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Dear All,
I am currently on the Advisory Board of Directors for a young non profit organization called Aaron’s Presents. The Aaron’s Presents organization was created to honor the life and memory of a child, Aaron, by giving other children the opportunity to do something positive in the world for their own lives. These individual acts of kindness are “Presents” given to our communities. Aaron’s Presents is an innovative grants program specifically designed for children in 8th grade or below. The goal of the program is to equip and empower these children to think outside of themselves in order to develop an idea, request grant funding and execute a project that impacts others in a positive way. Aaron’s Presents provides support, communication and resources to maximize successful completion of the selected projects by the children. You can learn more about Aaron’s Presents at www.aaronspresents.org.

Today, I am happy to announce the establishment of The Dr. Alan Metwally Presents Fund. For those of you that knew Dr. Alan Metwally, you know how he gave himself generously to the world and was an incredible man that we all miss dearly. This fund will honor that generosity and ensure his presence will continue to be felt in the world. This fund will give young children a unique opportunity to apply for a grant in order to carry out projects for the benefit of others. Through these projects and the numerous people they will positively impact, Dr. Metwally’s legacy will live on. As an Advisory Board member for Aaron’s Presents, I will oversee this fund personally. 100% of this fund will go to purchasing materials and services to support the children and their projects. Aaron's Presents will post links to each project funded by The Dr. Alan Metwally Presents Fund so that each of you can learn more about the kids who are being touched by Dr. Metwally's life and what they are doing to make a positive difference in the world.

I would appreciate your support in contributing to this fund. This fund will have no time limit and can be contributed to at any time. It is my personal goal to support this fund for many years to come through my personal contributions and through the contributions of people like yourselves. Funding of projects will begin each September and each project on average costs about $250 (this can also be viewed as $100/participant or $2/community member directly impacted). We have a great opportunity to scale and touch many people through this honorary fund. Please consider a gift of any amount.

It is truly my honor to announce The Dr. Alan Metwally Presents Fund. He was very special to me and I hope you will join me in honoring this incredible man through this incredible cause. I have limited contact information, so please share this communication with anyone you know as well as on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and any other means you see as appropriate.

Thank you for your support,
Fabio Malagisi
June 2014

Recent Activity

Name Fabio Malagisi
Activity Type Donation, Mailing list
Amount $500.00
Date 10/08/23
Message Thinking of you and missing you
Name Maureen Boland
Activity Type Donation, Mailing list
Amount $1,000.00
Date 08/08/23
Message In memory of Alex Satouroff, a good friend who joined you a year ago this month. Hope you are having a great time together once again!
Name Fabio Malagisi
Activity Type Donation, Mailing list
Amount $250.00
Date 12/24/22
Message Merry Christmas. Would have loved to watch the World Cup final with you.
Name John-Eileen Boland
Activity Type Donation, Mailing list
Amount $50.00
Date 08/11/22
Message We think of Alan often!
Name Fabio Malagisi
Activity Type Donation
Amount $500.00
Date 06/13/22

Progress Adjustments

6/7/23: John Boland - $50 - Oct. 24, 2023
10/30/21 from Margaret Metwally: So pleased to be able to contribute to this wonderful fund in Alan's name. Leah and Fabio, Wishing you continued success. Fondly, Margaret PS 6 grandchildren 9 to 4! - $500 - Jan. 06, 2022
Maureen Boland, 10-28-20. You may have left us way too early ....8 years ago today. You are not forgotten as your memory lives on in all of us that knew you. Happy 8th Anniversary in Heaven. - $1000 - Nov. 10, 2020

Updates

Long overdue update--Dr. Metwally Presents Fund

December 12, 2024



Hello supporters of the Dr. Alan Metwally Presents Fund!


I think of you frequently throughout the year, and to be honest, the past 2 years have been a whirlwind and challenging for me to keep up with everything in the way that I would want to. I have been wanting to write to you for so long and regret that I haven't. I hope to be in touch more often in the coming year.



The funds that have been raised in Dr. Metwally's memory--$21,040 to date--have made so many projects and opportunities possible for literally hundreds of children and teens, and I can tell you firsthand that each experience has been meaningful and added core memories to their lives. The memories have activated their empathy and compassion and made those qualities more a part of who they are, embedded deeply. I hear from young adults who only did a couple projects in middle school, and they remember so many details of the experiences, and for young adults who stayed involved more actively throughout high school, the impact has been that much deeper.


Thank you again for believing in our work and investing in kids starting at the middle school level, to give them the kinds of opportunities and experiences that will set them on a path to become our future leaders who possess empathy, compassion, a sense of purpose, and an ability to put their ideas into action. They and we need them to put these skills into practice and connect with their communities more than ever!




I was thinking the other night about the old fishing saying, and I thought, what we’re doing is basically this—

We’re not giving them (kids) the fish,

We’re teaching them how to fish,

But first we’re inspiring them to want to learn to fish in order to feed
others.

So, all these kids learn how to fish and instead of only their circle of people having a surplus of fish, the whole community around them is fed.

To me, that’s the difference that AP makes—not just empowerment, but Empowerment for Good.



Here are some pictures from this fall that I thought you would enjoy--a visit to play with Afghan refugee children, a text from a parent of an 8th grader, a speech of an 8th grader, 4 8th graders who played with foster kids ages 5-11 living in a group home, 2 7th graders who cooked beautiful hot meals and gave them out to people living outside on the streets this winter, and 5 5th graders who made gifts for kids in a local hospital.



Just this past 7 days in time for the holidays, our Mentor team of 12 made it possible for 76 children and teens to complete 20 projects helping 155 people! I think that may have been a record for us, but it felt so good to give parents the ability to make holiday magic for their kids, something that every parent wants to be able to do this time of year, and help a lot of other people in a range of difficult life situations, from homelessness to poverty to addiction to domestic violence to simply being alone and lonely.



I sometimes ask Aaron and Dr. Metwally and other loving people we have lost here to guide me and connect me with the right people to get involved with this organization on every level, and I feel their power fueling this mission in a way that is way beyond me. I am grateful to for some reason have been chosen to carry it out, and hope that I am making them and all of you proud with my best efforts, which often fall short but are always done with love and good intention.



Thank you for all you have contributed to this work over these past 10 years, and I look forward to hearing from you again whenever you have time or any ideas! Thank you to Fabio for starting this whole fund and continuing to think of ways to help me stabilize the organization in order to reach even more kids in the future as well!



Love to all of you for the holidays and for the new year!


Leah


Founder & Executive Director

(978) 809-5487

[email protected]