OUR STORY
What is Charity for Charity
Our mission is to make a significant difference in the lives of others in our community and inspire others to accomplish incredible things.
In our community, there are many “causes”, which are extremely valuable to our citizens. Charity for Charity is unique from these causes, because we focus on individuals. By selecting individuals, we can create a relationship that lasts long after they are honored through us. One that will last a lifetime.
Charity for Charity selects 3 MAIN beneficiaries per year to fulfill wishes for. We select an adult, a young adult and a child with either life threatening illness or traumatic injury. We surprise them with their wishes at our big event, Stars of the Valley. These 3 individuals and their families, are asked to become a part of the Charity for Charity family right from the moment they are selected! We also accept other beneficiaries with smaller wishes, throughout the year through our online application.
Some examples of wishes we have fulfilled are; Family Disney Cruise, Golf with Ricky Fowler, Movie Premiere of Miracles from Heaven and after party, trip to Paris, Mediterranean Cruise, NFL Football game as a guest of the team, ride in a tank at Camp Pendleton, Lunch and sparring with MMA legend Dan Henderson, a new car, electronic prosthetic hands and THOUSANDS more!
Our community is small and close knit, yet many times, we find that these individuals are overlooked or without a network of family and friends. Once Charity for Charity selects them, we form a relationship, where we get to know them, who they were before their illness or injury, and what life is like for them now. We bond with their families, often offering “therapy” support, just by listening. The children learn that love goes beyond family and that they are not in this alone. Parents are besides themselves that a group or organization could love them without even knowing them. We invest in getting to know them and sharing in their struggles, yet offering love, hope and retreat.
Our beneficiaries understand that their story will be shared with the community on a completely public level. Charity for Charity finds this extremely important for many reasons; sharing their pictures helps the public identify the person with the story, sharing their story, gets the message out and has potentially opened many more doors for them. Sharing their story helps others to relate on any given level, with the reality of the issue. We also require (unless hospitalized or deceased), that our beneficiaries are present at our big event (Stars of the Valley) honoring them. This gives the 500+ in attendance a first hand understanding of what they are going through and exactly who they are supporting.
Beneficiaries lives are incredibly affected by our entire embrace and method of support. We have been told that we give hope, when there was none. That we were a light in the darkest of times, that we were the family they didn’t have, that we do so much more then fulfill their wishes, that we have changed their lives. This has a major impact on our community. It shows our beneficiaries that their community loves and supports them, and they are not alone. It shows them that the heart of this community beats for its citizens and that they are in the perfect community to get through their toughest times.
Another way, on a larger scale, we are exemplifying our mission, is by inspiring, not just the beneficiaries, but one another and all who are exposed to us. It is often said, “we get more out of our beneficiary’s experience then they do” and that is because they seem to be the most positive, non-self-pitying, willful people we have ever met! When people attend our Stars of the Valley event, where we honor our beneficiaries, they leave completely changed. They are affected in ways they can’t describe. There is never a dry eye, everyone leaves wanting to be a better person who doesn’t complain and who wants to help MORE. This is such an asset to our community and executes, in another way, “inspiring others to do incredible things”.
We also honor our local high school seniors with college scholarships. We feel that selecting seniors with the heart for helping others encourages and inspires others. We proudly have offered approximately 30 scholarships in the past few years.
2018 California Non-Profit of the year
2014, 2017 and 2023 Chamber of Commerce Nominee Charity of the year
OUR FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT:
WHO IS CHARITY?
Charity Prestifilippo, Founder and President of Charity for Charity, has lived in the Temecula Valley most of her life. Her roots are firmly planted in the community and she is fully invested in the people within it.
When a dear friend was diagnosed with a rare cancer in his spinal cord, she was inspired to reach out to the community and find a way to help him.
As a girl who LOVES to host parties, she knew that gathering people together would be a great way to bring the community together for a good cause. She also loves the glamour of old Hollywood, so, she put two and two together and created a gala evening fundraiser, Stars of the Valley. Her first red carpet event featured a true Hollywood experience complete with red carpet, champagne, community awards program, silent and live auction and great entertainment.
The event was such a success that it inspired Charity to create the event every year with a new beneficiary! The response from the local community has been phenomenal.
Today, Charity for Charity has grown in both size and capability. In January 2019, Charity developed THE UNSTOPPABLES, an ensemble of 6 past beneficiaries of Charity for Charity. To find out more, see The Unstoppables page of this website.
Charity for Charity is an official 501 C3, with a Board of Directors, Advisory Board and an inspired committee of locals and volunteers, aka “The Wish Brigade”, the hard work and dedication is paying off. Started as a "volunteer only" organization, in 2015 our growth demanded our first and only paid part time employee, Alison Wooten. Charity still works on a 100% volunteer basis and her and her husband's businesses donate thousands of dollars in goods and services every year.
Charity believes that by helping each other, we all can make a great difference in the world. Compassionate giving is what has inspired her throughout her life and Charity for Charity is her way of bringing her belief to life in a way which many can be directly involved to make a difference in the lives of those that need it.
She and her husband have daughter Mimi with Grandson Carlo, sons Luca and Logan. Charity and her husband run several businesses in Temecula, California and Sicily, Italy.
She’s one busy lady who is driven by passion, a need to help others through changing one life at a time.
Meet our ADVISORY BOARD
Our Advisory Board is made up of a team of dedicated, passionate and loving people who have been a part of Charity for Charity for over 10 years.
The biggest responsibility of the Advisory Board is to select the main beneficiaries each year. This is NOT an easy task since every submission pulls at the heart strings! Our Advisory Board also acts as consultants, liaisons and represents us in our community. We are so proud to have each and every one of them involved!
WHAT IS A WISHBRIGADE?
A group of people dedicated to a common cause to achieve the seemingly impossible.
We have THE MOST INCREDIBLE group of humans who make up our WISHBRIGADE! Their hearts, passion and love for this organization, our beneficiaries and one another resonates in all they do!
Interested in volunteering? Contact Emerly, out volunteer coordinator at Emerlya@msn.com