I work in Public Relations at Quixtar doing things like writing news releases, emailing editors and (this is my favorite part of my job) coordinating our corporate philanthropy program. I am the One by One Campaign for Children person at Quixtar.

I'm a Turkish, German, Irish, middle-aged (I can hardly believe it myself!), curious, Democrat, Spartan (Go Green!), kind, opinionated, curious, silly, giving, American woman.

I have four cats (at the moment) and a little, fluffy, curly, puppy. I love to spoil my niece and nephew and steal my friends' kids. I like to think I'm cool - but I've been informed by my friends' kids that I'm not quite as cool as I like to think (when did I become middle-aged?)

I cry at movies and sometimes commercials. I love hero stories and used to sneak into the library at school to read the hero stories in the back of Boys Life magazine, I also loved the TV show "Rescue 911" which celebrated people helping other people and animals. Of course, *I had toalways have* my box of Kleenex at my side. Sometime I'll share my favorite episodes about the firefighter giving oxygen to a kitten and a good Samaritan conducting a c-section on a deer that had just been hit by a car.

My dad is big on Turkish sayings. He once said, "When I say cucumber, you run like salt!"

OK, I didn't know what that meant either, but apparently, he was commenting on my habit of volunteering for the latest, greatest cause. I used to say that I have this spring mechanism in my arm that would automatically trigger upon hearing the phrase "...we really need some help...", especially when it comes to kids. I LOVE kids, and old people, and animals, and...the list goes on and on. How fortunate for me that I ended up in a job that allows me to focus on helping kids. :) Yea!

I am not an expert on philanthropy nor am I an expert on kids or animals or old people, or much more. I am insatiably curious and very much willing to do whatever it takes to help spread the word about what people are doing to help others. Through this blog, I hope to share some of what is happening out there, so when I say cucumber, you run like salt.