Every Tuesday, leading up to Giving Tuesday which is November 30, I will be sharing different Giving Tuesday Spark chapter leaders and their projects. The goal of these episodes is to show the audience members all the different projects you can get involved with. For today’s episode, CJ Matthews shares what his project is for this year!!
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Website: https://blankies4mybuddies.weebly.com/
Instagram: @blankies4mybuddies
Hashtag: #ridewithcj
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Chris "CJ" Matthews' inspirational story began when his family experienced a loss at five years old. His grief sparked an idea. CJ wanted to help other kids who might be dealing with similar feelings of sadness. The idea led to creating a charitable project called "Blankies 4 My Buddies," which has since grown into a globally recognized organization that brings small tokens of comfort, like cozy blankets, to children dealing with traumatic situations from chronic illnesses to homelessness.
Now 14 years old, CJ has received numerous awards for his service, including being the 2019 YOU Awards International Community Service Honoree, aired on WSB-TV Atlanta, and named a Baskin Robbins Pint-Sized Hero July 2020 for his efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. CJ is a Giving Tuesday Sparks leader, a youth ambassador in the global generosity movement. And Then There Was One is his first children's book, but he is already a published author. His award-winning poem, "I Am Great," appeared in Inklings Book 2019 (Society of Young Inklings, Inc). He contributed an essay about social justice to In Their Own Words: Relevant Essays from Brilliant Young People In The Year 2020. CJ plans to write more books.
CJ was born in Charleston, SC. His family moved to Atlanta when he was seven years old.