Life is filled with choices. Being happy is a choice. Holding the door for the next person is a choice. Being angry is a choice. Loving someone is a choice. Health is not. Sure, eating well and working out can play a part, but some diseases and disabilities aren’t affected by these things. They come into one’s life in an instant without any preexisting factors or preparation and can leave a lasting impact on one’s life forever. 

In times like these, families are put in a difficult situation where their old reality has disappeared and they are forced to adjust according to the scenario they were given. It is not ideal, and it can feel exhausting at times, however, there are organizations around the world that are dedicated to just that. Helping those who are dealt a bad hand make it through the unimaginable storm. 

Just around the corner in the Delaware Valley, The Barkann Family Healing Hearts Foundation is a non-profit organization that has made it their mission to help families that are in similar situations. 

“We started it 11 years ago,” board member Michael Barkann stated. “[My wife] Ellen and [board member] Mark Maggi put on a yearly golf outing and every year the money would go to different places. One year we thought, maybe the money isn’t going where it should be going and we were frustrated because there was nothing we could do about it. So we decided to start our 501C3 [because] we wanted to be able to direct where the money was going.”

“[After starting our nonprofit], we decided we wanted the money to stay in the community,” Barkann said. “We wanted it to go to people having a horrible time in their lives just to try to ease some of the burden.”

Coming from humble beginnings, sports analyst Michael Barkann didn’t want his name to be a part of the nonprofit, but over a decade in, it has proven to work. 

“I never wanted to have our name attached,” Barkann said. “I just wanted to have the Healing Hearts Foundation. I was overruled. And I thought okay, fine, if there is any way that our name can help raise money or awareness for what we do, then absolutely I would do that. I was raised to be humble, but over the years it worked,” Barkann continued. 

Although having his name attached may draw some people to the foundation, Barkann makes no effort to connect his job to it. 

“I don’t expect anybody to help us except who wants to help us. I don’t talk about it on TV and we just do our thing,” Barkann stated. “Whatever anybody wants to do, I feel blessed.”

As the name states, the mission of The Barkann Family Healing Hearts Foundation is to heal the hearts of people who have experienced hardship. 

“When you are going through a life trauma, your heart is broken. Whether you lost a spouse, lost a child, lost a house, we are just trying to heal some hearts,” Barkann said. “[We set out to help] people that were just overwhelmed with what was going on in their lives, and we wanted to ease the burden, even if it was just a little bit, or distract them, even a little bit, by giving them funds to purchase whatever they needed.”

For many people, losing their keys in the morning is the biggest issue they have to endure, however, for those who have gone through trauma, support and distraction can be the most valuable gifts. 

“Distraction is very important because when you are forced into something like this [there’s nowhere to go]. It doesn’t happen over time, it happens all at once, and you gotta deal with it for everything afterward,” stated a family supported by the foundation. “There’s no preparation, there’s nothing there. It all changes in an instant,” they continued. 

The Barkann Family Healing Hearts Foundation has not only changed the lives of those they help but also inspired them to give back as well. 

“The community gives to us, it’s been giving to us for 6 ½ years, I think we need to give back somehow,” another family stated.

Although helping others who are in need is very rewarding, it can be very difficult even for Barkann, especially around the holidays. 

“It’s really difficult for me because you are sitting there saying ‘Have a great holiday’ and they say ‘Thank you’ and none of them are gonna have a great holiday. They either lost a child, lost a parent, or [are sick],” Barkann stated. “Just having healthy kids is just unbelievable. It’s beautifully torturous. It is the blessing of a lifetime but it’s brutal. Imagine doing that with a child that is never going to be [healthy] compared to other children. It always hits me this time of year.”

Even though emotions can run high for Barkann during the holiday season, he expressed the importance of giving during the holiday season.

“It’s a rewarding thing and to give out checks to families, there’s nothing like it. But it’s heavy because you wish it was triple, or quadruple, you just wish it was something that could get them completely out, but it’s not just about the money. It’s about the sickness or whatever they are going through and it’s really difficult,” Barkann said.

“I think about trying to help everybody,” Barkann continued. “What if we had a million-dollar donor, there is always someone that you can’t get to and you can’t reach. That’s why you just have to stay true to yourself and what you do. Realize that you are helping people, and just try to keep helping people. That’s what it’s all about.” 

Today, our life revolves around money, but it is not always the most important thing, especially with donating. 

“It’s all about being kind. Being generous in spirit as well as the pocketbook, and that’s an important thing. We are all rushing around everywhere and it is difficult to take time to just take it all in and help people,” Barkann said. “It’s not just about [physical] donations, it’s also about your time.”

There are an abundance of charities in the world, all for different purposes, helping different people, in countries around the world, but they all have one thing in common: supporting those who are in need. 

“We are not the American Diabetes Association, or American Cancer Association, or Lung Association, and you know they are all great charities and we just try to do our part and they do a great job doing their part,” Barkann stated. 

“As my old pal, former governor Ed Rendell always said, “There is no bad charity. Any charity is a good charity. Barkann continued. “While it makes you feel good to give back, it’s just important. Whatever it is, whatever the charity, it’s just doing the best of your ability.”