Week 17  2026-04-26 

Fourteen thousand Mother’s Day letters showed up at our door one year, and we learned fast that good intentions still need a real plan. Doug Meadows, founder of David Douglas Diamonds, shares the personal story behind our Mother’s Day season, including the legacy of his mom and a simple lesson from his dad: when you don’t have money, a homemade card can mean more than anything store-bought.

From that mindset, we built “Dazzling Diamonds for Mom,” a local school writing contest that invites kids to write heartfelt letters honoring their moms. We talk through what it looks like behind the scenes: why we narrowed the contest to a 20-minute community radius, how we organize thousands of entries by classroom and grade, how judges select “best of class,” and how our team chooses diamond winners for each grade level. This year’s numbers tell the story: 27 schools invited, 25 participating, about 500 classrooms, and over 8,500 letters.

We also dig into the giving that matters most to us, including extra support for Title I schools where many families are stretched thin. For a selected Title I school, kids receive a complete necklace with a gemstone in a silver pendant, chain, certificate, and presentation box, because dignity belongs in every gift. We close with a reminder that Mother’s Day can be complicated for widows too, and we share how local partnerships help us show up with care.

If you enjoy stories about family legacy, community outreach, and meaningful Mother’s Day gift ideas, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find it.