When Anna Ellis first heard about Sisters Rising Worldwide, it was through a spark – two, actually. Her neighbor at the time, Kelly Mallon Young, and Sister Irene O’Neill had recently connected and were energized about an idea that was just beginning to take shape. “They’re both spark plugs,” Anna said. “You just know if the two of them are involved, something incredible is going to happen.”
That spark grew into a deep commitment for Anna and her husband, Tom, who have been monthly donors (also known as Sister Champions) to Sisters Rising Worldwide for more than five years now. The mission resonated with Anna from the very beginning, especially when she heard stories about the Sisters identifying the toughest neighborhoods, moving in, and building change from the inside out. “These women aren’t sitting at a desk somewhere,” she said. “They’re living right in the heart of it. They are the heart of it,” said Anna.
For Anna, supporting Sisters Rising Worldwide means helping those who understand the root causes of injustice because they live there. “The Sisters know exactly what is needed, whether it’s a mosquito net, a light, or a van. It’s specific, it’s small, and it’s doable. Sisters Rising Worldwide helps you see that everyone can make a difference.”
As a busy professional leading a sales and marketing team for a niche manufacturing company, Anna knows how important consistency is, which is one of the reasons monthly giving made sense. “Tom and I are fortunate to be able to contribute monthly. I always tell others that even $5 a month makes a difference,” she shared. “Monthly recurring giving is great because you don’t have to remember it, yet it creates a powerful, steady stream of funding that the Sisters can count on—and the Sisters certainly know how to stretch every dollar!”
Kelly Mallon Young, SRW’s Chief Operating Officer, calls Anna and Tom’s support both meaningful and impactful, sharing, “Monthly donors like Anna and Tom provide the backbone of our ability to respond quickly to Sisters’ urgent needs. Their ongoing support allows us to plan ahead and invest in systemic change, project by project, life by life.”
Reflecting on her journey into philanthropy, Anna admits it’s something that came later in life. “As my kids have grown and I’ve had more time and capacity, I’ve been blessed to become more involved and be inspired by people who choose to give.” Anna now hopes that she and Tom pass on that inspiration to others through their philanthropy. “Don’t let the size of the problem paralyze you. Sisters Rising Worldwide helps break it down into something you can do. You can’t fix it all, but you can feed the good. Even $20 a month can significantly impact a child’s life. The Sisters know how to make it count.”
Anna sees her and Tom’s role as a monthly donor as one of simply feeding the light. “Sister Irene once shared that one of her favorite verses is ‘A light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it.’ That’s what supporting Sisters Rising Worldwide feels like to me: lighting one candle, then another, and another.
Join Anna and Tom in feeding the light by becoming a Sister Champion today – a monthly donor who helps provide the Sisters with a steady stream of support for the systems change projects they lead every day.
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