Charitable Gift Giving

Whenever a celebrity dies, the media always seems to go into a feeding frenzy. They race to see who can find out the most dirt. What kind of drugs was the celebrity on? What problems did they have in their personal lives? Can you get pictures of their kids? Better yet, can you get pictures?

We can’t blame the media, of course. After all, they just providing what the public is demanding. Sadly, we live in a world today where so many people seem to find entertainment and value in the downfall of the rich and famous.

As I write this, I’m watching the end of the memorial service for Whitney Houston, and I can’t help but be impressed by what the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, NJ did. For the first time, you heard from those who loved Whitney Houston not about her marriage to Bobby Brown, or her struggles with drug abuse or alcohol. Instead, you heard about Ms. Houston’s love for her friends, for her church, and for God and of their love for her.

It all was a powerful last reminder that she was, after all, a human being, and that’s it’s really not our job to judge, that’s someone else’s job. Rather, why not remember the things about her that were noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy?

On that subject, one of the things you never really saw in the sensationalist headlines was Ms. Houston’s charity work. When I saw all the  list of all charity work she had done in her lifetime on a Whitney Houston fan site, I was flabbergasted. From the Whitney Houston Foundation for Children to St. Jude Children’s Hospital to the United Negro College Fund to the Children’s Diabetes Foundation to countless other charities, she did an amazing amount of good in her all-too-short life. And so if we do remember her life, let’s remember those things and not the mental image of a Beverly Hills hotel room. Because at the end, only one of those things really count.

Before Whitney Houston passed away, her manager and sister-in-law, Pat Houston introduced a line of soy-based candles based on fragrances from the Holy Land. They’re called “Marion P” candles, inspired by the nickname that Whitney called her sister-in-law.

Over the years, you may notice that Whitney Houston never gave product endorsements, but she decided to endorse this one, saying:

“I’m delighted to be a partner with Pat Houston and the creation of her beautiful candle line. It’s the essence of everything pure. It’s not just a candle, it’s an experience. I have never endorsed anything before this. These candles are truly inspiring – they are 100% soy and also made with shea butter so that when the candle melts down, you can use it as a body moisturizer. Also, you are doing a good deed as a portion of the sales goes to Patricia’s teen mentoring program.” 

Funny thing, I’ve actually just started buying soy candles exclusively, just because they burn a lot cleaner and the scents are arguably better for breathing into your lungs than wax candles. The fragrances are scents from the Holy Land, including Grapefruit, Lychee, Cedarwood Amber, Blackstone, and Honey Suckle with names inspired from scripture. A portion of proceeds will benefit Teen Summit, a program developed by Patricia Houston to help rebuild, restore and repair the lives of underserved youths.

If you’ve been inspired by Whitney Houston’s voice over the years–I still get chills when I hear her rendition of the Star Spangled Banner at the 1991 Super Bowl (royalties of which, incidentally, were donated to the American Red Cross)–why not consider a donation to one of her favorite charities (sadly, her Foundation seems to no longer be in operation, but the other charities are), or consider a purchase of one of these candles. Her family has also suggested that in lieu of flowers, donations can be directed to the Whitney E. Houston School of Performing and Creative Arts in East Orange, NJ. These are all ways you can show how much you appreciated all that she gave to the world.