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Martina's Favorite Charities
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The Rainbow Endowment
Pet Care Fund Sanctuary
Laureus World sports academy
Mill Creek Farm
Save the Rhino
Metropolitain Community Churches
Sierra Club
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)
Helping Out
Over the years I have been involved with many different charities. My philosophy for putting in either time or money, and, of course lending my name to a cause is very basic:
- Help charities for which I know I can make a difference.
- Help those who cannot help themselves.
- Help the causes with which I have an emotional connection.
Come to think of it I have an emotional connection with all of them! What this boils down to is that I usually help smaller groups rather than the big, national charities where you are just a drop in the bucket. And it also means helping charities that deal with animals, the environment and gay rights.
So where are the children, you ask. How come there is no charity I give time or money to that helps children? Well, I actually used to have a foundation called the Martina Youth Foundation that raised money for children in need. I bankrolled the whole thing and created various ways to raise money for the foundation. But in the end it turned out to be more difficult to give out money without getting in trouble. The foundation was audited every year by the IRS - even though they never found one dollar that was out of place. And then there was the time that the foundation gave scholarship support to a student, because the scholarship from the school itself was not enough for this kid to survive. When the school learned of the additional monies this student received from us, the student lost the financial support from the school itself. So the foundation gave money to help the student, but the student ended in exactly the same situation as before without the money from the school - very frustrating! It all just did ' nt make sense. So I gave up the foundation and instead I have done different events over the years for various children's charities. I figured I could help raise the money and let someone else give it away.
So there you have it - some examples of where I get involved and try to make a difference. That is where being famous comes in very handy and useful, and is an advantage that I am very happy to take. I realize that it is easier to make a positive difference when you have money to spare. But you can do something even without a dime in your pocket. You can always find somewhere where a volunteer is needed-whether taking a few dogs for a walk in an animal shelter, reading a book to an elderly person in an old people's home, holding an infant in a neonatal clinic, marking turtle egg nests on the beach or picking up trash along the highway for a mile or two. Find what you are passionate about and go do it! Whatever it is, know that every little bit counts and bring a friend!!