donate to the San Francisco Firefighters Toy
Program the following year.
“We have one rule,” she said with a
smile, as a group of volunteers gathered to
sort and box the swell of donations. “Every
gift must be fabulous!”
By the time the
holiday benefit came
around again, Sonja
and her friends had
more than 800
gifts to give—and
the donations kept
coming!
Sonja could have
stored them away until
the next holiday season,
but it occurred to her that there
are so many life events beyond the holidays
for these young women. “Birthdays, gradua-
tions...they should get gifts for
those times too,” Sonja mused
to her friends as they boxed a
new wave of 2,000 gifts.
Immediately, the room
began to buzz with joy.
“You should start a non-
profit,” one friend suggested.
“I want to join your board! ”
My board, Sonja thought,
her head spinning. Though
she had invested in many
companies in her job as a
venture capitalist, a non-
profit was never on her radar.
But thinking of all the girlsBut Sonja hasn’t stopped there. Project
Glimmer also hosts “Boxing Joy” events,
which enlist corporations and community
groups to box the gifts. It also hosts a “Day
of Empowerment,” which includes make-
overs, photo shoots and career-building
seminars to inspire at-risk young women to
grow their skills and self-confidence.
“It made me feel loved,” one girl shares of
her experience at a Day of Empowerment.
“It makes me feel like I have someone
who cares about me,” another reflected.
For Sonja, nothing could be better.
“When a young woman feels valued, it
changes her future, and ultimately, she can
change the world,” beams Sonja, who was
featured in the book Alpha Girls. “And the
girls have changed my world. They taught
me that lif ting up others is what rea lly
makes a difference!” —Alexandra Pollockshe could help, Sonja felt a jolt of
excitement. “Let’s do it!”Helping others glow
Weeks later, Sonja hosted the first lun-
cheon for her nonprofit she dubbed Project
Glimmer, announcing its mission to
inspire at-risk teen girls and women by
showing them their community cares.
“A girl who believes in herself
can change the world!” Sonja said
to a room packed with donors and
volunteers. And that was the start of
something bigger than Sonja could
have ever imagined.
In the nine years since Project
Glimmer (ProjectGlimmer.org) began,
Sonja and her team have given half a mil-
lion young women gifts with the help of
500 community partners in 38 states.Co
urt
es
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Share your own inspiring story with us, and we’ll pay you $250 if we publish it! Read or heard someone else’s story you think belongs in
Woman’s World? Send it to us! If you’re the first to share it and we publish it, we’ll pay you $100! Email the story with your name and phone number to:
[email protected]. Or mail to: Scoop, Woman’s World, 270 Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632.“A g i r l wh o
believes in
herself can
change the
world!” says
SonjaWe pay
$ (^250)!
1
A joy-boosting word
“To the brain, receiving a
compliment is the same reward
as being given money!” says
Norihiro Sadato, a professor
at the National Institute for
Physiological Sciences in Japan.
In fact, research shows that
receiving even a small compli-
ment can enhance performance
and happiness in mere seconds.
Three free “gifts” that change lives!
2
An attentive gaze
Making eye contact for 20
seconds of every minute while
in conversation can strengthen
bonds, say Scottish research-
ers. Relationship expert AJ
Harbinger, Ph.D., explains,
“Making eye contact 30% of
the time not only helps people
remember what you say, but
increases rapport and listening.”
3
Distraction-free time
When it comes to boosting
joy, health and longevity, stud-
ies show that spending quality
time with others is more effec-
tive than getting a raise at work.
Experts suggest that scheduling
just 30 smartphone-free minutes
to spend with loved ones signifi-
cantly increases productivity and
bolsters relationships.
Woma n’s World^ 8/12/19 (^11)