Members of the 100 People Who Care of the Lehigh Valley met at the Domaine Pterion Vineyard and Winery in Macungie Dec. 8 to listen to three nonprofit organizations’ appeals.

Dustin and Andrea Grim, of Schantz Funeral Home, sponsored the meeting at the 283-year-old family farm owned by Elizabeth and Daniel O’Rourke.

According to founding member Mick Seislove, 100 People Who Care has its origins from a group of nurses in Chicago who wanted to raise money for a crib program. The cost of the project was $10,000 and the nurses hoped to find 10 people to donate $1,000 to fund it. Unfortunately, they could not find them and then hoped to get 100 people to donate $100 and this worked.

The idea started to spread throughout the country to other groups. Judy Schilling and Seislove brought this idea to the Lehigh Valley in 2017. In the past eight years and 72 meetings, this group has raised $281,780.

The group meetings are held in April, July and December. A steering committee reviews groups and chooses three organizations to appeal to its members at each of the three meetings held throughout the year.

According to steering committee member Cindy Ernst, each member commits to making a donation of at least $100. Organizations could receive amounts from $100-$10,000. Members could choose one of the three groups to make a donation to or they could choose to donate $100 to each of the three groups. Groups can reach out to Schilling to be considered.

The steering committee tries to choose a variety of nonprofits for this unique fundraising opportunity. To date, the July meeting produced the single-most money raised for one of the groups. Julian’s Legacy Foundation received a $7,050 donation from the group.

If your organization is considered for this opportunity, you would present it to the group at one of its meetings. Bins are set aside for members to place their donations in after the presentations end.

Seislove added the original 100 People Who Care concept would benefit one group with $10,000. The Lehigh Valley chapter prefers having three groups present with each of them receiving a portion of the $10,000 total. This group started with 100 members but has grown to 130.

The three groups invited to the Dec. 8 meeting included the Mia Due Foundation, The Peaceable Kingdom and Paul’s House Valor Foundation.

First to present was Chris Due of the Mia Due Memorial Foundation.

Due shared the tragic accident that occurred July 31, 2022, in which his 16-year-old daughter Mia was killed by motorcyclists speeding at 90 mph on MacArthur Road. Due shared that in this difficult, challenging and sad time, the Whitehall community came to his family’s aid to help them heal.

“We wanted to turn a tragic event into something positive,” he said.

With the help of the Kauffman family, the Mia Due Memorial Foundation was established to keep his daughter’s legacy alive and “give back to the community who helped us,” he said.

Due explained the foundation hosts dine and donate fundraisers throughout the Lehigh Valley to raise money in addition to the annual golf tournament at Twin Lakes which will take place Aug. 8, 2026.

Money raised is donated to numerous groups in the Lehigh Valley community.

“My daughter loved people, especially children. We wanted to give back to the community groups that Mia would have liked such as the food banks, Lehigh Valley Crime Victims, Zephyr Express and Shop with a Cop.”

In the last three years, $21,000 has been awarded to high school students through the Mia Due Memorial Scholarship. Over $123,000 has been donated to a number of organizations in the Lehigh Valley over the past three years. Due said “People like you help us to give back to the community that helps us heal. Thank you for helping to keep Mia’s spirit alive.”

Second to appeal to the group was Janet Dorwort of Peaceable Kingdom whose mission is “to provide care, protection and assistance to animals who are mistreated, injured, abandoned or otherwise in need.”

Dorwort shared a story that on a dark, cold night, a homeless man came to Peaceable Kingdom and told her he can no longer care for his dog. “Please don’t kill my dog,” the man begged her and she explained that “we don’t do that here.” The man left quickly leaving his pit bull behind with Dorwort.

“It was now just me and this dog,” she recalled.

Dorwort named the dog Bucky and wished she could let that man know his dog was given a good home. Dorwort says the man was able to give his dog a better life because he brought him to the Peaceable Kingdom.

“We are 100% dependent on people like you,” Dorwort pleaded.

For the past 12 years, Dorwort has dedicated herself to saving animals. She compared herself to being one drop in the ocean and noted the ocean would be less without that one drop. She also quoted Mother Teresa by sharing “not all of us can do great things but we can do small things with great love.”

Dorwort concluded with words from Fred Rogers and said when “something on the news is scary, look for the helpers. You will always find people helping. Thank you for being the helpers,” she told the group.

The final presentation was by Erin Kelly of Paul’s House Valor Foundation Clinic in Kunkletown whose mission is to provide at-risk and homeless veterans with assistance in accessing benefits, securing shelter and providing long-lasting post traumatic stress resources.

In 2019, Navy veteran Kelly said she found herself homeless after domestic violence forced her out of her home. In 2021, she came to Paul’s House Valor Foundation Clinic.

“I would not be here without this place,” she said.

Kelly is now “house manager” who oversees the daily operations at the shelter and serves as a peer mentor for the “Unstoppable” program, which includes veterans helping veterans who understand one another’s situations more than any civilian could.

“I came and never left because I could not walk away,” Kelly said.

Over 300,000 meals are provided each year. Food boxes are provided to struggling veterans. This past year, the organization packed 677 boxes for the Thanksgiving holiday. Each box feeds 8-10 people for three meals.

Since its doors opened in 2012, it has transformed the lives of 130 veterans. Of the 130, only five of its current and former residents became homeless again after staying at the shelter.

According to its website, the “Veteran’s Unstoppable” retreat for reintegration into civilian life offers a sanctuary with a five step case management model to help veterans achieve sobriety, manage health, develop income and create a life plan. Approximately 500-600 veterans attend the retreat classes. Volunteers cook, clean, transport and provide case management.

“All the work is done by volunteers,” Kelly noted.

Donations can be made directly to the organization or by purchasing items from their Amazon wish list. Veterans can apply for the shelter or retreat program through the Valor Clinic website. “Beautiful things happen here,” Kelly shared with the group. “Gratitude we have for people like you. We can’t do the critical work we do without you.”

Kelly explained approximately $12,000 is needed each month to keep the homeless shelter operating the utilities for the 12 rooms.

“I thank you. You saved my life. I now do what I can because I was there,” Kelly told the group. Members of the 100 People Who Care of the Lehigh Valley brought canned goods to the meeting that will also benefit the Valor Food Pantry.

By the meeting’s end, each of the organization’s bins were full with donated checks by the members.

The next meeting for the 100 People Who Care of the Lehigh Valley will be in April 2026. They are always accepting new members. Individuals interested in becoming members or making donations can contact Judy Schilling via the group’s Facebook page.