Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Ponchillia.
Hi Laura, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I worked by entire professional career to become a TV host – it was always my dream. Since I was a young girl, I would use my home video camera to pretend I was Barbara Walters. I worked my way up in the industry, moving to various markets like Durango, Colorado and Honolulu. After I landed my dream position in Nashville, TN, I started a recurring segment about ways the community could get involved in nonprofits and give back. Volunteering has always been my biggest passion. That’s how I met my now husband, Jeff Ponchillia. I interviewed him about the nonprofit he founded – Change The Stars – providing scholarships, medical supplies, and safe and loving housing for orphans. Jeff later brought me down to Haiti, and that’s when my life completely changed. Seeing a third world country, starving children, thousands of internal refugees – I knew I had to do something bigger. Instead of striving for myself, I wanted to pour into the hearts of children who need it the most. I recently left TV in May to take on an Executive Director position with Change The Stars. Now, I get to help thousands of children receive an education, give an orphan the love they deserve, and inform the world about what is happening in a country just a over 1,000 miles away. Sometimes the need in Haiti seems great, but when you see just one child light up with hope, you know you are right where God placed you.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It was a very tough decision to leave what I thought was my dream job. But when I think about who I want to be in this lifetime – I want to see smiling faces, provide hope, and change the world. There isn’t one day, one hour, or one minute that I regret my decision. Prayer has been the most powerful tool. I keep going back to my mantra – “Purpose over Praise.” Yes, I may have received praise for being on TV, but the purpose I feel through Change The Stars is far greater.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in storytelling. Throughout my career, I have interviewed hundreds of celebrities, yet my most powerful interview came from refugees at a camp in Haiti. There were thousands of people huddled in an old school after escaping gangs who took over their town. Rooms in the school were separated by tents, trash was everywhere – the smell was pungent – there was no clean drinking water, and the tenants used old graded papers as toilet paper. I interviewed a mom who had been there for months. Her love for her country of Haiti was strong, but her hope was diminishing. All she wanted was to return home and send her child to school. It was a powerful reminder of how grateful we should be for basic things like a home, water, an education, and safety.
Any big plans?
Change The Stars is currently working on several projects to expand our nonprofit. We recently successfully shipped our first pallet to Haiti. This was difficult as gangs control a lot of areas in Haiti. Now, CTS will have the capability to send far more supplies to our deserving recipients. We also added new scholarship students to our program making it 105 total students, and continue to grow as we partner with additional Haitian schools. Thanks to our sponsors and donors, we are also able to take in two additional children into our Harmony House II orphanage. The future is looking bright!
Pricing:
- $5,000 – 4 months of rent, Harmony House Orphanage
- $2,500 – 4-year scholarship to a university for one child
- $1,000 – Books, classroom materials and essential supplies at our partner schools
- $500 – Medical supplies & support for our Children’s Hospital partner
- $250 – Helps feed orphans at Harmony House
Contact Info:
- Website: https://changethestars.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelauraschweizer/?hl=en
