CJ Matthews uses his powers as an activator to purchase blankets for kids in hospitals or living in foster care. Let’s learn how we can be a beacon of hope to others.
CJ Matthews uses his powers as an activator to purchase blankets for kids in hospitals or living in foster care. Let’s learn how we can be a beacon of hope to others.
You can find out more about Blankies 4 My Buddies by visiting https://blankies4mybuddies.weebly.com!
The Activators
S1 EP07, CJ Matthews and Blankies 4 My Buddies
[INTRODUCTION]
Leo: Welcome to The Activators!, A Kids Podcast About Activism.
I’m your host, Leo Abelo Perry!
On this podcast, we want to celebrate and amplify kids who are activating social change by doing what they love to spread more love. Social change means providing opportunities for people and communities to recognize what’s wrong and do something about it, for the betterment of humanity.
And on today’s show we’re talking w CJ Matthews, CEO and founder of Blankies 4 My Buddies.
But first, how are you today? On a scale of 1-5, with 1 being “things are rough” and 5 being you can’t even imagine how good you’re doing, I’d say I’m a 4.
No matter how you’re feeling, it’s all okay. I’m glad that you’re here with me today.
And remember—doing a self-check can help you to understand how ready you are to learn new things or meet new people.
For now, you can just sit back, relax, and get ready to be inspired.
[MEET CJ MATTHEWS]
Leo: Today’s guest is CJ Matthews, the 14-year-old founder and CEO of Blankies 4 My Buddies.
Blankies 4 My Buddies is a charity that provides warm blankets to kids who are sick or displaced, that means kids who are temporarily or permanently unable to live where they are used to living.
CJ started Blankies 4 My Buddies when he was 5 years old , after something really sad happened in his family. CJ used those feelings to help provide comfort to lots and lots of kids in his community.
While you listen, think about what challenges you’ve experienced, and how other people have experienced similar things, too. Those challenges are really hard, but sometimes good things can also come from them.
CJ’s story is a perfect example, and I can’t wait for you to meet him!
Here’s my interview with CJ Matthews.
[INTERVIEW WITH CJ]
Leo: Okay. Hi, CJ, how are you doing?
CJ: Good. How are you, Leo?
Leo: You know, normal school, you know, daily. So can you tell us your name and your age?
CJ: I am CJ Matthews and I'm 14 years old.
Leo: Cool, cool, cool. Okay. How are you feeling? Out of, uh, one being the worst five being, five being great.
CJ: Actually I want to be honest, I'm feeling a little bit of a three because last night I had a football game and played really hard. So like my body's kind of worn out right now.
Leo: Cool, cool, cool, cool. What, uh, what do you love to do? What are some of your hobbies?
CJ: I like to play with my little brother. Um, I play sports football, soccer, wrestling here and there. Um, I like listening to the music and I actually started, started to like watching a little bit of anime.
Leo: Hmm. That's cool. That's actually very cool. I've never heard that answer on the show.
Leo: How do you picture the world in the future?
CJ: I picture a world where everyone is... a world of love and where everyone is nice to each other and they show empathy, not for just themselves, but for everyone else.
So where they're not just thinking about how, um, they can provide for them for themselves, but for other people too.
Leo: Yeah.
Leo: CJ, all that you've done is very cool. Can you tell us about your company that you're running?
CJ: So I am the CEO and founder of Blankets 4 our Buddies, a charity I started when I was five. My mother experienced a pregnancy loss and I had a hard time coping with it. So, um, we had to think of something to, you know, help me feel better. And my mom asked me, “If you could give someone or a kid, um, something that can make them feel better, what would you give them?”
I told her a blanket because you know, they're soft, they're warm, and they give you a sense of security. So, after that idea, we started a GoFundMe our first year. We collected a lot of money. We bought about five to 800 blankets. And what we did with those blankets were, we went to children's homes, orphanages, children's hospitals, you know, just anywhere that we could find someone that was going through what I went through.
