ABC's Debut of "Secret Millionaire"

The long-awaited "Secret Millionaire" debuted last night and it was well worth watching. The new ABC show has a much needed inspiring theme. The "Secret Millionaire" is in place of "Extreme Makeover" as that show takes a hiatus. You can watch "Secret Millionaire" on Sunday nights at 8 pm Eastern time and 7 pm Central.

The show started off with a little background on the first secret millionaire, Dani Johnson. Dani refers to herself as a successful businesswoman, however, it hasn't always been that way. She remembers a hard childhood and sometimes having nothing but popcorn to eat for dinner as she was very poor. Dani describes her past life as sometimes living out of the trunk of her car while she developed two companies. She manufactured and developed a nutritional line as well as went on the road with a training and development seminar company to help others live a more stress free life while achieving success. Dani pushed herself to be a successful businesswoman.

"Secret Millionaire" is about American millionaires who volunteer undercover in poverty stricken areas to find organizations, families, and individuals who are in need and give something back to them. I've often wondered why many millionaires in this country don't help out those who are less fortunate. This show addresses that need for those fortunate Americans who do want to help out and are able to give back to the community. It's a very inspiring show and I think ABC will make it a big hit whereas FOX could not make it successful a few years ago.

The first show of "Secret Millionaire" took place in Knoxville, Tennessee. Dani Johnson temporarily stayed in a one bedroom apartment in Knoxville. She was in an impoverished neighborhood where 51% of the residents live below the poverty level.

The Love Kitchen

Dani's first stop on the "Secret Millionaire" is to visit the Love Kitchen which is a local soup kitchen and more. The Love Kitchen was founded in 1986 by twin sisters Helen and Ellen who are 82 years old today and still putting in the hours cooking and serving the locals. Currently, the Love Kitchen serves over 2,000 needy and homebound local residents in their area weekly. The staff of volunteers cook meals, package them, and deliver them to homebound. The Love Kitchen also helps out with clothing and other necessary items.

Dani was welcomed with open arms by Helen and Ellen and was immediately put to work cooking and helping out in the kitchen. Helen and Ellen are very admirable and adorable matronly women wearing patriotic aprons and telling Dani stories to pass the time. Dani feels quite at home volunteering in the Love Kitchen and as a viewer, I just couldn't help falling in love with Helen and Ellen. These two women are very special ladies.

If you would like more information on the Love Kitchen and how you can donate, just click on Love Kitchen.

Joy of Music

The second nonprofit that Dani visits on the "Secret Millionaire" is the Joy of Music. This is a wonderful nonprofit that was founded by Frank Graffaeo, a former conductor of the Knoxville Opera. Joy of Music provides music lessons and instruments to inner-city kids.

Graffaeo tells Dani that they have a long wait list of kids who want to join and learn how to play an instrument. He explains that "...many families now are unemployed so there's more kids wanting to play music." The goal of Joy of Music is to groom kids for success and that's a goal that Dani identifies with immensely. She becomes very emotional at Joy of Music as she meets some of the instructors who volunteer their time as well as some of the students.

One volunteer that Dani meets is cleaning instruments that have been donated to the school. She cleans them up and repairs them for use. She tells Dani that there are over 500 instruments that have been donated to Joy of Music.

If you'd like more information on this nonprofit, just go to Joy of Music.

Special Spaces

"Secret Millionaire" then introduces us to Special Spaces, another nonprofit organization that was founded in 2004. Jennifer is the founder and she devotes her time and energy to Special Spaces. Special Spaces transforms bedrooms for kids with terminal and life-threatening diseases. The bedrooms receive a makeover that is relaxing and will give the child a safe place to retreat to. Again, this is a volunteer based nonprofit.

During the show, Special Spaces is going to makeover a bedroom for 5 year old Daisy who has leukemia. Dani joins in with the rest of the team and they create a beautiful pink bedroom for Daisy. While Dani and Jennifer are working together, an emotional Jennifer tells Dani that she gets more calls than she can financially handle.

If you're interested in this nonprofit, please go to Special Spaces.

The "Secret Millionaire" Gives Back

At the end of the program, Dani, the secret millionaire decides who she is going to financially help out and rewards them with a personal check. This "Secret Millionaire" reveals herself to each organization as she presents them with a check. If you didn't watch this first episode of "Secret Millionaire", this is where a box of tissues come in handy.

The amount of money that Dani donates is not important. What is important here is the ability of one person to make a difference with organizations and families in need. All of the above nonprofit organizations will succeed only by monetary donations and volunteers. Dani, this show's first secret millionaire, gives back to the community.

"Secret Millionaire" is a very inspiring show and although most of us cannot give financially what Dani was able to give back to the community, we can volunteer or donate goods to a family or nonprofit in our own communities.

If you'd like more information on any of the nonprofits on ABC's "Secret Millionaire" mentioned in this article, just click on the organization's name under sources.

Sources: ABC's "Secret Millionaire" , March 6, 2011
The Love Kitchen
Joy of Music
Special Spaces