CHARITY CHANGE

WORLD WATER DAY- typeTAP

2011-03-22T05:54:00.000-07:00

www.TheAdventureProject.causevox.com

This post's t-shirt has been replaced with a bar of soap.

Yup, a vanilla scented "Keep it Clean" bar of soap.

Instead of sharing an organization's story with you, I'm spreading the word today for:

As a substance that both sustains scientifically and spiritually, a clean source of water is crucial to survival. While most are aware of the major water crisis in the world (read: almost 1 billion people lack access to clean water), fewer are aware that TODAY is World Water Day.

It’s difficult to raise awareness for something that most of us take for granted. Perhaps it’s even more difficult to comprehend the unbelievable number of individuals that lack access to clean water.

Yet, TODAY, some have given those people a voice—they have given thought to what so many of us take for granted.

Becky and Jodi over at one of the newest and coolest non-profits (The Adventure Project) have inspired over 100 bloggers to give those people without access to clean water a voice through typeTAP (typeTheAdventureProject). This project will fund water projects in India with WaterAid serving as its field partner.

The money donated to this specific campaign will empower local communities: “Instead of drilling more wells, we’re using our charitable gifts for something revolutionary – to train and employ handpump mechanics. The mechanics earn an income, bringing themselves out of poverty, and they save lives – turning water back on for thousands of people each year.” These individuals will now be equipped with the knowledge needed to repair the thousands of wells that have fallen into disrepair over the years.

You too can join the campaign TODAY because when typeTAP raises $10,000 TODAY the generous people at The Prem Rawat Foundation will double that impact (read: $20,000).

Here is my voice.

Where is yours?

www.TheAdventureProject.causevox.com

GOT YOUR BACK NETWORK

2011-03-07T15:23:00.000-08:00

Not only has he debuted nationally on the hit TV series “The Bachelor,” but Lt. Commander Andy Baldwin (humanitarian/physician/U.S. Navy Diver) is connecting children who have lost a loved one in war with today’s “corporate executives, politicians, professional athletes, and entertainers […] to learn and be inspired by the most successful leaders of our generation.”

Roy Baldwin, President of Got Your Back Network (GYBN), explains that Andy founded GYBN after losing “two of his fellow officers in Afghanistan.” Experiencing such a debilitating personal loss, Andy watched the “adverse effect that their deaths had on their families.”

So he took matters into his own hands.

Andy used his extensive networks “within the entertainment and professional sports industries” to organize special events and mentorship activities to give to those who have suffered from losing a loved one in war.

Whether it be through grief counseling, job training, or educational scholarship opportunities, GYBN is raising people from their darkest days.

On a recent GYBN sponsored first class vacation to Disneyland, one mother told her child “Honey, this is better than winning the lottery." She, however, wasn't necessarily thinking about the rollercoasters she rode that day. Rather, she was referring to the network that GYBN created to unite families suffering from loss.

Such a unique network has allowed families to share their experiences of losing a loved one in war. Sometimes the emotional connections created through the GYBN are a mechanism of healing, in itself.

In an effort to raise funds and to “encourage families of fallen soldiers to participate” in community events, GYBN is proud to partner with the ZOOMA run in Annapolis, MD and Colorado Springs, CO in the summer of 2011.

Join the network: http://gotyourbacknetwork.org

POTTERS FOR PEACE

2011-02-16T13:04:00.000-08:00

As a professional potter for more than 30 years, Peter Chartrand not only saw beauty in the pieces of pottery he produced, but he also saw beauty in the pottery’s ability to help others.

So, he became a Potter for Peace. Dedicated to offering “support, solidarity and friendship to developing world potters,” Potters for Peace works with potters, mostly rural women, in Central America to earn a better living.

Potters for Peace teaches specific skills to potters in developing worlds to form more efficient lifestyles. They have traveled the globe to teach communities how to make a low-cost ceramic water filter.” Instead of merely distributing water filters to be sent overseas to developing countries, Potters for Peace invests its time and creativity in empowering local partners to start their own “filter production and distribution facilities.”

Such is the essence of giving the power back to the people.

MTV's Act Blog

2011-01-31T13:43:00.000-08:00

Check out the shout out to Charity Change on MTV's Act blog!

THIS IS A YEAR

2011-01-24T20:42:00.001-08:00

in t-shirts

in little black dresses

in giving $10

AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE

2011-01-06T12:55:00.000-08:00

If you call 911, an ambulance would to show up.

If you call 911 in the Jewish world, JDC would to show up.

With enough abbreviations (JDC, AJJDC, the Joint) to mirror its myriad number of programs around the world, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee’s goal (like any good non-profit) is to work itself out of business.

From its inception, in 1914, it was indeed set up to be a temporary organization—answering the dire call to help the starving Jews in Palestine by raising the equivalent of 1 million dollars in just a few days.

96 years later, JDC’s heart is still beating.

Whether its chesed volunteers are delivering food to poor elderly Jews in the Former Soviet Union or local youth are empowering kids at risk in Israel, JDC’s cutting edge programs promote leadership by encouraging individuals to take responsibility for JDC programs introduced in to their communities.

While the task of answering the 911 call in the Jewish world is no small feat, in the 1980’s, JDC began to use its expertise in humanitarian aid to expand into non-sectarian programming as well.

From working with Rick Hodes’ Ethiopian health clinic and Haiti’s rebuilding efforts to Bosnia’s Women’s Health Empowerment Programs, JDC leverages its invaluable local partnerships to create sustainable programming, ultimately transferring its programs to the community to adopt as their own.

With warehouses full of documents and photos of individuals and communities JDC has helped in the past 96 years, the organization also has thousands of living archives; each telling his or her unique story of how JDC helped save their family’s life.

Working in the field, connecting with donors, and passing JDC’s legacy on to the younger generation is often a delicate balance; one which newer organizations may struggle with.

Others may use their worldwide networks of 96 years to strike the balance.

Special thanks to Steve for his great leadership and guest modeling!

