Emily Elizabeth Douglas

Emily Elizabeth Douglas (Born March 24, 1982)

"It is our duty to help those who are unable to help themselves."

Emily Elizabeth Douglas is from Powell, Ohio and is the founder and executive director of Grandma's Gifts. Emily founded this organization at the age of eleven in memory of her grandmother, Norma Belcher Ackison, of Ironton, Ohio. Grandma’s Gifts is a charity organization that works to provide goods and services to children and families in Appalachia. To date, over $2,500,000 in goods and services has been provided. Additionally, over 650,000 books have been placed into the hands of needy children, daycare’s, hospitals, and libraries and more than 10,000lbs of food have been given to families, battered women’s shelters, and food pantries. The organization is run by volunteer youth and young adults.

In 1993, at the age of eleven Emily Douglas founded Grandma’s Gifts in memory of her grandmother. The Douglas family lost Norma Ackison to breast and lung cancer in 1991 after being diagnosed in 1989. She was only 60 years old. The lessons and stories her grandmother shared reached Emily and after realizing that kids did not have the things she so often took for granted, she wanted to change the world... one child at a time.

Emily's grandma was born in 1932 as the twelfth of twelve children. Norma learned all too well the challenges and humiliation of poverty and often shared stories about the way she had felt when other children had made fun of her tattered clothing and home with newspaper curtains. As an adult and owner of a small family business, Emily's grandmother never forgot the caring neighbors and family who reached out to help her family. She often took food to veterans who lived in the foothills and purchased clothing and toys for families.

Due to her work with Grandma's Gifts and being extremely active in the community at a young age, Emily has traveled and spoken to more than 200,000 adults and children across the United States about community service, youth activism, service learning, Appalachia, literacy, and her organization. She has testified before the Ohio General Assembly and the United States Congress. She has appeared on Oprah Wimphrey and has received multiple awards for her work as a youth activist and young adult social entrepreneur.

Selected Awards Include:
2006: Volvo For Life Awards, Semi-Finalist
2003: Sertoma International , Service to Mankind Award Honoree
2002: Miami University Young Entrepreneur of the Year
2002: Temple Award for Creative Altruism from the Institute of Noetic Science
2002: Seventeen (magazine) & CoverGirl Volunteer Awards, Grand Prize Winner
2000: The American Institute for Public Service Jefferson Award
2000: Hitachi Foundation’s Yoshiyama Award for Exemplary Service to the Community
1999: National Child Labor Committee Lewis Hine Award
1999: President’s Service Award. This is considered the highest award given to a U.S citizen for public service.
1999: Caring Institute National Youth Caring Award
1998: Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge George Washington Honor Medal
1997: Appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show in recognition for Grandma’s Gifts
1996: National Awardee of the Prudential Spirit of Community Award

Emily attended Miami University receiving her Bachelors in Political Science (2004) and was a member of Kappa Delta sorority. She received her Masters Degree in Human Resources from The Ohio State University, Max M. Fisher College of Business in 2007. Emily is currently a graduate student at the Max M. Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University working on her Masters in Business Administration.

Emily volunteers her time and recruits other young adults to help run the organization.

References

*Kappa Delta: Making Great Things Happen, Grandma's Gifts. ΚΔ [http://friends.kappadelta.org/content.aspx?item=FN%2fMaking+Great+Things+Happen%2fOH%2fgandmasgift.xml] , 2007.
*The Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business News. [http://fisher.osu.edu/news/fishernews/2006-11-17/#2 Emily Douglas: A profile in community leadership]
*Jill Corbett. [http://oncampus.osu.edu/article.php?id=935 Grad student's 'Gifts' has helped rural poor] The Ohio State University, OnCampus Newspaper, October 17, 2006.
*Vivian Wagner. [http://www.americanprofile.com/article/3253.html Honoring Grandma] , American Profiler June 8, 2003.
*Volvo for Life Awards: Emily Douglas. [http://www.volvoforlifeawards.com/cgi-bin/iowa/english/heros/hero2004/2056.html] 2006.
*The Caring Institute. Young Adult National Caring Award Winner: Emily Douglas. [http://www.caringinstitute.org/CaringAwards.taf?function=detail&id=32885] 1999
*Points of Light Foundation. Presidents Community Volunteer Award, Winner Profile: Emily Elizabeth Douglas. [http://www.pointsoflight.org/awards/prescommunityvol/winner_details.cfm?ID=1030] 1999.
*Idealist. Organizations Started by Kids: Grandma's Gifts. [http://www.idealist.org/kt/youthorgs.html#sec7]
*"Earning their wings: Grandma's Gifts." Angels on Earth (Guide Post Publication). [http://www.angelsmag.com/etw/novemberdecember2003/] November/December 2003.
*"Hero of the Week." Hannity’s America. Fox News. February 2007.
*American Voices. By Senator Bill Bradley. Sirius Satellite Radio. January 21, 2007.
*Harden, Mike. "Columbus lends helping hand to West Virginia." Columbus Dispatch. August 20, 2001: 1B.
*Harden, Mike. "For Grandma: Prize winning teenager recognized for Appalachian mission to help children." Columbus Dispatch. March 17,2002: 1B.
*"Appalachian Christmas." Guide Post for Teens. December/January 2001: 27, 28. (ghost written, but attributed to Emily Douglas)
*Perry, Susan. Catch the Spirit: Teen Volunteers tell how they made a difference. New York: Franklin Watts Publisher, 2000. Pg 49-59.
*Parlapiano, Ellen. "Gifts of Giving: A Grandma's Gifts legacy." Mr. Foods Easy Cooking. November/December 1999: 70-72.
*"React Take Action Awards: Emily Douglas age 17, Powell, Ohio." React Magazine. March 29-April 4, 1999.
*Hoover, Felix. "Couple, Student saluted for their compassion." Columbus Dispatch. November 19, 1999: 6C.
*Carrington, Penelope M. "Teens know the pleasures of giving their time to others." Richmond-Times Dispatch. May 9, 1997: E4.
*Stratton, Lee. "Gifts of time, Gifts of love community service awards." Columbus Dispatch. February 25, 1997: 1C, 2C.
*"Kids who decide to be their own hero’s." National Geographic: African Gold. October, 1996.
*"Kids who decide to be their own hero’s." Sports Illustrated: Ali vz. Frazier. September 30, 1996.
*"Kids who decide to be their own hero’s." TIME: The Morris Mess. September 9, 1996.
*"What do you expect from a bunch of kids?" USA Today. May 9, 1996: 5D.
*Snavely, Brent. "Douglas honored foe efforts to raise money for the poor." Worthington Suburbia News. March 20, 1996: 8.
*Grandma's Gifts website: [http://www.GrandmasGifts.org]