As many of you know, my job has led me to spend a significant amount of time in Miami, FL. While there have been some challenges to being distanced from friends, family and my community, it has also given me the incredible opportunity to immerse myself in a vibrant and diverse culture surrounded by so many wonderful and inspiring people. Through this immersion I have had the privilege of getting to know the women that founded Lotus House and LEAP for Ladies.

Lotus House, which shelters 1550+ women and children each year, is the largest women’s homeless shelter in the country. Their supportive services help these women to learn, grow and thrive – and provide trauma-informed wrap-around services including child and family therapy, access to mental and medical healthcare, educational support, employment training, and housing support as their women move-out and take charge of their own lives. Their mission is to have their women and children emerge from the shadows, give voice to their dreams, and build the foundation for safer, healthier, brighter futures.

LEAP for Ladies empowers women who have experienced incarceration through transformational opportunities and advocacy. Their vision is for every woman who has experienced incarceration and who is committed to change to have the opportunity and tools to achieve her full potential.

The stories I have heard from these organizations, of the second chances they have been able to provide, have been truly inspirational and have led to the opportunity for my company to work partner with them in improving the lives of the women they support.

My company is working to reimagine the potential of neighborhood spaces by connecting goods, services, and experiences to consumers around the world through our digital and physical ecosystem. We empower our operators, by removing traditional barriers and offering them the opportunity to become business owners in their communities. By leveraging economies of scale, we help our operators rise above high-cost risks. Our operators come from diverse backgrounds—some are getting a second chance, while others are embarking on entrepreneurship opportunities they wouldn’t have access to otherwise. We are working to partner with these 2 organizations to provide employment opportunities via our operator program.

Summer in Miami is a difficult time for charity support of our community with so many transient residents. To that end, our flagship location in Brickell, Miami will be donating meals to the women and children of the Lotus House & LEAP for Ladies to better the community that we are a part of. Anything you are able to donate to this Go Fund Me will go directly to providing meals, made with care and love, to women and children that are in need of the comfort of a delicious meal, and will be so incredibly grateful for your generosity.

We are hopeful to be able to provide meals to these shelters for the last 2 weeks of the summer -- and hope to be able to continue to support beyond that. Please consider supporting these causes. I, personally, would be incredibly grateful for any contribution you are able to make.

Thank you in advance for your support!

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Lauryn