As we gather in gratitude this Thanksgiving season, I’ve been reflecting deeply on what makes Spavia so special. It isn’t just the experience we offer within our day spa. It’s not just the relaxing massage, the transformative facial, the curated wellness treatments but the people behind the experience.
Across all Spavia locations, our therapists, estheticians, guest advisors, and franchise owners live our mission daily: to make the world a better place, one guest at a time. This work is purposeful. It’s heartfelt. And it extends beyond the walls of our wellness spas into the communities we serve.
Today, I want to share a message of gratitude and a perspective on generosity that surprised even me.
Celebrating 20 Years of Purpose and Giving Back
This year marks Spavia’s 20th Anniversary, and we wanted to celebrate not just with spa services, but with impact. Because of guests who purchased our 20th Anniversary facial, we are donating:
$34,000 to Blessings in a Backpack
That translates into:
8,500 weekend backpacks filled with food for children across America.
These are children who may not know where their meals will come from once the school week ends. Your support made a direct, immediate difference.
Understanding the Reality: Child Hunger in America
In the U.S. today, 13.8 million children live in food-insecure households. But the burden is not evenly shared.
Research shows:
- About 1 in 10 U.S. children faces food insecurity
- In immigrant-headed households, the number is significantly higher. In some studies reaching 1 in 3
These families face unique barriers: language access, transportation, limited benefits, and systemic challenges that make consistent nutrition harder to secure.
Child hunger is a human issue, not a political one and it deserves solutions grounded in compassion and efficiency.
Why Nonprofits Outperform Government Systems
This is where the data becomes surprising. Blessings in a Backpack can feed a child for a 36-week school year for just $175.
That means:
- $4 → funds one weekend backpack
- $175 → feeds one child for the entire school year
- $34,000 (from Spavia guests) → provides 8,500 weekend meals
Now here’s the striking part:
If every American donated just $8, we could feed every hungry child in America for the entire school year.
Let me repeat that: $8 per person solves national child weekend hunger for a year.
Yet imagine the alternative: What if the government tried to solve this with taxation instead?
A hypothetical tax of $500 per person would raise far more money — but it would not yield anywhere near the same impact.
Why? Because:
- Government funds flow into broad systems
- Money is distributed across agencies
- Administrative layers absorb significant resources
- Dollars are split among many priorities, not just child hunger
In other words: $8 donated directly through a focused nonprofit can outperform hundreds of dollars collected through taxation.
This is not an argument against public programs. It’s a recognition of nonprofit efficiency and mission clarity.
The Power of Targeted Generosity
In the wellness industry — whether you’re booking a spa gift card, experiencing a facial, or stepping into a massage room — we talk a lot about intentional living. About choosing what restores us. About aligning action with values.
Generosity works the same way.
When giving is targeted and mission-driven, even small actions create massive impact.
- $8 → could feed a hungry child for a weekend
- $175 → could feed them for a school year
- $2,415,000,000 → the total needed to feed all hungry children
- If each American gave $8, we’d surpass this number
This is a reminder of how compassion can transform communities.
A Thanksgiving Message From Spavia’s Heart
To our guests: thank you. Your choice to support Spavia helped feed thousands of children this year.
To our teams: thank you for serving guests with purpose, professionalism, and heart. You embody who we are.
And to every family who contributed to this year’s donation: thank you for proving that we can make meaningful change together — not with massive taxation or complicated systems, but with accessible, intentional generosity.
From the entire Spavia family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.
May your season be filled with gratitude, connection, and wellness. And may we all continue to spread kindness, one guest and one child at a time.
