By Brandy Reynolds on
Angela and Vanessa Simmons stared as themselves on two hit MTV shows, Run’s House and Daddy’s Girls. They own a clothing line, Pastry, and support the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.
The Miracle Network Children’s Miracle Network is a non-profit organization that raises funds for more than 170 children’s hospitals. Countless individuals, organizations and media partners unite with Children’s Miracle Network hospitals to help sick and injured kids in local communities. Donations to Children’s Miracle Network create miracles by funding medical care, research and education that saves and improves the lives of 17 million children each year.
Why have you chosen to be ambassadors for this organization?
We support the Network because it’s a great organization. Their whole cause is for saving and helping children recover from traumatic experiences and disease – illnesses and situations that are out of their control. We’ve seen a couple of different units and the care that’s given to children, and we’re really impressed with the hospital as a whole and their dedication to children.
Since being named ambassadors for the organization, have you been able to raise more awareness for the organization?
There are a lot of people we have met, and we have things we’d like to donate and time we’d like to spend helping out wherever we can. Whatever we can do to help
Do you think females in Hollywood are doing a good job at raising awareness about the issues in our country?
I don’t think that people do enough, but then again what is enough at the end of the day. We want to help raise awareness and maybe help get some other celebrity friends involved. I think it’s important that they bring awareness to things that are important. We think that it’s important to bring these kids joy. Kids are our next everything, the next generation, it’s very important that they’re taken care of.
Where would you suggest other young girls start when it comes to volunteering for the Miracle Network, where did you start?
The organization was brought to us, and then we did some research to find out about what the organization was all about. We wanted to help anywhere we could help. We’d love to put in more time, it’s very touching to us, and we just really want to put in more time where we can.
Will any of your upcoming work reflect the charity work you have advocated for?
We work with the girl scouts, which was a great experience. Everything that we do we try to have some type of good cause behind it. We really feel that people in the industry need to realize the influence they have on the people around them. We have such a great voice and we all should be using it for a good cause and a good reason. Every day we try to live and do better and try to encourage and inspire people to do better. That’s all we can do – live for today. Also, Pastry will be launching a special contest with Children’s Miracle Network inviting children in their 170 hospitals across the country to design a special Pastry sneaker. The hospital where the winning child has received treatment will receive a special $25,000 donation from Pastry.
Both of you have done such a great job at being business women, philanthropist and role models. Can you give other young people out there some advice on how they can attain the success that you have?
Number one, we think you have to find your hobby, passion, and find what you love to do – stick with it and pursue it hard. Keep going as hard as you can and I guarantee there will be no one that can stop you. Even though there will never be a quick success. Once you start, you might get there quick, but it takes a lot of time and effort and dedication and love for what you want to do. My acting coach told me yesterday about the 10,000-hour rule. Like, did you know that the Beatles had performed for like years and years and years before they became this big mega group? Whatever you put your time and effort in to, keep going and the idea is that after the 10,000 hours of working, you will sky rocket. Most people don’t blow up over night. Even we are still growing and learning every day. It’s a slow process, definitely. We’re so super blessed and thankful, but we’re just trying to grow and help were we can. Because we think that what you put into the universe you get back, and it’s important that people understand that.
Look To The Stars would like to thank Angela and Vanessa Simmons for taking the time to talk with us.
Copyright © 2009 Look to the Stars
