Meet Tanya Kanney, a remarkable volunteer on a heartfelt mission. As a wife and a mother of two, Tanya has realized her deep love for others, specifically underprivileged children, can be harnessed to positively impact the lives of kids across the world. Tanya’s journey in volunteering began during her high school days in the Rotaract Club, where she lovingly built playgrounds for underprivileged kids in Mexico. Then later in her adult life as she continued volunteering for orphans and foster kids, Tanya realized she could make an even bigger impact. 

“I was volunteering at an orphanage and saw a little girl in the dirt and had this kind of vision that I wanted to knight these kids. And I kind of saw it in my head: this little girl and her … ball gown outfit.”

Tanya founded Orphans to Royalty, an organization that brings the magic of royal ball events to foster kids and orphans, so they can feel like true royalty. Ever since then Tanya and her dedicated team have been working tirelessly to turn this vision into a reality for children all over the world. 

At Orphans to Royalty, every child receives a personal invitation to the royal ball, ensuring they feel cherished and truly special. They are then presented with elegant ball gowns, handsome suits, or dashing tuxedos, symbolizing a transformation in their self-perception. The highlight of the event is the enchanting knight ceremony, where each child is honored with a sword, adorned with crowns and capes, and showered with empowering words from caring volunteers. These magical experiences leave a profound and lasting impact on the children, instilling in them a sense of self-worth and significance.

Tanya recognizes the role that God plays in her own life and her love of helping children recognize their divine worth in the eyes of God. She says that her “passion for helping people comes from God,” and she wants orphan and foster children to know they are loved and special, despite the intense challenges they face. She also remarks on her own mother’s unwavering dedication to helping the homeless and uplifting orphans throughout her childhood. She says she “really thinks that my mom passed volunteering to me. We’re making an impact so we can change the world and not just have it be the way that we see it right now.” Moreover, her own experiences of growing up with divorced parents have nurtured her empathy for children facing challenging situations in orphanages and foster care. 

For those aspiring to volunteer, Tanya advises them to find causes that genuinely ignite their passions and to be realistic about the time they can dedicate. Whether it’s a few hours a week or a small act of kindness, she believes that every contribution matters. Additionally, she emphasizes the power of leveraging personal networks to spread the message and impact of volunteering, inspiring others to join the cause.

“Don’t discount anything. Consider your places of worship, your circle of just daily life, because that circle, whether it’s in person or online, has additional depths to it and can create additional ripples in the pond.”

Through her work at Orphans to Royals,  Tanya has brought joy and hope to countless young lives across the world, but she says her work is far from done.  Her dream is to continually tackle global challenges to orphans and foster children until one day, there is a world where all children have safe and loving homes. 

“I’m excited at the challenge. I know it’s such a big challenge, but I’m excited because all of us putting our heads together can really make a difference and make an impact”.

Doing Good had the privilege of speaking with Tanya about her volunteer experience on the Doing Good podcast. Listen to the full interview on Spotify, Apple, Google, Amazon, or Red Circle.

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