Charity Created Via Social Media Draws Attention From Facebook Execs

Two women’s creative use of Facebook to create a charity to help Syrian refugees earned them a meeting with Facebook executives Sheryl Sandberg and Mark Zuckerberg, The Washington Post recounts.

After reading a post on the social-media network about the plight of Syrian refugees arriving in Greece, Marie Beechy of Ponchatoula, La., and Laneyse Hooks of Washington, D.C., separately contacted Anca Ponea, a woman in Greece who had commented on the post, to ask how they could help. Ms. Ponea asked them to send strollers for refugee children. Their Facebook fundraising efforts developed into a nonprofit, One Refugee Child, which raises money to support specific projects that aim to address practical needs of young refugees.

When Facebook leaders heard the origin story of One Refugee Child, they invited Ms. Beechy and Ms. Hooks to meet with Ms. Sandberg and Mr. Zuckerberg at the company’s headquarters in California.