“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” These words by William James are words that Ellie Hite lives her life by, and it’s apparent within moments of meeting her.
Ellie is the president of the Angel Works Foundation in Columbus, Ohio. Her organization is aimed at helping families in times of need. A family is deemed as being in need when a parent or child faces a life-threatening illness. Ellie can help to provide assistance in covering medical expenses, utility bills and food or gas costs.
During the holiday season, the Angel Works Foundation conducts a program called Project Clause which helps to bring hope and the Christmas spirit to families who are facing a terminal illness within the family. Each Christmas, Ellie along with other volunteers show up at the house of a family who has been recommended by family, friends and neighbors and drops off gifts. Ellie notes that Project Clause is an anonymous program because none of the families helped have ever asked for assistance.
In addition to Ellie’s work with the Angel Works Foundation, she is also a board member of the Children’s Body Image Foundation. The goal of the foundation is promote within children that everyone is special and that all children should feel good about themselves. The Children’s Body Image Foundation also assists families that don’t fall into the Angel Works Foundation category. The organization does a lot of work with children who are suffering from clubfeet, cancer, hair loss, eating disorders and other related conditions.
Ellie’s hard work and volunteerism keep her consistently busy and she feels blessed that she has such a great support system behind her. The company where she works during the day, Winn Properties, is very supportive of her endeavors and has even produced volunteers for Ellie’s programs in the past. Ellie’s children are also a phenomenal help, spending days on end wrapping presents for others in need during the holidays and even donating their own presents when funding is low. Without everyone’s constant support, Ellie feels as if she wouldn’t have been able to affect nearly as many lives as she already has.
Moving forward, Ellie hopes to be able to grow the Angel Works Foundation and continue helping an ever-growing number of people. Eventually, Ellie would love it if the Angel Works Foundation would become her full time job, but currently all of the money that is being brought in is going toward helping families and back into the foundation.
Through Sunny 95’s 20 Outstanding Women You Should Know, Ellie’s hope is to use the program as a springboard to grow the Angel Works Foundation and help others become aware of all of the great things the foundation is doing. Ellie says, “The more people that we can make aware of the Angel Works Foundation and get involved with the community, the more it will grow.”
To learn more about the Angel Works Foundation, please visit http://www.AngelWorksFoundation.com.