Blog Posts

Nearly six years ago, while 5 months pregnant with her first child, Brita was diagnosed with aggressive stage 2 breast cancer. When conventional treatment failed, she turned to alternative therapy and was soon cancer free.  Two years ago, she found another lump. While trying to physically heal, she grew severely depressed, and it became clear…

When Kelly heard Glennon say, “Find what breaks your heart and that will be your purpose,” she knew she needed to serve NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) families. Both her children, born three years apart, spent time in the NICU. She told us, “It’s a parent’s nightmare to see your child fighting to live and…

Together, with your donations, we continue to support US homeless youth organizations like the Ruth Ellis Center.   The Ruth Ellis Center provides short and long-term residential safe space and support services for homeless youth.  This organization is a top innovator for addressing the needs of LGBTQ youth and young adults experiencing homelessness. They provide outreach and…

Thank you for helping us support vital domestic programs like Casa Youth — a temporary shelter for runaways and youth in crisis. Located in Los Alamitos, California, the shelter provides a supportive environment with family reunification as a primary goal.   Casa Youth Shelter shared with us some of their residents’ stories. You are supporting young women like…

Fear is loud. Loud things tend to get our attention. When we allow loud fear voices to steal our attention we feel shaky, paranoid, hopeless. Love lives in the quiet. Love requires us to stop what we’re doing and drop in. Is this why it’s called falling in love? Fear would have us keep talking and yelling…

Together Rising family, meet Whitney, Adam, and their three precious babies Isaac, Noah, and Gideon.   In early 2015, Adam began experiencing episodes of dizziness and numbness in his leg, which increased in frequency over the course of many months. At the time he was juggling graduate school, working, and raising two young boys with…

REAL love is not pink and fluffy and rose-y and butterflies. Real love is not shiny and whole and smiling serenely. Real love is not holding hands while running through fields of sunflowers or gazing over chardonnay while wearing sexy dresses and opening boxes of diamonds. It’s just not. That stuff is something else. That…

One of the notes that inspired us to begin our Together Letters program was one received during our most recent Holiday Hands. Mom Beckie wrote about her son Wyatt, and your response to her desire for connection was overwhelming.   “My 8 year old son, Wyatt, is in 2nd grade and is in an LLD…

Through your donations, Together Rising meets a variety of physical needs for members of our community. We do this both through our large fundraising events, like Love Flash Mobs and Holiday Hands, and through our year-round giving program.   But for many members of this community, money can’t buy what they desperately need – emotional…

Janine and Maggie have been friends for 50 years.   At a young age, Janine’s mom and step-dad welcomed Maggie into their family. For Maggie, the child of an alcoholic single mom, Janine’s family has continued to be her second family ever since.   Maggie recently wrote to us. She explained that her “sister by life” friend,…