectionately known as Mikey, to cancer. Her mother's passing inspired her to add some new titles to her lineup: Founder and President. Instead of letting her loss break her, she let it inspire her to build. She took her insight from her mother's cancer journey, focused on the everyday needs of cancer patients, and aimed to cater to those needs with the creation of Mikey's Miracle Foundation. 

On October 23, 2016, Jade’s supporters gathered to celebrate the official launch of Mikey’s Miracle Foundation. Guests gathered at the stunning Ivy Hotel dressed in their best cocktail attire. 

A live jazz band serenaded guests as they explored all the beauty Hotel Ivy had to offer. String lights cascaded over the spacious courtyard where attendees sipped wine and snacked on hors d'oeuvres.
 

Board of Directors Krystle Myers, Joseph Edmonds, Arnette Dorsey, and Linette Ball were all in attendance. Jade, dressed in a fabulous white ensemble, smiled and greeted her guests. Jade felt, “The best gift I could give to my mom was to be a blessing to someone else.” It was that positivity that shined a bright light all evening - a light that could be seen in the staff, felt in the music, shared through conversation, and heard in every speech.

Cancer survivor, Trina Isaac, captured the crowd with her story of perseverance. She was transparent about her struggles, how she overcame them, and her colostomy. Trina reminded us that no matter what life throws at us, our point of view determines how we are impacted. She told us, “You have to live, because Cancer is not a death sentence.” Trina is living, not simply surviving. She is a Johns Hopkins employee, Hope Project ambassador, member of Osto Beauty, a mother, a model, and an inspiration to anyone who hears her speak. Her life motto is to “make memories on purpose”.

Trina (pictured right)

Memories are exactly what Jade aims to create with Mikey’s Miracle Foundation. In November, Jade’s organization will provide a Thanksgiving meal to homes with patients undergoing chemo treatment. This service relieves families from hectic holiday preparation and grants them free time to truly enjoy the holidays. Belinda Prattis, owner of Dinner on Demand, partnered with Jade to ensure families receive delicious meals. 

Jade knows the importance of Thanksgiving catering firsthand; it was provided for her family when her mother was in treatment. She was comforted when a holiday meal was sent to her home. “I could just spend time and enjoy important moments with her,” Jade shared. Because chemotherapy patients invest large sums of money into treatment, Jade wants to ensure that Thanksgiving dinner has no cost. In addition to Thanksgiving meals, the foundation will provide weekly meal preparation when needed.

Photo via Jerri Marie Photography

After feeding the body, Jade aims to feed the soul. Faith in God was a common thread that looped through all of the evening’s speeches. It’s also something Mikey was well known for. “My mom was a very spiritual woman. She knew that bible front to back,” Jade said. In honor of her mother, Jade provides Cancer patients and families with counseling services and pastoral guidance. Jade shared, “If you share the same beliefs, we want to provide some kind of counseling to speak to that spiritual need."

The final initiative of Mikey’s Miracle Foundation is to offer transportation services. Chemotherapy often leaves patients exhausted. Having a guaranteed ride home after appointments adds some ease to the process. 

Mikey’s Miracle Foundation takes a holistic approach to assisting cancer patients. The slogan “one family, one cure” encompasses the desire to not only support patients, but their families too. To help create memories by volunteering or fund miracles with donations, visit Mikey’s Miracle foundation online at MikeysMiracleFoundation.Org.

ABC NEWS | Midday Maryland | Mikey's Miracle Foundation

MEDIUM | A business built on faith

The following is a guest post by Jade Nicole Neverdon Merritt, founder of Mikey’s Miracle Foundation, Inc. Learn more about the Imagining Justice in Baltimore series.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. — Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)

I remember it like it was yesterday. We were sitting in the hospital room watching television and sharing jokes like we had always done when the surgeon who performed my mother’s emergency surgery just 72-hours before walked in to deliver the gut-wrenching news — “Mrs. Merritt, you have cancer.” It was stage IV.

At an early-age, my mother instilled in me the Christian practice of prayer especially when faced with trials and tribulations like this and when we received the news, we prayed. With my mother’s diagnosis, we prayed that God would strengthen our faith so that we would be able to walk in the journey ahead knowing that regardless the outcome, all would be well. From the initial diagnosis in June 2014 until her passing on January 25, 2016, I would learn that my faith would be tested like it had never been before but ultimately lead me to the place that I am now.

She was my best friend, my prayer partner, my sorority sister but above all; she was my Mommy.

Jade poses with her mother.