Please visit www.jdc.org for more info.

(JDC provides sustainable programming to Jews and non-Jews around the world)

CROHN'S AND COLITIS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA

2010-12-31T11:49:00.001-08:00

Check out Ricki and her grandpa who walk for CCFA!

After being diagnosed with Crohns Disease in January 2009, I turned to the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America to see what kind of information was out there.

What I found was more than I could ever have hoped for.

The Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) changed my life. It is a non-profit organization whose mission is to find a cure for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. There are 40 chapters nationwide with over 50,000 members.

CCFA offers endless amounts of literature about irritable bowel diseases. They provide educational programs, support groups and social functions. Living with a chronic illness is scary, but the hope and I support I receive from the volunteers at CCFA help me day to day. They are dedicated to improving the life of the 1.4 million Americans suffering from these chronic illnesses.

CCFA is volunteer driven and rely on the financial support of members and donors. It is the charitable contributions that make the research, support and educational programs possible.

For the past two years I have walked in the CCFA’s annual fundraising walk “Take Steps”. This walk helps raise money for crucial research and awareness of this unpredictable disease.

Over 100 walks take place across the country and 2010 was a record breaking year, raising over $8 million dollars.

Please visit www.ccfa.org for more info.

Thanks for sharing your story, Ricki!

BIKE MS

2010-12-30T06:01:00.001-08:00

Good friend Taryn makes another behind the scenes appearance, gathering friends, Aliza and Danielle, to take Charity Change to the finish! I'm promoting her skills as a freelance PR agent :)

* Every hour, someone is newly diagnosed with MS.
* More than 2.5 million people worldwide live with this unpredictable disease.
* MS is the most common neurological disease leading to disability in young adults.

And if those aren’t enough reasons to search for a cure, biking with friends and family sure is! There are over 100 different rides around the United States, and these fully supported rides will connect you to over 100,000 other riders, as well as make you a part of a growing movement to put an end to multiple sclerosis.

Multiple Sclerosis affects everyone differently, but yet it continues to affect yet another person ever hour of every day. The money raised through Bike MS goes to funding critical local, national and international research into the cause and a cure for MS.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society uses funds collected from the Bike MS Events to not only help with searching for a cure, but also to help provide programs and assistance to those living with MS today. Because we can fight this disease by simply riding a bike, thousands of participants each year join together to help others achieve optimal health, and get themselves involved in achieving a healthier (biking) lifestyle of their own.

“Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between brain and body and stops people from moving. We believe that moving is not just something you can or can't do, but that moving forward is who we are. Just by being here, you are connected to the potential, the hope, the momentum of the movement toward a world free of MS.”

Bike MS is the premiere fundraising cycling series in the United States, and the help they provide to all of those connected to MS is something we should all be thankful for. If you know anyone affected by Multiple Sclerosis, here is a great way to get involved and support them while bettering yourself.

“You’re up for the challenge - and ready for the ride of your life! The sense of accomplishment that you’ll feel as you cross the finish line can only be matched by the difference you’ll be making in the lives of people affected by MS.”

To learn more please visit www.nationalmssociety.org

MAOT CHITIM OF GREATER CHICAGO

2010-12-28T19:36:00.001-08:00

This post traveled from St. Louis and Chicago to tell the very important story of a non-profit that Shira Engelhart and Taryn Ariel care about!

Isn’t that the new restaurant opening in Curry Hill?

Nope! The Maot Chitim of Greater Chicago enable thousands of needy people to experience the Passover holiday according to their tradition.

Instead of collecting money and distributing is, the money now goes to purchase wholesale food, thereby allowing the money to go farther and serve more people. The food boxes are packaged based on number of family members, and not just 1 per household.

Due to economic conditions, increases in the elderly population, and the immigration of Jews from the former Soviet Union - caused the number of recipient families to increase to over 5,000 families each year!

And Maot Chitim does not only serve it’s own mission: because of their excellent track record dealing with wholesale food purchases, they in turn help support other local organizations who work to provide food during the rest of the year!

So what does ‘Maot Chitim’ mean? ‘Maot Chitim’ refers to the custom of gathering wheat to provide the poor with the makings of matzo for Passover. Now, the Maot Chitim of Greater Chicago has evolved into a year-round volunteer effort organizing an army of volunteers, setting up a warehouse, locating recipients through social service agencies, packing the products, coordinating an orderly volunteer delivery system, delivering the packages and finally closing up and beginning the plans for the next holiday.

And the most special thing about this program? “Recipients are as hungry for some companionship as they are for the food. Sitting down for a visit is the heart of the program -- meaningful for those who deliver a package as for those who receive it.” Volunteers are encouraged to bring their families on the donation trips, and stay with the recipients for a meaningful cup of tea.

Isn’t that what the holidays are all about anyways?

Please visit www.maotchitim.org for more information.

Many thanks to Taryn and Shira, the duo you can always count on! Happy Holidays :)

IT GETS BETTER PROJECT

2010-12-26T17:17:00.001-08:00

It's comforting to know that someone else cares.

It's comforting to know that people have persevered the depths of their worst day.

It is comforting to know that It Gets Better.

While many kids experience loneliness and exclusion during middle school and high school, LGBT kids often encounter exaggerated forms of bullying. In response to a recent series of suicides, Dan Savage and his partner Terry, created a movement composed of individuals who are dedicated to proving that It Gets Better.

With over 5000 short videos and 15 million views, It Gets Better serves as a support system for LGBT kids struggling with everyday bullying. This virtual support is built from the difficult reality that so many individuals face. It is Dan's hope that kids suffering from bullying today will identify with the stories people are sharing with It Gets Better project. Proving that life does indeed get better will save the lives of many experiencing difficult periods in their lives.

Together with The Trevor Project and GLSEN, which provide tools, a hotline, and educational materials to ensure that schools are safe places for kids of all types to attend, It Gets Better is leveraging the Internet to combat high school bullying.

Sometimes it's impossible to see life beyond the darkest of days.

