ENCOURAGE - EMPOWER - ENTERTAIN

Something for Nothing

Written by Diana Perkovic

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Posted on February 20 2018

A basic tenet of Good Girl Mafia: Do something for others without expecting anything in return.

For me, it is about uplifting and supporting other women. I didn’t just wake up one day and decide it’s a “thing.” It happened organically. My father passed away in 2012 because of cancer. Outside of my immediate family, six years later it’s still hard for me to talk about at any length without feeling a little overwhelmed. The discussions we had the last few days of his life forever changed the trajectory of mine. I found it difficult to grieve and host a live and unscripted daily television show. I was struggling to snap out of it. Even sleep was hard to come by. My sister recommended I go volunteer after years of saying it was on my to-do list. Shortly thereafter, I received a call from The Pinellas Country School Board in Florida to participate in “The Great American Teach In.” At one high school, I spoke to a group of ‘at-risk’ girls and I instantly fell for them. Relay for Life[/caption] I spent that entire school year mentoring these young girls. We did simple things like arts and crafts. And we had loftier goals, too. We participated in an 18-hour-event called Relay for Life, where the school ended up raising $44,000 to help fight cancer. It was that first group of girls who ignited a passion do more. Admittedly, I always drove away from the school feeling a little guilty. Was I supposed to feel this good? It’s not about me.     But it was the first time in a long while that I had experienced fulfillment.   

Fulfillment is now a priority in my life. Even before I moved to Los Angeles, I begun my involvement with The Covenant House California. It is a homeless shelter that provides sanctuary and support for homeless and trafficked youth, ages 18-24. (To learn more about The Cov, please visit their website, www.covenanthousecalifornia.org.) I do various things with The Covenant House to help advocate for the youth.  One of the most inspiring and moving events I was involved in was the annual Sleep Out, where a group of professionals slept on the streets for one night in Hollywood, on a cardboard box and sleeping bag without a pillow, to raise money and awareness for the youth that call The Cov home. Together, we raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to help homeless and trafficked youth in California.     I have friends who foster dogs, are involved with the ASPCA, while others read to kindergarten classes. Find your jam. We are all suffering from a time famine. I have found carving out a bit of time for others is well worth the juggling. It is worth it especially if you find yourself at a bit of a low point in your life. I found that the time I spent with my high school girls was the time when I had a mental break and wasn’t thinking about grieving. The only thing I could focus on was the girls. Don’t feel surprised if you leave feeling a little guilty. You may be surprised by how good you feel when you’re giving. Especially when there’s really nothing you expect in return. But that seems to be the drill.

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