Gratitude Week in Miami with Monat

During Gratitude Week for Monat Global the company brought some Gratitude Ambassadors and leaders together in Miami to serve. Monat Global is a global leader in naturally based, healthy aging products with a business model that enhances self-confidence and financial well-being. The company has a heart for giving back and has a Gratitude Foundation dedicated to serving and giving back.

Monat Gratitude “is a growing movement of global changemakers who strive to make a positive impact for the greater good. Since it was founded in 2014 by MONAT Global, the Monat Gratitude Foundation has grown into a movement and nonprofit organization reaching from Sydney to Seattle, Texas to Toronto, and Washington to Warsaw. Whether through donating, volunteering, or simply showing love and offering support to those in need, no contribution is ever too small and no gesture too large.” They have a grant program as well that focuses on giving funds to organizations doing good work in their communities.

Monat shares, “Our commitment to fostering a culture of gratitude is the driving force behind everything we do. We’ve named our charitable organization “Gratitude” to honor the deep appreciation we hold for our biggest blessing: our incredible community. Our focus areas—education, children, and families—are the cornerstones of our efforts.”

As a Gratitude Ambassador and leader for the past two years I was so excited to be invited to join this trip to serve in the community and to be able to help the organizations through photography and storytelling. We came as strangers and left this week as family. I am so grateful. It was a busy week of volunteering with organizations doing great work in their communities. Here are some highlights from the week.

Creating some portraits of my friends this week was so much fun! Beautiful people making huge impacts in their local communities from Puerto Rico to New York and everywhere in between….

See Alex & Miche’s video of our week together here including a tour of the amazing house we stayed in and lots of behind the scenes moments.

This email feedback is why I adore this work so much:

The first day some ambassadors headed over to a local venue to help This is About Humanity at a holiday party they were throwing for local families effected by family separation at the border. The volunteers did hair consults and gifted hair products to families and helped clean up the space after the party. Many hands make events easier.

American singer-songwriter Camila Cabello was also there volunteering.

This Is About Humanity creates a community of allies and advocates dedicated to raising awareness about separated and reunified families and children at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The first full day started with a morning of serving at The Salvation Army Center in Miami. The Salvation Army is “an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.” Monat has an ongoing relationship withe this center and has donated a computer lab and gardens on the grounds. We spent our time helping them decorate for the holidays ad serve lunch to the clients living at the center and ended gifting staff some vegan haircare products. The staff was so welcoming and we left inspired by the good and hard work they are doing in their community.

We toured the corporate offices and packed up Angel Tree donations donated by Monat staff for families staying at the Salvation Army Center. Seeing the warehouse and meeting staff at corporate was so much fun. We served cafecito to everyone at corporate for a afternoon pick me up and birthday celebration of the Chairman and Cofounder Sr. Luis Urdaneta.

Our last morning was spent with guided meditation and a sound bath focused on gratitude.

We packaged and prepared for shipping boxes for Santa for Seniors and selected products and gifts for seniors that were nominated by their friends and families.

We also headed to the Wynwood area of Miami and handed out flowers, homemade cookies with encouraging notes, and gave our gift cards as random acts of kindness.

After walking the streets in Wynwood we headed to Ronald McDonald House in Miami to prepare dinner for families. The Ronald McDonald House “supports the health and well-being of children by providing lodging, meals, activities and a community of care to critically ill children and their families who need to be near a hospital for treatment.” We met amazing families walking through a hard season and provided a meal and some gifts for families staying at the RMH.

The team also spent time brainstorming and collaborating each day about to further the reach of the Gratitude Movement.

The last night in Miami the Monat Gratitude Team welcomed The Home Team students and leaders to a tour of the corporate offices and warehouse and some seminars on leadership, self care, and goal setting. I love a company that allows kids to take over the CEO’s office and freely tour the offices and ask questions.

The Home Team “The program serves children in grade 3+, but our group will be 5^th grade and some middle school siblings of the 5^th graders. The Home Team is a multidimensional youth-support program with the mission to measurably improve the lives of Miami-Dade school students through engagement with academic, sports and business leaders. Essentially our goal is to occupy children’s free times with inclusive, positive and constructive activities that promote independence, development and a sense of belonging.”

My friends as former teachers and entrepreneurs shined and built connections with some of the students. The students and staff left with gift bags full of product selected for their hair needs.

I had an amazing time representing Monat Gratitude this week and meeting friends that are now so dear to me! I am grateful for opportunities to volunteer and serve organizations doing the real and hard work of making change in their communities and loving people well.