But sometimes it helps just to know that It Gets Better.

Please visit itgetsbetter.org for more information.

(It Gets Better Project shows LGBT youth that thier future is worth living for.)

D.A.R.E.

2010-12-06T19:17:00.000-08:00

Although you may remember its popular slogan from its heyday in the 80’s and 90’s, D.A.R.E. continues to impact millions of children today.

In fact, D.A.R.E.’s curriculum is used in over 75 percent of American school districts and in over 43 countries worldwide.

Inspiring over 10 million children to avoid drugs, gangs, and violence every year is no small feat. And so what follows is a glimpse into one of the most successful drug resistance programs in the world.

D.A.R.E. leverages a unique set of instructors to instill the skills needed to combat drug use and violence among high school kids:

The police force.

While many children may associate the police with punishment and conviction, D.A.R.E. has redefined our notion of the traditional police officer’s duty by allowing the police to connect with the community in a meaningful way. Since the police are an already well-respected and feared authority, D.A.R.E. has extended their routine social role to relate to children in a mature and thoughtful manner.

For many, the police force is no longer a group of law enforcers.

They are life savers.

Or rather, life builders.

The knowledge that students take away from the D.A.R.E. program will aid them with specific life building skills that pave the path for many students to lead a successful life.

D.A.R.E.’s success has illustrated that such a model is incredibly useful in building a sustainable program that can be adapted for both the local and the global community.

Please visit www.dare.com for more information.

(D.A.R.E.’s educational program keeps kids free from drugs and violence)

CANSTRUCTION

2010-11-24T15:42:00.000-08:00

Canstruction’s motto exceeds the traditional meaning of the phrase “One can make a difference.”

In fact, their motto should be rephrased: “One can makes a difference.”

Nick Telesca, Executive Director of Canstruction, explains that switching the subject for the verb is the essence of Canstruction’s mission. Led by architects and engineers, Canstruction design/build competitions showcase the designers’ talents through displays of giant canned food sculptures.

Their mission, however, does not end there.

“At the close of the exhibitions all of the [canned] food used in the structures is donated to local food banks for distribution to pantries, shelters, soup kitchens, elderly and day care centers.”

Canstruction has reinvented the social context of the food can.

And has created a literal meaning to the words “Sustainable art.”

With the help of over 30,000 volunteers, aka “hunger relief ambassadors,” helping to bring Canstruction exhibitions to life, who knows which product will breach its traditional boundary next?

The growing art movement dedicated to raising hunger awareness and distributing over 2 million pounds of food to the hungry “officially broke the Guinness World Record on February 11, 2010” with the largest canned structure exhibited in Walt Disney World.

Structure assembly—partnership with Disney

Structure disassembly— partnership with food banks in Central Florida, Miami, and Atlanta

Canstruction is bridging the gap between the bookends of our social structure.

And this year they are expanding the model to Egypt where canned structures will be assembled in 10 locations throughout the country, igniting unique cross-cultural trend in artistic reuse of everyday items.

Thanks, Nick, for teaching us how to build through reuse!

Please visit construction.org for more information.

(Canstruction’s design competitions are alleviating hunger through awareness and canned food donations)

THE FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE

2010-11-21T15:02:00.000-08:00

Charity Change is honored to have its first guest post hail all the way from Cleveland, Ohio this week! A HUGE thanks to dear friend, Ellie Berlin (and hubby Jeff Berlin's photography skills) for sharing a charity close to her heart!

This summer, I had the privilege of working with The Friendship Circle of Cleveland to help plan their first annual walkathon.

This international Jewish non-profit organization began in 1994, and caters to children with special needs and their families. The Friendship Circle of Cleveland recruits their volunteers from local high schools, and currently has about 200 teenage volunteers. These volunteers help to facilitate the many programs that Friendship Circle offers. From “Friends at Home” to “Sunday Circle,” teen volunteers and children with special needs are able to create a long-lasting bond. Each branch has its own unique programs. For example, Cleveland’s “Friends at Home” program brings teen volunteers into the homes of their special needs buddies to play games, do art projects, or just hang out.

While working with the Cleveland Friendship Circle staff, I got a first-hand look at how the staff’s dedication and love can create a ripple effect throughout the community. The walkathon had a great turnout, and I can only imagine what next year will bring . . .

The Friendship Circle currently has seventy branches, worldwide, and is still growing.

For more information about The Friendship Circle of Cleveland please visit: www.friendscleveland.com

For more information about The Friendship Circle please visit: www.friendshipcircle.org

Would you like to share your favorite charity's story and tee? E-mail charitychange@gmail.com to be a future guest blogger!

PLOINK!

2010-11-13T21:28:00.000-08:00

This post is dedicated to members of the twittersphere.

For those who have never ventured onto Twitter, check it out. It aggregates information, allowing individuals and organizations to multiply their impact through collaboration.

It’s pretty neat, just keep reading.

My relationship with ploink! began on twitter. In registering a twitter account, I found that my name, @charitychange, was already in use. Eager to reveal the source, I followed the account and discovered that a friendly tweeter was behind @charitychange, representing a fun microdonation website called ploink!

And so, @charitychange and @charity_change’s (this blog's twitter account) “intimate” relationship began.

On Twitter.

As a website, ploink! is enabling individuals to donate small amounts of money, even 1 pence, to charities in the UK. @charitychange was appropriately named, for it reflects ploink!’s mission that small amounts of change donated on its website do make a difference. Indeed @charitychange and @charity_change are both “charity changing,” albeit with slightly different connotations.

Ploink! uses Twitter as leverage to expand their campaign, and “The response and support we get from twitter is remarkable.” For an organization that has only used Facebook and Twitter as its sole source of promotion, ploink! has 1860 followers and is catalogued on 145 lists.

How’s that for social marketing?

While ploink! currently operates as a source of funding for charities in the UK, it has embarked on a phase II version of the website, which may include the option of donating to charities outside the UK. Upon registering on ploink!’s updated website, individuals will encounter their charity giving come to life—including “animated piggy banks that move, smile, wiggle their ears etc. when you put coins into them.”