CJ: So, um, when it started, it was more of a, a way to cope with the loss of my little sister. And then it just turned into something that I just wanted to do because, you know, I
Leo: We're going to take a quick break. And when we come back, CJ shares thanks for the people who have supported him throughout his work.
[BREAK]
Leo: Welcome back to The Activators! And my conversation with Blankies 4 My Buddies founder and CEO, CJ Matthews. He’s 14. He’s helped to donate thousands of blankets to kids in need.
And he’s been committed to his mission for almost 10 years!
Blankies 4 My Buddies started as a response to the pregnancy loss experienced by CJ’s mom when he was 5.
And..I wanted to make sure we created and saved a space to honor that.
Leo: CJ, I'm really sorry for your loss of your baby sister. How, how do you feel right now? Like in this moment, thinking about the memory of your little sister, how do you feel?
CJ: Um, hmm. Well, maybe without her, I'm not saying that, um, the loss of my little sister was great or anything, but if it wasn't for, if she hadn't gone away, then none of this would've ever started.
Leo: Listeners, I hope you and your family never need to experience pain like that. But I also hope you’ll remember CJ and how he responded to his pain by seeking a way to comfort others in their pain, too.
Leo: Is there anything else you want to share with us, CJ, about Blankies 4 my Buddies?
CJ: Um, well in 2017 I took the love of football and incorporated into my, um, organization. Um, I had an event called the Giving Bowl where it was a 7-on-7 flag football game. And while the kids were playing, we were collecting blankets and food to give to the homeless during the winter.
Leo: So selfless! CJ was a giving person from the start, caring for himself, but then also reaching out to care for others. And that’s something that he still continues to do today. so beautiful.
Leo: CJ, how can, how can we kids help make this future possible? How can we help?
CJ: Um, well, my biggest thing is if you have an idea that you think is, um, can change the world or it can make an effect and other people's lives and just do it no matter how big or small it is.
Leo: Is there anyone else you want to thank for helping you do this?
CJ: Um, well of course my parents, my mom's, she's a really big help. And I'm, I really mean that, um, my grandparents on my little brother, um, my baby sister, of course, and also H2H Inc (http://here2helpinc.com/), because, um, we do a lot of stuff with them and, you know, they're really helpful, not only to us, but to, um, everyone that they helped, too.
Leo: Okay. Okay. No matter if you are activator or to just getting started, stand up and be in your superhero pose. We're all gonna give CJ a big activators cheer on three. Are you in your superhero pose? Are you ready to say activate on 3? 1, 2, 3. Activators!
Thank you, CJ.
CJ: It was a, it was very fun.
Leo: Yeah, it was.
[CONCLUSION]
Leo: It was so great to chat with CJ. I’m so impressed with his work and his selflessness!
Here are some things I learned and lessons we can take with us as we make the world a better place.
Number One. There are so many needs in the world. Sometimes it can get pretty overwhelming, right? I love how CJ took something that is a basic need, some times things that we take for granted, and created a cause to provide those basic needs to help people feel safe and comforted.
Number Two. Grief is….well, hard. It stays with you but it can also help you give strength to help others, just like CJ does. CJ actually just wrote a book about it! It’s called And then there was one: a story to help kids cope with grief and loss.
Number Three. I love that CJ continues to collect blankets for his buddies and and AND has found a way to combine what he loves doing into his mission—like hosting drives at his football games. Now he can do what he loves, to spread more love with his FRIENDS! Maybe I should do that...
[CLOSING]
Leo: Thank you to CJ Matthews for joining us today. You can find out more about Blankies 4 My Buddies by visiting blankies4mybuddies.org! And that four is with the number 4.
The Activators was written by me, Leo Abelo Perry, (with a little help from my mom). Our show is edited and produced by Matthew Winner with help from Chad Michael Snavely and the team at Sound On Studios. Our executive producer is Jelani Memory. And this show was brought to you by A Kids Podcast About.
You can write to us at listen@akidspodcastabout.com. And check out our other podcasts made for kids just like you by visiting akidsco.com.
See you again next week for another episode of The Activators!