Glenda first found her love of charity work, when she joined Women for Women International’s executive office team as an unpaid intern in fall 2008. From the numerous heart-warming and galvanizing speeches from the CEO/Founder Zainab Salbi, she found herself wanting to share the immense compassion and love she had for learning and sharing other people's stories. That same year, she hosted her very first fundraiser at a boutique in Bethesda - raising a humble $200; however, the impact came from sharing the stories of female entrepreneurship in war-torn countries--connecting guests with this cause. That same year, she took a trip to Pascuales, Ecuador to help her friend build a school and grounds for nonprofit, Children of Guayaquil. She spent 7 days carrying bricks, painting walls, but most importantly bonding with all of the school's underprivileged children. For months before the trip, she collected boxes of clothing, books, and calculators to bring to Ecuador. In May 2010, she raised $4916 for the Avon Breast Cancer Foundation; moreover, brought in approximately 600-700 guests to hear the inspirational stories of women who had conquered cancer. After planning this large event, she found that she could leverage her event planning experience with her passion for philanthropy. From 2009 to 2011, she held two full-time positions, working closely with the President of Women for Women International Andree Simon as her assistant; and as the Events Manager at DISTRICT Lounge. In 2011, she was nominated as a Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) Woman of the Year candidate, and raised $40,000 for LLS in just ten weeks.
She took over as Executive Director for So Kids SOAR (Formerly Dreams For Kids DC) in September 2011. Over the past ten years, she has developed numerous corporate partnerships, engaged hundreds of new volunteers and empowered hundreds of children with disabilities in the DC-metro area. The empowerment these children feel and learn from all of SKS’ activities propel them through school, work and life. She also freelances PR and event planning independently for local companies, including a variety of popular restaurants in the area. She leverages her PR and Event work to raise money for other incredible start-up nonprofits in her spare time. Over the last five years, she has helped raise money for local and international charities including Falling Whistles, Saprinu/Shining Star Academy in Nepal, Fashion Fix, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Hope Community Charter School, Brainy Camps, Urban Light, Artsbridge Institute, FairFund and more. Raising over $100,000 on behalf of other nonprofits for free.
She is the mother of two amazing children and has shifted my focus to expanding So Kids SOAR to multiple cities (New York City is on the horizon). She loves storytelling and writing both children's books for her own kids, while also working on a novel that will be a grown-up fairytale dedicated to moms. As for volunteering, she currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Alzner Foundation.