We’ve come a long way.

Gone are the days of schlepping change to the bank.

Thanks Marc, for teaching us about the virtual piggy bank!

Please visit www.ploink.co.uk for more information.

(Ploink! provides a medium to donate small amounts of change to charity.)

SUSAN G. KOMEN FOR THE CURE

2010-11-07T18:37:00.000-08:00

The pink ribbon is a story of 2 sisters.

One, who carried her family through her battle with breast cancer; and the other, who carried her sister's strength and relentless courage to survivors around the world.

Meet Susan G. Komen and Nancy G. Brinker.

Although one lost her fight against cancer, together, Susan and Nancy have saved the lives and the dignity of thousands suffering from the disease. They have created the activist against breast cancer.

With nearly $1.5 billion invested in the Susan G. Komen Foundation, millions of people fighting breast cancer have been touched through The Foundation's research, outreach tools, and educational programming around the world. For many though, the Komen Foundation has reached them through "The Race."

The Komen Race for the Cure has a tangible finish line. You can see it and even touch it. It is often only 5 km away from the start, the struggle, the battle of the disease. It is a model for surviving the haunting depths of breast cancer--alongside thousands of supporters.

In pink. Stride by stride, the survivor and the supporter reach the finish. Sometimes it takes 15 minutes, sometimes it takes an hour and fifteen minutes. But in the end, all that matters is crossing that line. The finish line, the end line to breast cancer.

Everyone has joined the fight-- sometimes in the solitude of a hospital room, and sometimes in the midst of thousands on the streets of Bosnia, or Boston, or Jerusalem. Wearing pink.

That pink ribbon--as large as a building cover or as small as a pin-- empowers and sustains breast cancer fighters around the world. Imagine how one color has impacted the lives of millions of individuals. Imagine how 2 sisters, together, have built a community that knows no barriers. They all have imagined a world without breast cancer. They have made the finish line a reality.

Please visit http://ww5.komen.org/default.aspx for more information.

(The Susan G. Komen Foundation is fighting breast cancer)

REBAR

2010-10-27T19:00:00.001-07:00

Make a parking space your new living room.

Take a nap in public space.

The above are just a few of the avant-garde ideas heard over at Rebar—a studio dedicated to art, design, and activism. Although ideas are usually based out of their San Francisco office, their projects are viewed all over the world.

Encountering a Rebar project often initiates “a double take,” for the everyday objects or ideas used in these social experiments are repurposed to spark out-of-the-box conversation.

While some may chuckle upon seeing a dozen sleeping adults in a public art gallery, others may happily join the “Nappening.” Just imagine a group of business men jumping into a pile of Bushwaffle on the town green, or a “fully-functional corporate conference room submerged seven feet into the desert floor.”

No need to imagine.

This is reality.

Rebar is challenging routine and questioning monotony.

Among the most successful is Park[ing] day, which transforms “temporary public open space in a privatized part of town.” Initiated in 2005, a parking space in San Francisco was temporarily remodeled into a makeshift park—complete with grassy knoll, park bench and supple sapling, providing refuge for pedestrians meandering along the city’s busy streets.

While some may think the space unconventional for rest and relaxation, “more than 70% of San Francisco's downtown outdoor space is dedicated to the private vehicle, while only a fraction of that space is allocated to the public realm.”

Why not integrate the two?

And so, Park[ing] day has become an annual tradition—from California to Tehran. It is a time when vibrant green blades of grass overtake mundane gray strips of concrete.

A time when people around the world take a much needed break.

On a bench.

In the street.

Please visit rebargroup.org for more information.

(Rebar is redefining urban space.)

350.ORG

2010-10-21T13:15:00.001-07:00

350 or 10.10.10—which is the greater number?

For the many who arranged wedding vows to the thousands who rallied to combat global warming, 10.10.10 will be commemorated for its pledges.

While the hype leading up to this momentous date was unique, the commitments that culminated from this historic event are unprecedented.

For the folks at 350.org, 10.10.10 was merely a vehicle to serve 350; the number that “scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.” If atmospheric concentrations of CO2 continue to generate above 350 parts per million, major human and natural disasters around the world will remain imminent dangers.

So, in partnership with the world, 350.org created a day dedicated to lowering the amount of CO2 in our atmosphere; also known as what CNN calls the “'most widespread day of political action in the planet's history.’” That was in 2009.

This year was 10.10.10.

The year of the global work party.

In 188 countries, 7347 events occurred. The people led the leaders. And grassroots initiatives showed the politicians that: “if we can get to work, so can you!”

People pledged and organized campaigns worldwide to reduce our global CO2 number. They partied, rallied, photographed, installed (solar panels), planted (community gardens), shot (movies), and cleaned (up public spaces). Verbs and actions we exhibit everyday—but on 10.10.10, they were reframed to address global warming in a different light.

350.org has successfully built an accessible network across the internet to tackle a complex problem that our political leaders have not yet effectively addressed. Their open portal has collected the photographs, videos, and events of 10.10.10 to unite global advocates in the fight against global warming.

No place is too far or too small to escape the harmful effects of global warming.

350 is achievable from the bright blue sky to the deep blue sea.

Please visit 350.0rg for more information.

(350.org is bringing CO2 levels back to reality)

REDU

2010-10-15T13:17:00.000-07:00

The “no child left behind” mantra is transforming into the “no idea left behind” policy.

With the myriad of articles and policies surrounding the ever present U.S. education debate, blogs and websites are serving as venues for discussion and innovation in the education sector.

Redu: Rethink/Reform/Rebuild Education is a platform for entrepreneurs, artists, professionals, and individuals to share their ideas on education reform. Redu most recently sponsored the re:form school project—an interactive exhibit using art as a mechanism to transcend traditional educational boundaries. Housed in a public school in the SoHo area of NYC, re:form exhibited the work of over 150 artists uniquely displaying a public awareness campaign on education.

