This is the 30th year that the Heartfelt Foundation has been serving those that are the poorest of the poor in our worldwide community. Our service is very direct and our volunteers are excellent representatives of the loving, caring and compassion that fills Heartfelt’s work. Heartfelt exists today because of the support, encouragement and ongoing assistance of John-Roger, our Founder.
30 years ago, I was working for another John-Roger organization (Insight Seminars). I began finding that homeless people were following me down the streets of Santa Monica, lining up outside of our office doors every day asking for food or help, some people were even calling on the phone asking for “that lady”. I became very concerned that I would lose my job which at the time had little to do with these kinds of situations I was helping with. So I called John-Roger and asked him what to do. His response was: “Patti, if they come to us, we help them.” And from that moment, Heartfelt was birthed and we’ve been doing that very thing…helping those that come to us.
The anniversary celebration of serving hundreds of thousands of people around the world, and providing service opportunities to more than 50,000 volunteers was a special and memorable opportunity to acknowledge the many donors and supporters that have enabled Heartfelt to continue these many years. For these, and for those that have allowed Heartfelt to help them, we are grateful.
In loving service,
Patti Rayner
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A Heartfelt Family
By James Hassett
“A Heartfelt Family” is the phrase that best describes my experience of the 30th Anniversary celebration of the Heartfelt Foundation on Saturday November 7, 2009 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Marina del Rey, CA. Gathering in the early afternoon, there was a quiet joy present throughout the team of volunteers attending to every detail in preparing a beautiful place for the evening’s festivities. I was impressed with the high level of cooperation, caring, creativity and ease with which the team completed the many tasks
A highlight of the evening was when Patti introduced the single mother and her children who arrived too late at the Heartfelt Christmas Service Project at the Santa Monica Pier last year. After commuting all day on buses to cross LA they arrived to no food, no toys, and no visit with Santa, only seagulls picking at stray bits of popcorn. The mother, determined to give her children Christmas presents she couldn’t afford contacted Patti the following Monday. One thing led to another and the mother and all her children ended up with a brand new furnished home in time for Christmas!
Later at the Heartfelt Celebration, I spoke with the talented comedian Tommy Davidson who shared with me that part of his routine is based on fact. He was abandoned as a baby and was found behind a tire when someone saw his little foot stick out. Though he did not say so, I could see how the story of the mother and her children moving from a shelter to their own home might have resonated with him. He has great appreciation for the work of the Heartfelt Foundation.
During Louie Anderson’s hilarious set, as he shared with objectivity and humor about his challenging childhood, I was reminded of some of J-R’s stories about his childhood and how he has found the good in everything he experienced growing up. I felt a lot of loving, laughter and healing was going on all the way around during the evening’s celebration. Mostly, I had a deep recognition that we, everyone in that room and beyond, are indeed members of a Heartfelt Family.