For two years, and as an only child, I served as the primary caregiver for my mother who fought courageously against Stage IV colorectal cancer. Between work, managing my personal affairs, and caring for my mother, I often felt myself emotionally and physically exhausted. I cared for her every single day with little guidance from healthcare professionals, no formal training, and limited knowledge of resources that could help me. I simply cared for her out of love. It is through this experience, that I realized the significant impact that cancer has on the caregiver.

Shortly after her passing, I quit my job and start an organization that would help families like mine. Mikey’s Miracle Foundation, named affectionately after my mom, seeks to bridge the gaps with the transition of care management from hospital to home by creating a support network for caregivers, highlighting their specific needs, identifying resources that understand the unique nature of families and their role as caregivers, and providing services to the most at-risk families in the Baltimore Metropolitan area.

People said I was crazy. That I was reacting out of a place of grief and that it would be foolish to quit without first creating a plan. The idea that I wanted to start a nonprofit but had never even worked for a nonprofit was scary for some and honestly at times I believed so too, but I had faith. The type of faith that my mother and I had prayed for that day in the hospital. I knew that amid the grief there was a greater purpose for my life.

There was a feeling in my spirit that spoke to me and said that regardless of my background and lack of knowledge in the field, that this is what I was meant to do. I prayed about it and decided to walk boldly in my purpose and blind with faith.

It is faith that has led our organization to two successful years of serving families in the Baltimore Metropolitan, attaining our 501(c)(3) status, raising almost $60,000 from individual donors, building a network of 30 volunteers and board members and partnerships with various organizations throughout the city. It is also faith and being rooted in strong religious beliefs from which our organization operates daily. One of the services we offer includes pastoral counseling recognizing that faith and religion play a large role in the healing process for some of our patients.

Jade (pictured right) delivers meals.

Had I listened to those who said that my spirit prompting, and in Christianity referred to as the Holy Spirit, was wrong, I do not believe that we would be where we are as an organization. That we would not be able to serve others in love the way Christ has instructed us to do.

Although I did not know or could not always see how it would be done, I knew that through faith, I would be able to help families in the fight against cancer. Faith is what has built this business and it is faith that will sustain this business.

The city of Baltimore is part of a national conversation around questions of justice, race and community. In the initiative Imagining Justice in Baltimore the ICJS will contribute the perspectives of local Jews, Christians and Muslims to the public conversation about justice, and injustice, in Baltimore. Each contributor represents her or his own opinion. We welcome this diversity of perspective and are not seeking a single definition of justice between traditions, nor denying the multivocal nature of justice within traditions.

WELLSTRUCK | Jade Nicole Neverdon Merritt

This interview is part of the Lady Boss Co-Host Series

Jade of Mikey’s Miracle Foundation, Inc. is co-hosting the June 2017 edition of Lady Boss at Artifact Coffee in Baltimore. Tix here.

.....

Let's get to know her

Q: What's your current guilty pleasure?

A: The Real Housewives Franchise & Anything GOLD!
 

Q: What are you listening to lately?

A: Myleik Teele Podcast & The Axe Files
 

Q: What's your favorite app or resource of the moment?

A: ATracker Pro
 

Q: Who are you crushing on?

A: Lady Boss Crush — Nely Galán
 

Q: Current mantra (or phrase, or Affirmation...)?

A: "As we drive along this road called life, occasionally a gal will find herself a little lost. And when that happens, I guess she hast to let go of the coulda, shoulda, would, buckle up and just keep going." —Carrie Bradshaw
 

What makes her a boss

Q: Tell us about your business.

A: Moved to honor the life and legacy of Michal S. Neverdon Merritt, Mikey’s Miracle Foundation was created to fill a void in the programs and support services available to cancer patients and their caregivers. Mikey’s Miracle Foundation, Inc. provides a comprehensive and holistic approach in treatment of a disease that does not discriminate against race, age or gender. With the rising costs of healthcare, it is our vision to provide sustainable programs and support services that improve the quality of life for patients receiving cancer treatment and their families at no cost. We seek to gain funding through federal grants, individual donors and corporate sponsors in the Baltimore Metropolitan and surrounding areas.

Support services offered include: Early Detection Planning/Screening, Family Counseling & Mediation, Pastoral/Spiritual Counseling, In-Home Skilled Nursing, and Meal Planning/Nutritional Services.
 

Q: What accomplishment are you celebrating right now?

A:  I'm super proud that in less than one year of starting Mikey's Miracle Foundation, Inc. we were able to secure our 501(c)(3) status in less than three weeks. There are many established non-profits who not achieved this status so it is quite the honor to be a start-up organization making tremendous strides. This is just the beginning!
 

Q: What keeps you motivated?

A: My Mommy.....