It transformed the traditional school building, classrooms, and playground into an open medium of questioning the conventional educational system.

While the exhibit was only a temporary gesture to get the creative juices flowing, redu’s website serves as a long term forum on innovative educational collaboration. Powered by Microsoft’s Bing software, redu is making a statement that education has crossed conventional policy.

With staggeringly troubling statistics on the future of education in the U.S., redu is aiming to step ahead of the game by creating “positive social changes through its powerful content, unique network, and expertise in education.”

Education is on the verge of reinvention.

While change in the public education sector is often a grueling process, there are some superheroes who have hit the ground running, or rather flying. Just look at the challenges and victories of the recent hit film “Waiting for Superman,” or the physical redesign of the school classroom.

While it seems that no idea has gone untouched—

schools: small v. big, charter v. public;
teachers: old v. young, experienced v. naïve;
students: inclusion v. self contained classrooms–

the work still remains.

And redu has just raised the bar—for it has just let ALL of us contribute to the presentation.

Please visit letsredu.com for more information.

(Redu is rebuilding education.)

UNICEF

2010-10-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

11 December 1946:

The United Nations creates the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to aid the emergency needs of children in post-war Europe and China

1950:

UNICEF’s charter is expanded “to address the long-term needs of children and women in developing countries everywhere.”

1953:

UNICEF becomes a permanent part of the UN and is known as the United Nations Children's Fund.

2010:

Although UNICEF’s halls may be overflowing with senior professionals, young leaders around the world are dedicated to helping UNICEF realize its mission as well.

Humberto Elías Orozco, 11, in Vargas, Venezuela:

As President of the Student Center for the Promotion and Defense of Children’s Rights, Humberto “helps his peers in understanding the significance of being an individual with rights, which also means being aware of one’s obligations” to help others in need. He has since both learned and taught lessons about respect and taking responsibility for one’s actions. He hopes that he will be able to raise awareness and encourage other youngsters to become involved and to care for their communities.

Ryan Hreljac, 6, in Kemptville, Canada:

After learning about children around the world who lacked a source of clean water, Ryan began fundraising to build wells in those parts of the country where there was no clean water. Four years later, he had started his own Foundation, which raised almost $800,000 to provide 70 wells for clean drinking in Africa.

Abigail Manglicmot, 16, in Olongapo City, Philippines:

Having worked with street children and children with special needs in her community for a few years, Abigail was inspired to continue educating others on the inequalities and violence in the lives of street children—those who lived in her midst, yet led such a different life.

In this game, age doesn’t matter.

Please visit unicef.org for more information.

(UNICEF is building a world which realizes the rights of every child)

ALEX'S LEMONADE STAND FOUNDATION

2010-10-04T13:13:00.000-07:00

My sister and I used to have a lemonade stand.

Mixing our “freshly squeezed lemonade” (from concentrate), we would rack in the big bucks ($15), by quenching the thirst of hundreds of runners (about 20) in the sweltering summer sun.

We thought we were saving the world—or at least thirsty runners who insisted on paying $1 for lemonade we were offering at 25 cents.

But for all of the hours we spent at the bottom of our driveway, giggling through our sales of “the best lemonade in town,” I believe our salesgirl skills have been outdone.

We have been one upped by Alex Scott and her Lemonade Stand—mind you, her Lemonade Stand Foundation.

Battling cancer since just before her first birthday, by the time she was four and had just received a stem cell transplant, Alex told her mom that “when I get out of the hospital I want to have a lemonade stand." Alex, however, didn’t just create another lemonade stand on the streets of Philly.

She changed the Lemonade Stand industry.

At the ripe old age of four, Alex donated the $2000 earned from her one-day lemonade stand profits to “her hospital.”

Like any kid, to Alex, it was simple. She wanted to help others, just like her doctors helped her—so every year, Alex held a lemonade stand to benefit “her hospital” and cancer research.

Tragically, Alex passed away in 2004. However, her legacy and memory have lived on through the people Alex touched in her 8 years of life.

Having raised over $1 million in lemonade stand profits in four years, Alex moved people all over the world to donate to the fight against cancer. Since then, her family created Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation—which has not only raised over $35 million to fund research projects and enhance the quality of life of individuals and family members suffering from cancer, but has also inspired a movement of individuals to fundraise “lemonade stand style” to fight cancer.

There are sometimes when kids are lost in their own world.

There are other times, when kids are changing their world.

Alex was one of those other times.

Please visit alexslemonade.org for more information.

(Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation is “fighting childhood cancer, one cup at a time.”)

EVACUTEER.ORG

2010-09-27T10:19:00.000-07:00

A simple mathematical equation: NOLA > than the spiral

Translation: The people of New Orleans, Louisiana will not let hurricanes destroy them.

A growing grassroots organization at its finest, “Evacuteer.org is an evolution of citizens' ability to aid and enhance our government during times of disaster.” Evacuteer.org’s founder, Robert X. Fogarty, is doing just that—he is gathering the greater New Orleans community to care for each other in times of crisis, specifically in times of natural disaster.

Stressing the importance of localizing help and sidestepping bureaucracy, evacuteer.org is utilizing community networks to create an efficient system for preparation and evacuation policies in the New Orleans community.

Although the New Orleans’ weather patterns may be unpredictable, the evacuteer is ensuring that competence wins in the face of uncertainty.

Probably one of the newest organizations featured on charitychange, evacuteer.org is damn[ing] the torpedoes full speed ahead. Robert explains that “Building something from scratch has tons of ups and downs along the journey. More than anything, friends and strangers have believed in this idea and now it's what keeps us all going.”

Indeed, building partnerships is the key to the evacuteer’s success. Evoking images of the 3 musketeers, the evacuteer will similarly use their super powers to aid the people on the streets of New Orleans in a time of natural disaster. Evacuteer is leveraging its manpower by requiring partners to bring 10 volunteers headed by a captain in order to be a part of the movement. Such a strategy ensures the continued growth of the evacuteer network.

