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HUMMING ALONG

Details: Category: Featured Resident; Published on Thursday, 23 June 2016 16:24; Written by Dawn Kirkpatrick

This April, long-time Lafayette Square resident Jennifer Johnson held a benefit luncheon at her home to raise money for her foundation, Hummingbirds, a philanthropic group founded by Johnson and her best friend Cathy Vanderford. It is composed of women and girls interested in promoting the wellbeing of children and women around the globe. According to the Hummingbirds Foundation’s website, the group is “unlike any other nonprofit, where 100% of what is raised goes directly to programs for women and children in need. [Johnson] personally covers all overhead so that every dollar given is used in the field.” This year's luncheon, called Hummingbirds Luncheon for Navajo Reservation, was held to raise money for a water project designed to bring clean, running water to the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico.

Also attending the luncheon was George McGraw, Founder and Executive Director of DIGDEEP, a human rights organization concerned with securing water for all communities in the country. Hummingbirds is partnering with DIGDEEP in its efforts to help the Navajo.

In addition to being provided with lunch, attendees were treated to songs performed by two talented, young Hummingbirds members, MaeLea Williams and Ruby Williams, who sang while playing guitar, keyboard and Ukulele. The afternoon concluded with a raffle of two beautiful Navajo blankets among other prizes.

The week after the luncheon a group of Hummingbirds mothers and daughters went to New Mexico to volunteer and witness the Hummingbirds and DIGDEEP water project in full swing.

According to Johnson in an email, they have raised over $6,000 for their Navajo water project.

Last year, Hummingbirds Foundation raised $21,700 to help fund a project in Cap Haitien, Haiti. The project in Haiti was designed to help move over 200 children to a new community center. “Hummingbirds also raised over $135,000 in funds and equipment to build an outdoor oasis for the children at City Language Immersion Charter (CLIC). CLIC is a public elementary school that serves one of the poorest and most densely populated communities in Los Angeles,” according to the Hummingbirds’ website.

For more information about Hummingbirds Foundation and DIGDEEP, visit:

www.hummingbirdsfoundation.org and www.digdeep.org.

Photo by Dawn Kirkpatrick

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