Saturday, October 30, 2010

Hollywood Halloween Delivery of Goods & Services

Hollywood Halloween Recipients

Nicholas, Manuel and Refugio Martinez

The Tragedy:
These three brothers were getting ready for work at 4:30am on October 21, 2010 when they were startled by the sound of glass breaking outside their apartment. Nicholas went outside to see what was going on and surprised a burglar who shot him in the chest and head killing him instantly. When his brothers heard the shots they ran out to come to his rescue. Both suffered injuries and currently Manuel is fighting for his life at Ben Taub Hospital. Unable to work as a result of his injuries Refugio is left to deal with the stress of his ailing brother and the death of another brother. We aim to help him with housing costs, hospital bills and the final expenses of his youngest brother. With the help of the patrons of Hollywood Halloween this has become a reality.


The Fanatical Change:

It was afternoon when we arrived at Refugio's apartment. There was still crime scene tape around his vehicle with a memorial with his picture.

With the money donated to Fanatical Change we were able to allocate $2,000 for Refugio's rent for the next 4 months and provide him with $1,000 in Kroger gift cards for food and gas. Now he can concentrate on recovering from his injuries, burying his brother Nicolas and being by Manuel's side as he continues to fight for his life at Ben Taub Hospital.



Hector, Alexandra and Samantha Suarez

The Tragedy:

A family beach outing turned tragic on Sunday October 3, 2010. Hector Suarez had brought his family to the Texas City Dike for a day of fun in the sun. Instead he watched in horror as his twin girls struggled with the currents. He jumped in to rescue them but was unable to do so. He was hospitalized in critical condition as a result but the fate of his twin daughters was a parents worst nightmare. All of this occurred in front of the couple's eldest daughter, Gloria. To make matters worse as Edith, Hector's wife was visiting him in the hospital the couple's home was burglarized. Days later Hector succumbed to the trauma caused by his near drowning. Hector was the sole bread winner for his family. With the help of the fine and generous people of Houston who attended Hollywood Halloween we were able to bring a little peace to this family who has gone through something that is worse than anyone could imagine.

The Fanatical Change:

It was around 5:30 pm when we arrived at Edith Suarez's home. Her family was gathered around her and there was a large photo of her now departed husband and twin daughters hanging in the living room. Mrs. Suarez is eight months pregnant. She showed a strength that she said was so necessary for her children but under the surface we could see it was extremely hard for her. Thanks to our donors we were able to provide her and her family with $1,500 worth of gift cards to Kroger for food and gas, $1,000 to target for clothes and household needs and $1,500 to Ikea to help replace some of the furniture that was damaged during the burglary of their home. She was at a loss for words and was so thankful and surprised by the good will of her city.


Debbie Wilson

The Tragedy:

On Wednesday October 13, 2010 the sky in the Greenspoint area of Houston was thick with smoke. 37 units of the Driscol Place Apartments went up in a blaze. Debbie Wilson lost everything that she owns in the blaze. She did not have renter's insurance and without our help she was left with nothing.

The Fanatical Change:

We arrived at Debbie Wilson's new apartment at around 4pm. When we entered her apartment it really hit home how much she had lost because it was completely empty. There was no furniture, no decorations but when we left it was full of hope and thanks. As a result of our donor's generosity we provided her with $500 to Kroger so she can restock her refrigerator and pantry, $1,500 to Target for clothes and household items and $3000 to Ikea so she can fill her apartment with furniture. She was so grateful she felt compelled to call again later on in the night just to thank us one last time. She was told by Fanatical Change that her many thanks would be past on to those who made it possible through their kindness.


Theodore Jones

The Tragedy:

On Wednesday October 27, 2010 at 9:15am Theodore (Theo) Jones was waiting for the bus near his home with his seven month old son in his stroller. A car speeding and driving erratically was coming towards him but he did not see the car until it was too late as Theo was legally blind. When he realized that the car was careening toward him and his young son he threw himself in front of the carriage. He was killed instantly. His son suffered a broken arm. He is survived by his wife and two children. His family is unable to afford his funeral expenses. Thanks to the people who came out and donated at Hollywood Halloween a Fanatical Change was possible.

The Fanatical Change:

When Eleanor Jones, the mother of Theodore Jones, came to greet us she seemed as though the weight of the world was on her shoulders. It was heartbreaking to hear her tell the tale of how she actually went to the scene of the accident when it occurred but was unable to see her son due to the horrific injuries he had suffered. She told us how she wailed to the investigating officers to tell her that it was not true, not her baby. She was truly overcome with grief still. She shared with us a song of worship that he had just written for his church. There was not a dry eye as we heard the strain in her voice as she sang her son's song. It was a feeling that can not be described when we could see the relief that came over her when she was informed that she would be able to bury her son and give him a monument fitting to his life and that she would be able to get a head start on taking care of her grandchildren. We provided her with $3,500 toward his final expenses, $500 to Babies "R" Us, $500 to Target and $500 to Kroger. Mrs. Jones was overwhelmed by the generosity that her fellow citizens of showed in her time of need. She was so thankful and full of emotion.

