The Resort2Kindness Organization selects Ear Community for 2015 grant…

December, 18th 2015. Julia Patrick of Resort2Kindness presenting Melissa Tumblin with a grant for $10,000 to the Ear Community Organization. Pictured with her two children, Hailey and Ally (whom Ear Community was founded after).

On December, 18th, 2015, Melissa Tumblin, Founder of the Ear Community Organization, was presented with a $10,000 grant by Julia Patrick, a representative of the Resort2Kindness Organization, a nonprofit organization that spreads kindness and generosity in Colorado.  Originally, Melissa thought she was attending a lunch interview for being one of the three finalists for this grant.  To Melissa’s surprise, during the lunch, she was presented with flowers and then was asked to open a box.  In the box were some thank you cards and a booklet that Melissa was asked to read.  As Melissa read through each page, reading about kindness and sharing and generosity and thanks, she then began reading about her own organization and the thanks to her for helping so many others realizing that she had been awarded the grant!  Beneath this booklet was a check for $10,000 for the Ear Community Organization!

Originally, Julia Patrick, of the Resort2Kindess Organization, had contacted Melissa earlier in the year (April) asking how Ear Community could partner with Resort2Kindness in the community to help others in need.  After giving suggestions, Julia wanted to learn a bit more about Ear Community and so Melissa explained more to her about her small organization. A few months later, Julia told Melissa about the opportunity for a grant and told her that she would apply on her behalf because she really loved what the Ear Community Organization does.  Melissa thought this was very thoughtful and how kind of someone to want to help her organization and apply for the grant for her!  During December, the lunch interview was scheduled where Melissa would be surprised to have learned that she won the grant for 2015.

Melissa asked Julia how the Resort2Kindess Organization was founded.  Julia explained to Melissa that she works with some pretty amazing women, one of them being Elva Pellouchoud, who is the Founder of Epiphany, Inc., a Denver based marketing and branding agency that specializes in the development and implementation of creative branding and marketing programs for clients in luxury and philanthropy.  Julia explained to me that the Resort2Kindess Organization is Elva’s vision of a nonprofit charity that helps give back to the community by promoting kindness and generosity by helping others in need.  Elva’s vision was to provide an organization that would be able to give back to the community by helping promote individual acts of kindness with the help of donations from charity sponsors.  So, thank you Elva and Epiphany, Inc. and to all of the sponsors who came together to not only select Ear Community as the charity organization to give back to for 2015, but for also making these funds possible.  This grant will help Ear Community with some operational expenses, go toward some of our picnic expenses when we bring families together at our events, fund the organization’s application to the IRS for becoming their own entity, and go toward some expenses for the Ear Community Organization to attend a professional industry conference where we promote education and awareness about Microtia and Atresia.

Melissa did ask how Julia found out about the Ear Community Organization.  Julia said that one of the employees for Epiphany, Inc. was standing in line at a local Costco in Superior/Louisville, Colorado one day speaking to a man (Coty) who trains service dogs for people who have Alzheimer’s Disease.  Apparently, this man told the person in line all about what Ear Community does and how much we help children (and their families) who were born with missing ears, hearing loss, and who have facial challenges.  He must have shown some wonderful excitement for what Ear Community does, because he inspired the Resort2Kindness Organization.  It is amazing what the power of community can do.  Thank you Coty for liking what Ear Community does.  I am trying to find you to thank you for what you did because I do not think you realize what you did by just telling someone about our organization!

Thank you again for the wonderful opportunity to be granted these funds for the Ear Community Organization and for supporting a small Colorado head quartered nonprofit organization.  Thank you to Elva and the entire Epiphany, Inc. team!  Thank you especially to Julia Patrick, who is amazing too!  I am so thankful for your kindness and in getting to know you over this past year!  You have the best job on earth.  Go spread some more kindness and generosity my friend!  Thank you for making that day an incredibly amazing day that I will always remember!

Thank you again!
Melissa Tumblin
Founder and Executive Director
Ear Community
www.EarCommunity.org