Local Heroes
A Woman’s Non-Profit is Making a Difference, One Kind Gesture at a Time By Jackie Schatell
W
hen Laurie Liming, of Berkeley Heights, was diagnosed with breast cancer, it was a terrible shock for her, but one thing that stood out from all of the darkness was how much kindness she felt all around her. After surviving her ordeal, Laurie wanted to give back, so she started Silver Liming, a non-profit with the motto, “Making a difference to local families one KIND gesture at a time.” Since then, the charitable group has made a difference in the lives of 2733 people through 2600 kind gestures. “We are just trying to give something good when things are hard,” she says. Laurie heard a poem about a starfish, where a small boy was tossing starfish on the sand back into the ocean so as to make a difference for each one of them. This poem inspired the five arms of her charity, which are: Charity Begins at Home, Care for The Caregiver, Compassionate Hands, Community of Support, and Cheer for Our Cherubs. Through these areas of service, people can ask for help for themselves or others and those who need the help will receive an act of kindness. Acts have run the gamut from sending over a babysitter, nurse, or housekeeper to provide a reprieve for a caregiver, to handing out backpacks full of warm gloves, hats, and necessities to homeless children, or buying a computer for a child with cancer for virtual schooling. The recipients do not have to have cancer, they just have to need an act of kindness. “When I was having chemo, knowing that I didn’t have to worry about making dinner for my family was a blessing,” says Laurie, whose friends often sent over meals. “I knew that I wanted to be able to do this for others.” Laurie says she doesn’t do all of this alone. Her board members are the backbone of the foundation. She receives donations via her website silverliming.org, Venmo @Silver-Liming, and through word of mouth. She also has many volunteers including student and teen ambassadors, who help out. She says those interested in volunteering are always welcome to reach out to silverliming@gmail.com. “We can’t take away people’s struggles, but we can make a difference to their story with kindness,” says Laurie.
Laurie Liming February 2022
MyVicinityMagazine.com
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