Developing “a network of organizations committed to assisting evacuteer.org upon initiation of the City Assisted Evacuation Plan (CAEP)” and serving as “the premier volunteer-mobilization entity in the City of New Orleans for individuals and organizations committed to assisting in the CAEP” is a tall order.

However, Robert Fogarty is equipped to enter the battlefield known as organizational bureaucracy. While he claims that “We're not quite [up] to the exciting stuff yet,” he’ll let us know when “we’re close.”

Last time I checked, reinventing the modern day musketeer as the New Orleans evacuteer was, in itself, a pretty exciting adventure.

Thanks, Robert, for sharing the latest in New Orleans’ superhero escapades!

Please visit evacuteer.org for more information.

(Evacuteer.org is a network of volunteers dedicated to helping the New Orleans community in times of crisis by executing the City Assisted Evacuation Plan.)

PROJECT BREAD

2010-09-15T13:15:00.000-07:00

Thousands are satiated from Walking in Massachusetts.

Sounds ironic, but Project Bread's annual Walk for Hunger raises millions of dollars to feed the hungry in Massachusetts.

As the “oldest continual pledge walk in the country,” the Walk for Hunger has become an integral part of Boston’s landscape every May. Relying on pledges and sponsors from the Walk for Hunger, Project Bread is able to “run 400 food pantries, soup kitchens, and food banks all over Massachusetts; a statewide hunger hotline; and breakfast and summer food programs.”

Through their investments in anti-hunger programming and advocacy, Project Bread has given a voice to the hungry. While the Walk for Hunger may only occur once a year, for its 42,000 participants and 2,000 volunteers, fighting hunger in their local communities is a constant priority.

Since 1969:

1,002,800 Walkers

20,818,800 miles

Over $77.8 million

has helped to fight hunger in Massachusetts.

Closing some of the Boston’s busiest streets, the Walk for Hunger’s 20 mile route illustrates the donors’ impact in the most public of settings. With the help of musical entertainment and hundreds of gallons of sunscreen, enthusiastic participants and volunteers make the Walk for Hunger a success every year.

As for the rest of the year?

Partnerships.

Working with public schools, the Harvard School of Public Health, local farmers, and the Massachusetts Food Policy Alliance, Project Bread capitalizes on the expertise and interests of various organizations and individuals to alleviate hunger from the State’s agenda.

For the 550,000 people suffering from hunger in Massachusetts, Project Bread’s vision is no easy feat.

Yet, year after year, their successful story fills the streets.

Please visit projectbread.org for more information.

(Project Bread is aiming to end hunger in Massachusetts.)

MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION

2010-09-08T10:03:00.000-07:00

11/11, birthday candles, and shooting stars -opportunities to Make a Wish.

Even though most of our childhood wishes of owning a pony or being a princess do not often come to fruition, the folks at The Make a Wish Foundation are making these dreams a reality for children with life threatening illnesses.

The Make a Wish Foundation has expanded the designated times our society has “allowed” for wish making. For them, wishes should be made and can be granted any time.

Ranging from police station visits to Disneyland holidays, the exhilaration is apparent. As “a source of inspiration for children undergoing difficult medical treatments and a positive force that helps them overcome their obstacles [, a] wish experience is often more than a dream come true: It’s the catalyst that rekindles their belief in themselves and the promise of their future.”

Shuttling between doctor appointments and medical procedures, it is often hard even for the most optimistic to remain positive.

Sometimes they just need an escape, a brief fantasy.

So in swoops the Make a Wish Fairy.

While 40% of Make a Wish wishes involve a visit to Disney in some way, Christopher James Greicius’ wish in 1980, which ultimately started the foundation, involved a visit to the police station. Dreaming of becoming a police officer when he got older, 7 year old Chris was indeed part of the police force for one day. Clad in a custom made police officer uniform accompanied by a motorcade, Chris forgot about suffering from leukemia for that day.

At that moment, his wish was a normal part of his world and his routine.

With some help from “NBC Magazine,” Chris’ wish making story became the norm for sick children around the world. Since its humble beginnings in 1980 to its worldwide success today, 198,004 wishes have been granted, that’s one wish every 40 minutes.

While so many of us are caught up in our daily routines, often frustrated by life’s insignificant trials and tribulations, there are unique souls, albeit physically sick ones, who have not given up on their dreams. In fact, they have found a way to achieve them.

For them, impossible does not exist.

Please visit wish.org for more information.

(The Make a Wish Foundation gives strength and joy to ill children around the world through wish-granting work.)

GOT YOUR BACK MOVEMENT

2010-09-02T12:50:00.000-07:00

Yellow school buses have once again started their seasonal routes.

And anxious, excited children around the world have once again boarded those busses to embark on a new school year adventure.

Surrounded by fresh textbooks and new first day of school outfits, it is often difficult to think of the 121 million children around the world who will not be ringing in the new school year.

Will Hill, however, has “Got their Back.”

As the Executive Director of Got Your Back Movement, Will is equipped with two vital items to assist these children in attending school and ultimately succeeding in becoming educated members of society:

hope and uniforms.

Working with local tailors, when possible, Got Your Back is providing an unprecedented number of uniforms to children all over the world (bypassing a major educational expense). Will believes that the “key to breaking the poverty cycle” is education and empowerment.

While there are multiple ways to lend aid to the devastating numbers of children not attending school this year, Will and Got Your Back have started a movement aimed at eliminating the educational costs of buying school uniforms.

Got Your Back’s Shirt for Shirt campaign is simple.

See the shirt above?

To complete its mission, all you have to do is “wear this shirt all the time (wash, rinse, repeat).” In purchasing the tee, one school uniform was given to a child, who now has a shot at obtaining an education.

After all, education is the foundation of Got Your Back’s motto: "Restore Purpose. Give Hope. Show Love.” Such an idealistic mantra, however, is often found in the most unexpected places.

