This time three years ago, we launched a campaign for a little girl with a strong heart and brittle bones. Her name was Zoe Lush. She had Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a rare genetic disorder that causes an under-mineralized bone structure. When we met her, at two years old, Zoe had broken nearly every bone in her tiny body. Insurance wasn’t covering Zoe’s essential needs… she needed help.
We didn’t know quite what to expect with Zoe’s flash charity campaign. While Chivers had recently established themselves as a powerhouse of goodwill, raising $250,000 for quad-amputee and Navy EOD tech Taylor Morris, this particular campaign was different.
Of course, there were some similarities to Taylor’s campaign… there were the final calls with Zoe’s parents, the last-minute details, the technical difficulties of whether a server could handle hundreds of simultaneous donors, and the anxiety of whether or not Chive Nation would step up to the plate ready to bat. All of those aspects will never change.
What was different about this story is that it marked the official launch of Chive Charities.
We had long ago realized that a charity should give the recipient a megaphone to raise awareness for their cause, rather than the traditional approach. We also noticed that there were huge gaps where lost causes weren’t being heard. People in need were reaching out to us in despair without anywhere else to turn. Many had been overlooked by other charities or passed over by insurance companies for crucial quality-of-life enhancing items. They felt alone and misunderstood, without a community to lean on for support. These are the underdogs.
Zoe was one of these underdogs. What Chive Nation did that day three years ago, raising over $100,000 in less than 3 hours, helped inspire a movement.
Zoe’s journey served as the foundation on which we built Chive Charities. Our focus on long-term assistance and lasting relationships with our recipients has defined how we help. In fact, it’s one of the things that sets us apart. For us, there is no benefit from the short-term grant items. It’s not business, it’s personal. Years after Zoe’s campaign was over, we watch her take her first steps, we oooh and ahhh over her Halloween costumes, we send cards and gifts when she takes a spill out of her high chair. It is with this focus on family that we approach each and every story following hers, every one inspiring and unique in its own way.
This month marks Chive Charities’ 3rd birthday and it’s amazing to see what we’ve accomplished. We’ve raised $6.8 million in aid for hundreds of recipients, and shed thousands of tears learning about worthy causes. Not to mention the millions of people whose lives have been made at least 10% happier because they helped make a difference.
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