Making Lemons Out of Tragedy
I first meet Ozzie this man through an acquaintance at his office in Chino, California. First thing one notices when you walk in is this place is covered with Sports and Entertainment Memorabilia from floor to ceiling. At that time, I was serving as an Ambassador for Economic Development for the Chickamauga Nation and seeking sports memorabilia for the Tribe’s upcoming “Gathering.” As he took me around the business and warehouse I was meet with sports autographed balls, jerseys, posters, bobble heads, ceramics figures, and you named it…it was all there. Nearly every major name in Basketball, (Kobe, Magic, Larry Bird and more…Baseball names from past Hall of Famers & present players and teams…Football, Hockey, Olympians even the restroom had autographed pictures of some of the most stunning women stars. One might say he knows just about everyone in sports and many entertainers, actors, singers and models. As we sat down, he reached across his desk and without blinking handed me several autographed jerseys from famous Dodgers stars and a Pete Rose Jersey. These sponsor donations sold at the Chickamauga Tribal Gathering & Fund-Raising Auction. I was deeply touched by how he wanted to contribute to strengthening the Tribe as a Sovereign Nation. I thanked him and asked what I can do to help you. He sat back in his chair. I could see he was a bit choked up. He had asked only one thing. “Can you help promote my non-profit?” He proceeded to tell me about his best friend who was his daughter. That is where this story begins…
Daughter is a Non-Profit Sports Activity, founded in 2024, in honor of Ivana Hernandez by her father who has run a very successful Sports and Entertainment Memorabilia company.
He states, “My beautiful Daughter was my best friend. I knew her as full of life, and she loved cats and sports. We talked about sports all year round until a tragedy struck on August 8, 2022, when his daughter did not wake up from her sleep. As her father and best friend, I did not recognize any signs of what she could have been going through at the time, I did not know about her abusive relationship along with her addictions until after her passing. Behind her beautiful smile that would brighten up any room and she hid all her tears, anger, fears, addictions, and I was too blind to see deep inside her eyes all the help that she needed and that I was not able to give her. I really miss my best friend there is not a day that goes by what I would not do to bring back my daughter. I know I am not the only father who has lost a daughter for not being able to recognize what our kids are going through.” His vision was to create a community where mental health is a top priority, and individuals can access the resources they need to achieve optimal well-being. Thus, he created a nonprofit called Daughter in honor of my beautiful daughter, to help others in any possible way the organization, its officers, donors and sponsors can.
Daughter provides volunteer opportunities, allowing businesses to give back to their communities through their donations and sponsorships. “Help Us, Help Others” by becoming a donor or sponsor so we can all join in giving back to our community. “Alone we can do so little, but together we can do much.”
Daughter’s Mission is to help those facing insecurity make ends meet. Daughter distributes groceries, school supplies, holiday meals, toys and helps recognize addictions, abusive behavior, relationships. “We want to help children get the care they deserve through our donors and sponsors.” Alone we can do so little together we can do so much “Help Us, Help Others”
Daughter thrives on the incredible support of community donors and sponsors to fulfill their mission of combating food insecurity and uplifting our community through volunteer opportunities. The generosity of these remarkable people and organizations has empowered Daughter to extend a helping hand to countless families in need.
The contributions of our community donors & sponsors are not just financial; they also foster a profound sense of community and volunteerism. This feeling of helping someone in need is life-changing and creates a positive impact. Our community donors and sponsors play an integral role in this transformative journey, enhancing the lives of those we serve and our own officers and volunteers. There is a sincere appreciation for every contribution, and they know that they make a difference in this world with people’s support.
There is a great opportunity to join the Daughter Team to become a community donor, sponsor or volunteer. Such support assists to advancing Daughter’s mission and helps local communities to expand their reach and provide nourishment and vital resources to even more families who are in need.
One can contact Daughter Non-Profit at:
12375 Mills Ave, Suite 8, Chino, CA 91710, USA
Website: daughternonprofit.org