While each of the 1,200 uniforms that accompanied Will in a post-earthquake trip to Haiti has a unique story, one uniform left an indelible mark in Will’s mind. It belonged to a “young boy who had lost both of his parents, had broken his femur and had to have his arm amputated due to the quake.” For all he had been through, this child’s appreciation and smile “was one of the truest representations of genuine joy I have ever witnessed.”

From one individual to whole communities, Got Your Back is hoping to have a lasting impact around the world. With a strong focus on female education in Lwala, Kenya, in 2011, Got Your Back is expanding their programming and uniform delivery in partnership with the launch of a micro-financed sewing program. Such models form the base of a sustainable movement that repurposes one t-shirt for one uniform.

Suit up- uniforms are in.

Thanks Will, for educating us about the power of a uniform.

Please visit gybmovement.org for more information.

(Got Your Back Movement provides uniforms for schoolchildren around the world.)

PROJECT SUNSHINE

2010-08-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

“Good Day Sunshine”

Popular Beatles’ lyric or popular morning greeting?

While some of us may not exactly waltz into the office in a high pitched cheer exclaiming “Good Day Sunshine,” I’m sure the staff and volunteers at Project Sunshine have incorporated this mantra into their daily regimen. After all, their rays of sunshine have illuminated the lives of patients facing endless bouts of blood tests and CAT Scans during a hospital stay.

Clad in their bright yellow tees, Project Sunshine volunteers plant an extra kick of fun along the bedsides of patients in hospitals around the world. From surgi-dolls and access-to-wellness programs to painting halls and party time activities, Project Sunshiners “donate their time to create” activities and materials for innovative programming.

In the company of some 10,000 worldwide Project Sunshine volunteers and their programs, fear and anxiety often subside for a brief respite amid routine hospital procedures, “restoring a crucial sense of normalcy to the pediatric healthcare environment.”

As such, volunteers are able to instill “courage and coping skills necessary to confront” future diagnoses and procedures.

It is clear that Project Sunshine’s volunteers play a large part in the organization’s success. One of their biggest volunteer bases resides on college campuses, where various universities have formed partnerships with local hospitals, bridging the gap between two transient communities; college students and hospital patients.

From May 3- 11 2010, Project Sunshine brought their fundraising/awareness building events to the streets of New York City. With the support of Governor Paterson and Mayor Bloomberg, highlights of Project Sunshine’s annual week of service featured Yankees stars reading baseball themed stories at Mount Sinai Hospital, a golden glow at the Empire State Building, and sunshine inspired items from various luxury vendors around NYC.

Illuminate your own community.

“Let the Sun Shine in!”

Please visit projectshine.org for more information.

(Project Sunshine engages hospital patients in educational and recreational activities.)

PORTRAITS OF HOPE

2010-08-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

Paint the Town Red.

Or for that matter, Paint the Town Color.

Such is the story of Bernie and Ed Massey— 2 brothers who used their social entrepreneurship and artistic skills to create Portraits of Hope. By engaging both the young and the old, along with the healthy and the ill, Portraits of Hope is using “art and poignant visual imagery for large-scale projects of social consequence.”

Originally constructed to benefit the growth and development of seriously ill children, tens of thousands of individuals from all walks of life have been involved in producing, collaborating, and painting spectacular public art installations.

From moving vehicles to stationary buildings, Portraits of Hope has caught the world in color. Their colorful floral and geometric designs have not only brightened up California’s lifeguard stations or New York City’s taxi fleet, but have also enriched the lives of children and adults, “many who may be coping with adversity or serious illness.”

Whether their painters are found in hospitals, schools, or empty warehouses, Portraits of Hope challenges its participants to discuss “current affairs, civic issues, individual and social responsibilities, goals and achievement, decision-making, and— the power of teamwork.” Discussions are immediately put into action through the group collaboration involved in creating such vibrant public works of art.

Take the hospital.

Perhaps the most unique setting to paint a public work of art.

And possibly the most significant.

From smaller individual projects to larger public art installations, Portraits of Hope colors hospital walls with a taste of the outside world. Painting sessions in the hospital, however, do not teach typical Painting 101 techniques.

Adaptations have been made.

Bedside visits, “telescope paint brushes for children and adults in wheelchairs or attached to IVs; shoe brushes (U.S. Patent) for children and adults with injured upper limbs or who cannot manipulate a brush with their hands; and flavored mouth brushes for those with limited or no movement in their arms and legs” have been designed so that everyone, no matter their disposition, can add more color to their life.

The success of such large projects relies on the individual, no matter the ability.

Such is Portraits of Hope’s message for life.

Please visit portraitsofhope.org for more information.

(Portraits of Hope engages children and adults in community collaboration and artistic celebration.)

GOODS4GOOD

2010-08-10T13:18:00.000-07:00

Environmental awareness has topped the “What’s Hot Now” list.

This post, however, will not discuss climate change goals or reforestation. Instead, it will highlight Goods4Good, a non-profit that addresses the environment from a unique perspective by creating excellence out of excess.

About to embark upon her maiden voyage to Malawi (with the UN- her employer at the time), Melissa Kushner decided to bring some supplies to the orphans of Malawi. Thanks to her friends’ help, she provided a new set of clothing (the first set for most) for orphans in Malawi from the almost 2 tons of excess clothing and toys from Toys R’ Us and The Children’s Place.

Seeing the smiles and understanding the appreciation of the community in Malawi, Melissa continued to collect and ship tons and tons of supplies across the Atlantic.

Eventually, her excess shipments formed an organization now known as Goods4Good.

These donations are not merely airdrops.

Months, even years, are devoted to connecting and understanding the needs of Goods4Good’s recipient communities. Such a model ensures that the abundant waste of goods collected on this side of the ocean will be used most efficiently thousands of miles away.

Partnerships with companies, governments, organizations, and individuals are crucial to Good4Good’s work on both sides of the operation.

Goods4Good has discovered that in working and empowering local communities and organizations, their excess goods will be used to the max. For example: instead of merely supplying uniforms for students in Malawi, one of Goods4Good’s most profound impacts on the community was supplying fabric to make the uniforms. Sewing skills were thus mastered by the Malawi community, introducing a new sustainable trade to the area.

