a woman seated on the ground wearing leggings and a hat with her arms crossed in front of her and a group of women looking at her

Meet Donor and Facilitator Lisa Taitelman

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The Foundation for Living Beauty provides free wellness and support services to women with cancer and we are able to do this because of the generous support of our donors! Living Beauty spoke with a dedicated donor and asked her to share her story of why she gives. Lisa Taitelman is not only a committed donor, but also an amazing facilitator who has worked with Living Beauties at our Goddess Wellness Retreat, as well as lead her own stand-alone workshops. Read more to learn about the programs she brings to our women as well as why she is a huge supporter of Living Beauty!

FFLB: How did you become connected to Living Beauty?

Lisa: I was introduced to your awesome organization through a fellow health coach, Jeanette Carbajal, who recommended that I connect with you all… and am so glad I did!

FFLB: What is it about our mission that inspires you to give?

Lisa: It was after the loss of my own mom to cancer, I started on my path of self-discovery and learned how hiking became the vessel for my healing and changed the course of my life as I know it today. I have educated and inspired many women through the healing power of nature to shed limiting beliefs and live a life of joy and fulfillment. I went back to school in my early 50’s to become a transformational coach, and through my education and life experience, I have created a program called “Follow Your Trail”, a 6-week empowerment program which focuses on healing, and finding one’s truth in nature through self-care, self-love and community. When I was introduced to Living Beauty, it spoke straight to my heart! I love that you provide a safe haven through wellness retreats for all these women going through the most difficult time in their lives in all different stages of cancer… and FREE to all of them. I love how you offer them a beautiful community of other women going through something similar so they don’t feel alone in a very scary time in their lives. I wish I would have known about Living Beauty when my mom was diagnosed all those years ago. I believe that it may have saved her life. I love your mission and everything it stands for and it makes me want to give back to these incredible women. I know firsthand how my mom suffered and I felt so helpless, giving back has fulfilled me in so many ways. It has given me new meaning in my life to be a facilitator at Living Beauty and to donate portions of my program with them in honor of my mother.

FFLB: When giving to do Living Beauty, what impact do you expect your donation to have?

Lisa: I want to be able to share my story with other women, through the healing power of nature, whether it is a walk at the beach, or a hike in the mountains. I want to shout out to them how hiking healed me and how it can heal them too, I believe I needed to find out what hiking had to teach me. I found my voice and I found ME! Women tend to put all others first, before ourselves, our partners, our kids, even our pets. I want other women to know that we must take care of ourselves first, and that is not selfish, but a gift we give to ourselves and to our loved ones. Through Follow Your Trail, I show them how to give from a full cup, and not an empty one, otherwise we become depleted, exhausted, resentful and ultimately sick. I have come to learn through the loss of my mom, disease starts with “DIS-EASE” in the body. Giving back this way to Living Beauty has been the most meaningful part of my work and journey thus far. By giving to them, I get so much more in return from all of these amazing women. I like to call them warriors, because that is what they all are. True Warriors. So, the impact I am hoping my donation has is that I want to show these women that they all have the power within themselves to be strong, make change, be resilient, feel empowered and liberated, it all comes down to the power of our mindset and what we chose to tell ourselves. I like to say, “Be careful what you tell yourself, because you are listening”!

 

 

logo for Foundation for Living Beauty showing a purple lotus flower in a blue circle

What is #GivingTuesday?

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According to their website, “Giving Tuesday is a movement that unleashes the power of radical generosity around the world.” It was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Since then, it has grown into an annual global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

On Thanksgiving we celebrate with family and food; Black Friday is all about shopping and getting the best deal; Saturday we support small businesses and shop local; and Cyber Monday is focused on shopping online. The next day, Giving Tuesday, is all about giving back! It is a day to give, to celebrate nonprofits and their missions, and to support our communities.

The Foundation for Living Beauty loves participating in #GivingTuesday because it gives us a chance to be part of this global philanthropic effort while also sharing the stories of women with cancer and how donating to Living Beauty helps support them on their cancer journey.

