Philanthropy | Tariq Farid - Founder of Edible Arrangements ® and Entrepreneur

I have written many times about my mother and the tremendous influence she had on me throughout my life. Like most moms, no matter the situation or how tough things got, I always knew she was there for me and I could count on her to make me feel better.

That was especially true when we learned my younger brother Kamran had leukemia. At the time I don’t think I truly appreciated the impact that having a child diagnosed with such a terrible disease can have on the parents, especially the mother. The emotional and financial stress can be overwhelming. We were fortunate to have many people who were willing to help us during that time as my brother went through his treatments and eventually recovered.

This Mother’s Day, unfortunately, I know there are many children in similar situations, but I also know that their mothers are there by their side. That’s why it was comforting to hear that many of our franchisees across the nation delivered special Mother’s Day arrangements to the Ronald McDonald House in their markets yesterday.

I am convinced that there is no greater love than that of a mother for her children. I hope that our arrangements brought a little joy to the lives of those mothers who are spending this Mother’s Day away from home in order to be there for their child.

In honor of these moms and mothers everywhere as well as our franchisees who took time during one of the busiest weeks of the year to make this happen, I wanted to say Thank You!

Here are a few photographs from some of those deliveries yesterday for you to enjoy.

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Giving back is very important to me because, as I often say, with success comes responsibility. I adhere to this belief and am both honored and humbled to be able to support many organizations that help those in need, through the Tariq Farid Foundation.

One of my foundation’s goals is to improve the lives of women and children, and one amazing organization that we support is BHcare’s Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence Services.

As its name suggests, the Umbrella Center provides domestic violence services for women and children, including an emergency shelter, long term housing, support groups and counseling. This amazing organization serves an astonishing 19 towns in southern Connecticut.

Unfortunately, the need for BHcare’s services is great. It is estimated that every nine seconds, a woman is battered in the United States. Every year, the Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence Services provides emergency shelter, a 24-hour crisis hotline, counseling, court advocacy and support services to over 7,000 victims and their children, all from the 19 towns they serve in Connecticut.

On Saturday, March 14th, BHcare will be holding its 27th Annual Bowl-2-Benefit, in Milford, Connecticut. This fundraiser is one of the largest of its kind in Connecticut with over 1,200 people participating!

And why not? You can enjoy a fun time with family or friends, while supporting an important cause. The cost to register is only $5 per person and it is requested that bowlers try to raise $50 each. This can be easily accomplished by securing $10 donations from five different people.

So, if you are a resident of central or southern Connecticut, please consider taking part in this fundraiser. You will have fun, meet amazing people and help support an important cause all at once! What could be better than that?

For more information or to sign up for the Bowl to Benefit, please click here.

bhcare — Last year’s Bowl-2-Benefit supporting BHcare’s Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence Services attracted more than 1200 participants (above and below).

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One of the great advantages of living in the United States is the access we have to excellent healthcare. Unfortunately, in some parts of the world people still needlessly die because of lack of vaccines for diseases that have been eradicated here.

For example, approximately 1.5 million children die every year from diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhea, measles and polio that are preventable with vaccines.

Take polio, for example. This horribly debilitating disease attacks the nervous system and can cause muscle weakness, paralysis and even death. While eradicated in the US in 1979, polio has recently reemerged in areas that had been polio-free for years and is currently endemic in Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan. Angola, Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are also experiencing a resurgence in polio cases.

That is why I am excited to announce that The Tariq Farid Foundation is joining forces with the United Nations Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign to fight polio in developing countries.

Specifically, the Foundation is making a contribution to Shot@Life that will provide 10,000 polio vaccines to children.

As Shot@Life Director Devi Thomas said in announcing our contribution, the world is close to eradicating polio. It is my hope that our support will play a role in putting us that much closer.

The mission of the Shot@Life campaign is to educate, connect and empower Americans to help protect children in developing countries from vaccine-preventable diseases, as well as provide life-saving vaccines to children in need. If you would like to learn more about Shot@Life or to donate, fundraise or advocate, I encourage you to visit the organization’s website by clicking here.

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Some of the amazing Chrysalis volunteers and staff.

One of the aims of the Tariq Farid Foundation is to improve the lives of women and children. As a result, we support quite a few organizations that achieve this.

One of these organizations, the Meriden-Wallingford Chrysalis, provides safety and support for women and children at a time when they need it most — when they are trying to escape a violent situation.

In addition to providing a short-term emergency shelter and longer-term transitional housing, Chrysalis provides a continuum of care that includes individual in-person and/or phone support. They also provide advocacy through the medical, legal, police or social services systems as well as providing support groups and safety planning.

All this remarkable work and the vital services are provided to women and children absolutely free.

As an organization, Chrysalis lives and operates under this truth: “No matter what the situation, nobody deserves to be battered or abused. Everybody deserves to live a life free from violence, fear and abuse. These are universal truths, no matter what your situation.”

Equally impressive, the organization is now partnering with other organizations to prevent violence before it starts by working with men and with youth. To learn more about this amazing organization, you can check out their Facebook page here or their website here.

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As we come to the close of another year and reflect on what we’ve done and where we are going, I’d like to share my warmest wishes with you for a wonderful 2015.

Over the past year, I’ve been fortunate to be able to support, through the Tariq Farid Foundation, close to 20 organizations that work to make the world a better place for everyone. About half of these organizations work to relieve suffering of those in need; some by providing warm meals and food and others by providing free healthcare. Other organizations that I have supported provide skill development opportunities for children and adults, helping them develop skills that will allow them to achieve their full potential.

Working with these organizations has allowed me to come face to face with the immense need that exists in the world. So, as our lives get busier and busier, with so much seemingly bad news in the world, let’s remember to take a step back and realize how lucky we are. Let’s also never forget to help those in need whenever we can.

Let’s remember to take the time to celebrate what’s good in life. Let’s make sure we are kind to each other. Let’s also make sure we take the time to spend with our loved ones—family and friends!

My best wishes to you all for a safe, happy, healthy and wonderful new year! Don’t forget to celebrate what’s good in life!

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Category: Philanthropy

Delivering a little joy to some very special moms this Mother’s Day

An easy and fun way to support an important cause

Tariq Farid Foundation Joins the United Nations Foundation to give children a Shot at Life!

Chrysalis provides safety and support when it is needed most

Best Wishes for a Happy, Healthy and Wonderful New Year