Happy Friday, here’s a 3B update for you #the3bway

On September 4, 2015September 4, 2015 By BraedenIn Announcements, Real Life1 Comment

I am officially a middle schooler. I started 6th grade at Gauger-Cobbs this week. Our mascot is a cobra. I am going to try out for soccer next week. I’m really excited about that, I’ve been wanting to play soccer. I have a locker and we change classes. I have four minutes in between each class. There are A LOT of people in school. So far all my teachers are really nice and I like it.

Yesterday, there was an article that went onto the CNN Health website about young chefs who are paying it forward. It talked about me and also my friend Haile Thomas. Haile started the HAPPY Organization. She travels to teach kids about living and eating healthy. She is a really great chef and she won the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge in 2012. She’s really cool and we even had her and her Mom come out to Delaware in May because I knew she would be the perfect person to show the kids at the hunger conference how simple it is for them to make healthy snacks all on their own.

Also this week my Mom finished up the application for the 3B Ripples Student Chapters program. I came up with this idea for a couple reasons. One because I really want to be able to reach more people in need and I know I can’t do it by myself. But I also really think that other kids probably like to help and to give just like me. And I think that maybe having something in school to help them get into volunteering will make them feel happier and make them look forward to something else in school.

I also found out that I am receiving a special Rising Star in Philanthropy award in November. My friend Caitlin Custer who works at the Food Bank of Delaware, she nominated me and I am so very happy that I was picked for this award. It’s exciting. It makes me feel good that she thought of me and that the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) also thinks that I am a rising star. I will also be on a panel to talk to people about philanthropy on November 17 at the Chase Center. You should come if you can. NATIONAL PHILANTHROPY DAY 2015

There’s a very nice lady named Linda Prickett she works at Waters (Alfred G.) Middle School in Middletown. She gave me bags of stuffed animals, Beanie Babies, to give to kids in need. I can add them to my 3B bags as an extra surprise for kids I meet at the soup kitchens. I think this will be perfect for the holiday season. I am very excited to be able to give out the animals.

And I would also like to thank Wells Fargo in Wilmington and Ms. Meredith for helping to collect school supplies for us to add to bags. Thanks to family and friends and Wells Fargo we were able to give out over 50 back packs with healthy snacks and school supplies to schools this Summer.

Two more things, okay maybe three more things or four…

One is that the Big Fish Grill in Glenn Mills, PA is donating to 3B Brae’s Brown Bags this month as part of their Women & Wine night. We had a fundraiser with them last year, too. They make REALLY yummy food! Like really! And it’s not just for women, anyone can go and enjoy the menu. This year they are even including a really delicious sounding dessert with candy in it!

I’m going to visit the Sunday Breakfast Mission in a couple weeks because I want to be able to partner with them and give them 3B bags and stuff for them to use and give out. I am happy to be able to work with them and I have bags to bring with me, too.

On October 4, 2015 I’ll be at the Glasgow Park as a sponsor for the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Society for Vascular Nursing Health Fair which also has a 5K. You should come to the fair and even sign up for the 5K! All participants will receive a t-shirt and YAY the 3B logo will be on the back.

My Mom and I are flying to Florida on October 1st to meet the great people at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School. They invited me to come talk to all the students about Brae’s Brown Bags and also about service and food insecurity. I’m pretty excited about it 🙂

So I think that is everything. I hope you all have a really great weekend. I’m pretty excited it’s a 3-day weekend. Happy Labor Day!

The very first 3B fundraiser night at Big Fish Grill

On January 29, 2014January 29, 2014 By BraedenIn 3B Outreach2 Comments

Last night I went to Big Fish Grill in Glenn Mills, PA. They had a four course meal and the best part of the meals was the grilled fish and the dessert which was apple layers with gelato. It was also a good flavor idea that they added clementine slices to the salad.

I talked to two groups of people who attended the dinner. One of the ladies asked me if she could give me a high five and I thought that was pretty cool. Some of the people actually gave me donations after I talked to them about Brae’s Brown Bags (3B). And it was really nice because part of their meal was going towards 3B also so this was extra.

The people who work at Big Fish Grill brought me donations. We have extra bags, water bottles and snacks now which will come in handy. Plus $5 from every meal for the Women & Wine Event went to 3B and I am very thankful, I think that was very generous.

I got to meet Amanda Ferguson, she is the lady who helped set up the dinner and reached out because she was impressed with 3B. She was very nice and I gave her a 3B t-shirt and then she gave me a Big Fish Grill t-shirt which I didn’t expect and I thought that was very nice. I also met the chef and the kitchen staff. The chef, was really, his name is Tim, he was so nice to me and he showed me everything in the kitchen. I hope it was okay when I turned down the raw oyster. Another person I met was Husdon Austin. He paired the wine to each course and talked to us about the wine. My Mom let me smell and sip the wines. They all smelled like wine to me.

It meant a lot to me that my Mom and Brian, Gram and Pop Pop and Great Grandmom and Grandpop Willey were all there, too. I think they had a good time. And my Grandmom and Grandpop Stephan watched Finn and Amelia which is why my Mom and Brian were able to be there so that was nice also.

There are some more photos on my Mom’s Flickr page.

A cold day in January

On January 27, 2014January 27, 2014 By BraedenIn 3B Outreach1 Comment

My Mom took me and my brother Finn to the Emmanuel Dining Room yesterday. The weather has been really cold, yesterday I don’t think it even got above 30 degrees. Tomorrow there is a high of only 17 degrees and with the wind chill it will feel much colder than even that!

We ran out bags really quickly yesterday at the soup kitchen. It made me sad. We ran out of bags for the kids in about five minutes. That is the fastest ever that we have ran out of bags, 52 bags in under 15 minutes. Everyone was happy to see me there and I feel good that they remember me and they like when I come to hand out bags.

We put hand warmers in all of the bags. I have been told that the hand warmers are a nice addition so we will be doing that for the rest of the winter.

Tomorrow my Mom and Brian are taking me to the Big Fish Grill in Glenn Mills, PA. My great grandparents, Grandpop and Grandmom Willey are coming, too and so are my Gram and Pop Pop. I will be giving a little talk about Brae’s Brown Bags. I’m excited because the manager said I could go back into the kitchen and meet the chef.

They are going to be donating $5 from each meal purchased for a special event they are hosting to help fundraise for 3B. How cool is that?

Big Fish Grill holding a special dinner event to raise money for 3B

On January 4, 2014January 4, 2014 By BraedenIn Announcements3 Comments

Yay! 2014 is already starting out with a bang!

Big and super fun news from my new friends at Big Fish Grill in Glenn Mills, PA.

Big Fish Grill saw 3B Brae’s Brown Bags on the news and emailed me to ask if they could hold a 4-course meal and wine event at their restaurant to help raise money for 3B! So for every person who attends their Women & Wine on January 28, 2014 they will donate $5 to my foundation! Last month they raised money for Toys for Tots are they awesome or what?