Celia L. Belt has been Inducted into the Prestigious Marquis Who’s Who Biographical Registry
BANDERA, TX, Zexprwire — Celia L. Belt has been inducted into Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of the current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Ms. Belt is the founder and executive director of the Moonlight Fund, a non-profit organization committed to providing financial, emotional and in-kind assistance to burn and blast survivors and their families. She also makes public speaking appearances as a burn injury expert and is a burn unit volunteer with the Brooke Army Medical Center. A victim of severe burns when she was just 21 months old, Ms. Belt has dedicated her career toward an issue close to her heart. Having undergone 32 surgeries, her own experience has served as the inspiration behind her charitable efforts in assisting burn units, victims and their families.
As a burn survivor, Ms. Belt had witnessed the need for improved care and support for burn survivors around the country. In 1998, she established the charity alongside Henry Coffeen III in San Antonio, Texas. In more than two decades since founding the Moonlight Fund, the organization has helped nearly 12,000 people across the United States. Her impact has been diverse within the organization, overseeing grant writing, program development, event planning and fundraising. Despite her lack of knowledge and experience when she was beginning her non-profit efforts, it didn’t stop Ms. Belt from diving into her pursuits and learning on the fly.
Ms. Belt continues to fight for burn survivors, working directly with staff members of Moonlight Fund, attending monthly board meetings and coordinating activities and meetings involving a variety of partners and sponsors. She also provides support through hospital visits and support groups, providing victims with information and access to funding. Her healing retreats have garnered widespread recognition and awards, including a Distinguished Citizen Medal from the Daughters of the American Revolution in 2018, recognition as the Top Non-Profit in the Nation by the Fisher House/Newman’s Own Foundation in 2012, and the Philanthropist of the Year for 2020 by the American Philanthropic Society.
Throughout her career working to help burn victims, Ms. Belt has engaged in other charitable efforts. She founded Comfort Paws in Texas in 2009, securing and providing military aid to Wounded Warrior pet owners to assist with their pet’s upkeep. Likewise, she excelled as the pro-bono executive director of the Texas Burn Survivor Society from 1998 to 1999. She is also a member of the American Burn Association, the American Philanthropic Society and the Phoenix Society, as well as the National Association of Women Business Owners, the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the San Antonio Women’s Chamber of Commerce.
The author of “Remarkably Intact,” winner of Best Biography at the Discovery Awards, Ms. Belt has turned her attention to her next book, “Silent Warrior.” Currently, in the process of developmental editing, she hopes to publish this text within the next several years. In the meantime, her drive to make a difference in the lives of others will continue to fuel her efforts with the Moonlight Fund, measuring her success not by the amount of dollars she has raised, but instead by the amount of lives she touches.
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Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who’s Who in America®, Marquis Who’s Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who’s Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who’s Who titles, including Who’s Who in America®, Who’s Who in the World®, Who’s Who in American Law®, Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who’s Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who’s Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who’s Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
