Cherie shows the love for BRF

Just talk to Dr. Cherie Crosby-Weeks and you know you have met a force for good. Her enthusiasm and passion are contagious, whether she’s talking about her students at Manor College, serving the local unhoused community, or leading others in filling comfort bags for Breathing Room recipients. She is the Director of Early Childhood Education at Manor College, and an advocate for individuals of all ages to engage in serving others.

Since 2016, Cherie has been part of the BRF family, and has invited her community of students, colleagues, friends, and family members to share in that service. She hosts two or three events a year for her students, engaging dozens in the BRF mission, and then delivering the packages to the Breathing Room office.

Cherie feels pulled to BRF as a community organization, one that is easy to connect with. “The Breathing Room is one of those organizations really rooted in honoring loved ones and continuing the work regardless of what’s coming in. I am always amazed by the grassroots aspect of the work, and how it has grown to serve so many,” she shared. “As adults, we have gotten into the habit of saying ‘I don’t have time’ – but we do have time for what we want to make time for.”

Cherie first learned about the Breathing Room participating in the Susan G. Komen Three-day Walk for Breast Cancer. After learning about the mission, she brought it back to her own community, sharing on social media, talking to others, and leading service activities that benefit BRF. “It’s so important that we find a way to connect and share and make time for missions like the Breathing Room. Sharing on social media is so easy, and we have a shared social responsibility to serve the community we live in.”

Cherie’s last social media blast for BRF honored her late father – a call to action to make 75 snack bags for BRF and 75 meal bags for the Plymouth Meeting Code Blue Shelter and the Norristown Hospitality Center, in celebration of her father’s 75th birthday. By posting on social media, she received a package from a friend who she hadn’t seen in over a decade – filled with snack items to include in the packages.

In our increasingly digital world, Cherie’s compassion for others and mission to connect us all makes our digital communities a little more real and serves our local community in a very tangible way. Thank you for bringing Breathing Room to your community, Cherie!