Mikey's Miracle Foundation, Inc. was created as a tribute to the amazing life, character and unwavering faith of my mom, Michal Sharon Neverdon-Merritt. Although her physical presence is no longer here, I believe that it is my life's purpose to ensure that her spirit and legacy continue to live on through the lives of those supported by Mikey's Miracle. Being a blessing to others is truly a testament to who she was and the woman she raised me to be.
 

Q: What's one tip you want to share with other entrepreneurs?

A: Trust the process! Everything will work out just fine in the end.
 

Q: Why should others join us for lady boss?

A: Lady Boss is an opportunity for women to gather together in a spirit of collaboration. As we navigate along the journey of entrepreneurship, it's super important to be surrounded by women who share the same passion or drive to help you succeed both personally and professionally! It's all about community over competition.

HUFFINGTON POST | Now More Than Ever

The following is guest post by Jade Merritt, founder and Executive Director of Mikey’s Miracle Foundation, Inc.

Mikey’s Miracle Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to provide sustainable programs and support services to patients receiving cancer treatment and their caregivers in the Baltimore Metropolitan area. In her spare time, Merritt serves as the content creator & editor-in-chief for the lifestyle blog, Charm City Pretty.

_______________________

Just this summer, white supremacists, Neo-Nazis, and members of the KKK descended upon Charlottesville, VA in what was represented as protest against the removal of the statue of confederate general, Robert E. Lee. But the violence, deadly car attack, and melee that ensued had nothing to do with the removal of the statue. It had everything to do with white nationalism in a country where the divisive comments by the commander of chief have energized hate groups to come from behind their white sheets and proudly don their swastikas, openly spewing hatred against blacks, Jews, and Muslims.

“Jews will not replace us!” “White Lives Matter!” and “You will not replace us!” were the chants shouted as the ‘Unite the Right’ protestors marched along the campus of the University of Virginia with tiki torches.

Three people were killed and 35 were injured.

Hatred didn’t just happen to walk down the streets of Charlottesville. It happens to live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It is the rhetoric of our current president that has caused the resurgence of hate amongst groups who feel that even as a majority their whiteness is somehow threatened by the advancement of people of color and those of different religious beliefs.

The attacks on persons of color, Jews, and Muslims brings to the forefront the very important conversation on interfaith relations. For this attack was not targeted against just one religious group, but many. It raises the question of how can communities of faith come together in such a time to address the social and racial injustices of our country? Throughout history, it has been times of social and political crisis, where faith is fundamental in providing the support and healing within communities.

When I began the Entrepreneur Lunchtime Series (ELS) cohort with the Institute for Islamic, Christian and Jewish Studies (ICJS) in March, I had no idea how relevant these conversations would be and how it would profoundly affect my thought process as a business leader. ELS is a cohort with monthly sessions that bring together Baltimore based entrepreneurs to discuss the role that religion and ethics can play in building communities. Charlottesville proved to be the perfect case study for this dialogue.

We now live in a society where we are faced with increasing levels of racism, Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism while our current administration has neglected to take a clear position on these issues. With the Charlottesville attacks, the president was quoted as saying that there were bad people on both sides... but there is only one side. The side of peace, equality and justice for all. Racism and hatred are unequivocally reprehensible and are not morally equivalent.

As a social entrepreneur in the Baltimore business community, this is most certainly the time for small businesses to work together with interfaith organizations to promote unity and mobilize our communities around a shared purpose. Economic growth and cross cultural and interfaith dialogue are essential in building community and we all have a responsibility to take a stance. In many ways, we are all affected by what is happening in our country, and research shows that economic growth is strong when social hostilities involving religion are low. Businesses can promote interfaith peace and understanding by positively engaging communities and encouraging inclusivity. Our city needs us. And they need us now more than ever. If the current administration continues to fail to address these social and racial injustices, we must step up as leaders.

I have always believed that the work that I do serves as greater purpose and the impact on the lives working within my organization and those who are the beneficiaries is far greater than any reward I could ever imagine. Now, more than ever, I have the responsibility to speak up on the social issues that currently plague our country and am fully open to being a part of the continued conversation through my participation with the ICJS cohort and within my own community.

While the tragic events in Charlottesville suggests that there is still great work that needs to be done, I still have faith that we can become a more unified country. Now, more than ever, businesses and interfaith organizations must work together to promote cooperative, constructive, and positive interactions amongst members of our communities to bring about the social change that we so desperately need.

The ICJS Entrepreneurs Lunchtime Series (ELS) brings together local entrepreneurial leaders to discuss the role that religion and ethics can play in building healthy communities. In this initiative, the ICJS will contribute the perspectives of local Jews, Christians and Muslims to the public conversation about religion and ethics in Baltimore. Each contributor represents her or his own opinion. We welcome and lift up this diversity of perspectives.