This week, Ira spoke with Linda Smith. To listen to the interview click below.
Linda Smith, who Las Vegans know as the fundraising pillar of Opportunity Village for nearly 40 years, is the author of “Unwanted”: How a Mother Learned to Turn Shame, Grief and Fear into Purpose, Passion and Empowerment.”
In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Smith talks about the challenges she faced growing up; the additional long-term obstacles she faced with her disabled son, Christopher; how she ended up in Las Vegas; fwhy she had to fight to keep her son in the United States; the lessons she learned about persistence and attitude; and how she was able to focus on fundraising over the decades.
Author, speaker and non-profit consultant, Smith is recognized as a fundraising icon within the Las Vegas community and across the globe. After 38 years of leading one of the largest and well-known non-profit organizations in Las Vegas, Smith launched a consulting business in 2016 as a way to connect donors with deserving charities, while providing visionary ideas and various fundraising approaches for non-profits.
Inspired by her eldest son, Smith established The Christopher Smith Foundation in her son’s name, and her new book chronicles how her life as a childhood abuse survivor and mother of a disabled son inspired her to become an advocate for people with disabilities within the non-profit world.
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