Angel Watching Over Me
Donation protected
My name is Sarah Akiba, and I am a victim of cancer. I lost my father Charlie Akiba three and a half years ago to lung cancer. A very kind, gentle, and giving man… And with his loss I found a way to do exactly what he would have. Give back. Here is my story:
On July 30th of 2013, my father passed away from lung cancer. It was the scariest moment of my life. I remember screaming: “what are we going to do?” because he was the back bone, he is what kept my whole family grounded, and together.
After his passing, whenever I would post on socials I would always hashtag #angelwatchingoverme, maybe to remind myself he was with me. This seemed to have caught on to hundreds of people who would tag me and write their own stories about their angel watching over them. As a designer and stylist I wanted to create a baseball cap to simply sell. With this design:
ANGEL WATCHING
____________________________
ME
When I contacted my dear friend to manufacture the hats for me, we met and he said it was a great business idea, and that they would be ready on November 15th. I remember opening my eyes wide and tearing, like it were a sign. November 15th just so happens to be my fathers birthday, and it dawned on me, this cant just be a any hat, this needs to be more.
I planned an event around it at my uncles gallery, and there would be an entrance fee of the purchase of the hat. I only made about 60 hats for close family and friends, and a total of 300 people came, expressing that this touched everyone. Everyone there had an angel watching over them.
All of those funds were donated to The American Lung Associate and Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, to help raise awareness and find a cure. After such a successful first event,
and seeing how much people cared a second event was planned, this time to make Angel Watching Over Me a foundation of its own.
We are now one year in and have done so much. Angel Watching Over Me is a 501 (c) (3), non profit. We have created weekly support groups for people who have lost a loved one, participated in helping other small non for profits, threw parties for children with illnesses at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital and Nicklaus Children's hospital, and now teaming up with Miami Rescue Mission for the holidays to make sure their holidays are joyful.
Last but not least, I gained an incredible partner by the name of Leah Karimdadian. A true angel that came into my life: “One of the many driving forces that Sarah and I share, is that both of us were inspired to give back by watching our fathers battle the one thing that all of us on this thread wish would disappear forever, cancer!”
Our mission of Angel Watching Over Me is to give tools, resources and support to anyone who has lost a loved one with hope, strength and unconditional love, and to grant an everlasting experience for people with life-threatening medical, or living conditions. Vision: We are dedicated to being earth Angels, insuring that everyone has an angel watching over them, whether it's a heavenly angel or one of us right here on earth!
Your donations will help support our weekly support groups for those who have lost a loved one. Angel Watching Over Me has started weekly support groups to help those who are going through the grieving process of loss in their life. Your donations will help pay for the therapists on staff, food, and activity materials needed. This support group is important because we seem to always donate to research due to our losses, but we forget about those who are suffering from the loss, people who are still here with us.
Your donations will also help benefit kids with illnesses at several hospitals. Angel Watching Over Me throws events for halloween, and plenty of other holidays for kids with illnesses. This holiday season, AWOM has teamed up with Miami Rescue Mission for a toy-drive to donate 6000 toys to families that don't have the means to do so.
Finally, your donation will help us fund other non-profits that we believe help the community and people who really need it.
People always tell me, this foundation doesn't concentrate on one thing, donating to cancer, or the support groups, or helping the underprivileged, and thats because it doesn’t. Angel Watching Over Me is meant to serve everyone, people who have lost someone, and to serve as angels to everyone.
Be apart of this beautiful movement and make a difference in the world, because remember not all angels have wings.
Thank you,
Sarah A. & Leah K.
Angel Watching Over Me Foundation
On July 30th of 2013, my father passed away from lung cancer. It was the scariest moment of my life. I remember screaming: “what are we going to do?” because he was the back bone, he is what kept my whole family grounded, and together.
After his passing, whenever I would post on socials I would always hashtag #angelwatchingoverme, maybe to remind myself he was with me. This seemed to have caught on to hundreds of people who would tag me and write their own stories about their angel watching over them. As a designer and stylist I wanted to create a baseball cap to simply sell. With this design:
ANGEL WATCHING
____________________________
ME
When I contacted my dear friend to manufacture the hats for me, we met and he said it was a great business idea, and that they would be ready on November 15th. I remember opening my eyes wide and tearing, like it were a sign. November 15th just so happens to be my fathers birthday, and it dawned on me, this cant just be a any hat, this needs to be more.
I planned an event around it at my uncles gallery, and there would be an entrance fee of the purchase of the hat. I only made about 60 hats for close family and friends, and a total of 300 people came, expressing that this touched everyone. Everyone there had an angel watching over them.
All of those funds were donated to The American Lung Associate and Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, to help raise awareness and find a cure. After such a successful first event,
and seeing how much people cared a second event was planned, this time to make Angel Watching Over Me a foundation of its own.
We are now one year in and have done so much. Angel Watching Over Me is a 501 (c) (3), non profit. We have created weekly support groups for people who have lost a loved one, participated in helping other small non for profits, threw parties for children with illnesses at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital and Nicklaus Children's hospital, and now teaming up with Miami Rescue Mission for the holidays to make sure their holidays are joyful.
Last but not least, I gained an incredible partner by the name of Leah Karimdadian. A true angel that came into my life: “One of the many driving forces that Sarah and I share, is that both of us were inspired to give back by watching our fathers battle the one thing that all of us on this thread wish would disappear forever, cancer!”
Our mission of Angel Watching Over Me is to give tools, resources and support to anyone who has lost a loved one with hope, strength and unconditional love, and to grant an everlasting experience for people with life-threatening medical, or living conditions. Vision: We are dedicated to being earth Angels, insuring that everyone has an angel watching over them, whether it's a heavenly angel or one of us right here on earth!
Your donations will help support our weekly support groups for those who have lost a loved one. Angel Watching Over Me has started weekly support groups to help those who are going through the grieving process of loss in their life. Your donations will help pay for the therapists on staff, food, and activity materials needed. This support group is important because we seem to always donate to research due to our losses, but we forget about those who are suffering from the loss, people who are still here with us.
Your donations will also help benefit kids with illnesses at several hospitals. Angel Watching Over Me throws events for halloween, and plenty of other holidays for kids with illnesses. This holiday season, AWOM has teamed up with Miami Rescue Mission for a toy-drive to donate 6000 toys to families that don't have the means to do so.
Finally, your donation will help us fund other non-profits that we believe help the community and people who really need it.
People always tell me, this foundation doesn't concentrate on one thing, donating to cancer, or the support groups, or helping the underprivileged, and thats because it doesn’t. Angel Watching Over Me is meant to serve everyone, people who have lost someone, and to serve as angels to everyone.
Be apart of this beautiful movement and make a difference in the world, because remember not all angels have wings.
Thank you,
Sarah A. & Leah K.
Angel Watching Over Me Foundation
Organizer
Sarah Akiba
Organizer
Dania Beach, FL