Mohammed Elsayed

The Tragedy:

On October 13,2010 during his usual night shift as a cab driver Mohammed Elsayed was killed by two assailants who robbed him. This father of two children was working hard to put himself through engineering school and made extra money by teaching language and cultural classes to the U.S. Military. He leaves behind his wife Doaa and his two daughters ages two and eight. He was a devoted husband and father and up until now Doaa has been a home maker. Now not only does she have to deal with the loss of her husband but will now have to be the bread winner of the family. Fanatical Change, with the aid of the donors who attended Hollywood Halloween, were able assist in this difficult transition.

The Fanatical Change

When we arrived at Doaa Elsayed's apartment we were greeted by her. She invited us in and we met her children and her sister. She told us about how her husband cared for them. How he took care of everything. She showed us pictures of him. We saw him golfing and swimming in the sea. She told us about how much he loved working with the U.S. military, teaching them about middle eastern culture. She said that he worked so hard. Putting himself through engineering school. He long to be able to provide them with more and worked hard everyday towards that goal. She was over come when we presented her with $1,000 to Kroger and $1,300 towards her rent to aid her in the transition to being the family's bread winner, $1,500 to Ikea so she could have some of the nicer things that he wished to provide her with, a new $600 computer and $600 worth of Rosetta Stone so she could have a better grasp of the English language so she can have better opportunities to provide for her children. She was so thankful. We were all humbled by her strength.



Franco Olascoaga


The Tragedy:

Franco Olascoaga was a generous twenty one year old man. He was a talented soccer player who played for a club team. He spent time volunteering as a soccer coach in Porter, Texas. On September 10, 2010 while coaching his team he was struck by lightning. He fought for his life until October 7 when he succumbed to his injuries. His family was unable to provide a headstone for their beloved son and brother.

The Fanatical Change:

Franco's mother greeted us at the family's Porter, Texas home with Franco's little sister Paula at her side. In the living room was an almost life size poster of Franco in a suit most likely from his senior prom which was not that long ago. His sister had written him a letter on a dry erase board. We told his mother, Aracelia, that we were able to provide her with $1,000 to Kroger to help with gas and groceries since he was no longer around to help with the household bills. Paula and his Franco's little brother Paul received savings bonds in their brother's honor for when it is time for them to go off to college and Franco will now have a fitting monument to commemorate his life. She was overcome with emotion as she held her daughter. We all shed tears as well.




The Fanatical Change Foundation would like to thank everyone who made Hollywood Halloween such a success. Without our donors none of this would be possible. We hope that we can continue to inspire you to be the change you wish to see in the world.















Friday, October 8, 2010

The Selection Process Has Begun!

Hello Change Agents. The Selection Committee has been lucky to have some great volunteers come together this year. We will coordinate our efforts through our Facebook site. This gives everyone a chance to see how we identify our recipients. The Selection Process begins today so you will begin to see postings of tragic stories and you will be able to track our progress. Please feel free to jump in and help if you feel you can be of any assistance. We are three weeks out.

Do you know what you are going to be for Hollywood Halloween yet?

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

What Do You Get The Guy That Has Everything?

A guitar autographed by every member of U2 of course!




Once again The Fanatical Change Foundation will continue our tradition of amazing auction items. The guitar above and the items below are just a few of the items that will be available at the event:

The Perfect gift for your teen (or your husband who likes to keep his fan club membership a secret from his poker buddies)



Or if you secretly desire to be a child of the night this item is for you



These are just some of the amazing items we will have at our event on October 29th from 7-11pm at The Houston Motor Club which is located in the brand new City Centre. Come and hang out with local celebrities and captains of industry in a space shared with exotic cars, drinks by Tito's Vodka, Jack Daniels, Chambord and others. All of the energy spent having a blast will be in the effort to raise money for local Houston families who have just suffered a life altering tragedy.

This Halloween: Party With a Purpose!

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Selection Committee Orientation

Hello Change Agents!

The Selection Committee is going to meet on Thursday October 7th at Panera Bread on Post Oak and San Felipe at 6:30pm. This committee is responsible for finding the potential recipients of the funds raised at our next event, Hollywood Halloween. Duties involve; monitoring local news for stories about tragedies that have happened to local Houston families or individuals. We will go over the type of story to look for, how to track down the people, the correct way to interview them and how to coordinate our efforts. We currently have about eight volunteers but the more we have the less work we have for each volunteer.

We look forward to seeing you then and working with you!