If you’d like to fundraise on Facebook, click here for a guide to setting up your own, personal fundraising page.

You can also give directly on our website.

We can also assist with a matching donation from your employer, choosing us through your Donor Advised Fund, or setting up a monthly donation!

Also, tax laws have changed so be sure to speak with your financial adviser about how your giving will affect your taxes for 2021.

We also have a new way to give! Living Beauty is participating in #CryptoTuesday, a new Giving Tuesday all about donating cryptocurrency! The goal is to encourage a culture of charitable giving among the crypto community. Click here to donate!

Or to explore other ways to support visit www.livingbeauty.org/giving.

a woman in a blue living beauty t-shirt holding her hair that has just been cut

Rosie Gives

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This week, as we are leading up to Giving Tuesday, The Foundation for Living Beauty has been highlighting what giving means to us. One of the most inspiring forms of giving we see is from one Living Beauty to another. When a woman is diagnosed with cancer, she often faces the reality of balancing her life and her health as she works, cares for children, acts as a caregiver for adult family members and more, often while dealing with aggressive treatment and its side effects. Even within this difficult reality, our Living Beauties are still moved to do everything they can to support one another on their cancer journeys and pay it forward whenever possible, whether it be giving advice to another Living Beauty at a retreat or providing food for a Living Beauty and her family during the pandemic. These moments of selflessness that our women share with one another remind us of the power of sisterhood and community that can flourish among women. Here we are highlighting the story of our Living Beauty Rosie as she donates her hair to help make wigs for women experiencing hair loss while in treatment!

Rosie invited Living Beauty to share in this special experience as she had her hair cut for the fourth time to donate and we were able to speak with her about the impact she is making!

FFLB: Can you tell us about your journey as a Living Beauty?

Rosie: In 2019, I met an incredible woman (Angie) who became my friend. She was a living beauty thanks to another living beauty (Jeanette). Both of them have transitioned from this earth. Angie shared with me what Living Beauty was, so I went on the website and looked into it. At first I was hesitant because I’m a private person or more of an introvert when it comes to my personal life. I joined Living Beauty in January 2020 which was about 6 months after my treatment. I have met so many wonderful women who have taught me to open up about my own journey which has helped me move forward.

FFLB: You mentioned you have donated your hair in the past. What inspires you to donate your hair?

Rosie: This is my 4th hair donation. In 2012, I donated 18 inches of my hair for the first time. My hair was very long (below my seat). I wanted to shorten it but I didn’t want it to go to waste. I began to research hair donations and saw there was a huge need for hair donations to help make wigs for patients experiencing hair loss. I thought about the women in my life and thought it could be anyone one of them, not knowing I’d be the one to receive a cancer diagnosis 7 years later. At the end of 2019, my friend Angie transitioned from this life. I chose to grow my hair out and pay it forward for having the opportunity she did not get. This donation is in her honor.

FFLB: Why is it important to you to give back and pay it forward?

Rosie: I grew up helping others, from tutoring other kids in my neighborhood to helping the Kiwanis Club. I received a scholarship from the Kiwanis Club which greatly helped pay for college. I joined the Kiwanis Club and paid it forward. I co-chaired a golf tournament to raise funds for scholarships, co-chaired the holiday basket program for families in need, amongst other club activities. Helping others is part of who I am. Donating my hair is another way I can help others.

FFLB: What organizations are you donating your hair to and why?

Rosie: I am donating my hair to “Children with hair loss” who provides wigs to children experiencing hair loss for various medical conditions to include cancer. I want to help put a smile on a child’s face.

FFLB: How does donating your hair honor other Living Beauties and their cancer journeys?

Rosie: Other Living Beauty’s who experienced hair loss have shared how important having a wig(s) is for their journey. By donating my hair, I am honoring my friend and the women of Living Beauty by showing them that we can support one another in different ways.

FFLB: Is there anything else you’d like us to know?

Rosie: I hope that this is just one of many other ways that I make my dash count (referencing the dash quote from the movie “Where Hope Grows”) and that I continue to live a life with purpose.