While most donations are given to communities in Malawi, Goods4Good has extended its network to other developing nations as well. “Since 2006…over 120 tons of essential goods [have been delivered] to over 510,000 vulnerable children in Malawi, Liberia and Haiti.”

Melissa and the team at Goods4Good are creating a new norm. They are putting an environmental conscious on excess.

One’s waste is indeed another’s treasure.

Repurpose.

Please visit goods4good.org for more information.

(Goods4Good turns excess into necessity.)

LIVESTRONG

2010-08-04T12:07:00.000-07:00

How do you live?

Comfortably?
Well?
Strong?

As the social media guru for LIVESTRONG, Brooke McMillan ensures that people around the world are indeed living strong. A small group of individuals, coupled with a cycling champ, and a myriad of yellow rubber bracelets started the campaign to LIVESTRONG. Using his remarkable athletic abilities and unbreakable will to survive cancer’s death threat, Lance Armstrong became the poster boy in the global fight against cancer.

From black tie fundraisers to spandex bike-a-thons, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, now known as LIVESTRONG, succeeded in raising awareness, funds, and support for those suffering from cancer. With a 7 time Tour-de-France winner leading the campaign, LIVESTRONG even has McCain and Obama naming “3 specific things they would do to fight the disease.”

Many cancer patients and survivors are awed by Lance Armstrong’s determined will power.

He is after all a celebrated sensation on the bike.

But he is also the guy next door—the guy who shared your hospital room in the oncology ward just a few years ago.

Based on a model of bringing services and comfort to individuals affected by cancer, LIVESTRONG thrives on its personal relationship both with its supporters and with its clients.

Brooke brought these ideas into action.

She was LIVESTRONG’s “first ‘SurvivorCare’ employee… answering questions about cancer and doing case management for people that needed assistance.”

Through its one-on-one “SurvivorCare” support and its partnership with various organizations, LIVESTRONG’s work extends beyond the hospital wall.

In 2008, staff at LIVESTRONG “went to New Orleans to work for Habitat for Humanity and to assist cancer survivors that had been affected by hurricane Katrina. We built on 4 houses as a team- including Lance. We met the partner organizations that received our grant funding that we provided to help people with cancer displaced by the storm.” Such global, national, and individual connections contribute to LIVESTRONG’s growth, support, and strength.

This fall, “the LIVESTRONG Cancer Navigation Center in Austin, Texas” will open to assist patients, survivors and loved ones deal with the emotional, physical and practical affects of cancer. Located in the Eastside of Austin, a typically underserved section of the Austin community, the center “will provide direct one-on-one counseling, help people figure out how to pay for treatment, talk with them about how to take care of their bodies during and after treatment and more. No facility like this exists in the city and there are very few navigation centers in the United States.”

My choice of living?

I would Live Strong.

Thanks Brooke for teaching us what it means to wear the LIVESTRONG wristband (A belated thanks to Kerala last week for taking us on a playful tour of KaBOOM!’s playgrounds)!

Please visit livestrong.org for more information.

(LIVESTRONG strives to improve the lives of those affected by cancer.)

KABOOM!

2010-07-28T13:31:00.000-07:00

Swings, Slides, and Foam Shapes—

just some of the items constantly on the creative and playful minds of the staff at KaBOOM!

They are saving play by creating a playspace within walking distance of every child in America.

As Kerala Taylor, Manager of Online Content and Outreach at KaBOOM!, notes “KaBOOM! is unique in just about every way.” Although the KaBOOMers are experts in playground building, they “actively work WITH the community on everything from planning to design to fundraising to building.”

Building local, sustainable playgrounds is the backbone to KaBOOM!’s work. While local children and adults brainstorm designs for their community’s “dream playground,” KaBOOM! partners with these community groups to put their own ideas and leadership into play. As a result, the community gains a playground which “will be well used and well cared for” thanks to KaBOOM!’s community empowerment model.

KaBOOM!’s success relies in the community’s strength to believe and to achieve. During playground builds, the “sweaty affair brings together community members, corporate volunteers from our sponsoring companies, and often government officials.” In a single day, the concrete is mixed, bolts are tightened, and dozens of sandwiches are consumed.

Reward?

The overnight (or rather overday) transformation of an empty lot into a colorful playground.

Constantly improving their impact and saving play for children in America, in 2004, KaBOOM! started offering “a free online playground planner to give communities across the country the tools and resources they need to follow our unique community-build, done-in-a-day model.” And they have over 1,700 DIY (do-it-yourself) playgrounds to show for it in just the past year!

Perhaps one of the more humbling experiences at KaBOOM! was building playgrounds in communities affected by Hurricane Katrina. Surprisingly, the playgrounds served as a refuge for hundreds of residents as they hoped “of renewing a sense of normalcy and safety for their children.”

For the 5th anniversary commemoration of Katrina, KaBOOM! will be building the “135th and 136th playgrounds in the Gulf in August.” Also coming this summer is the Park-A-Day KaBOOM! Summer Challenge, where 8 parents will bring their children to a different playground everyday of the summer and report about their experiences.

This project will “create a comprehensive map of playspaces in our challengers' hometowns” and will highlight “the importance of outdoor playspaces” around America.

Don’t sell yourself short.

You could be the next creative mind behind your neighborhood’s playground.

Build it.

Please visit kaboom.org for more information.

****PLEASE****E-mail charitychange [AT] gmail [DOT] com with a jpeg of you donning your fav charity tee. You will be featured in an upcoming post!

(KaBOOM! works with communities to ensure the growth of America’s playgrounds)

LULULEMON ATHLETICA

2010-07-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

For all the Yogi’s out there, Namaste.

For the rest of you,

Nama- what?

Welcome to the wonderful world of yoga.

While some experience yoga as a deeply personal journey, others, like lululemon athletica, highlight yoga’s communal values. Since 1998, lululemon’s grassroots actions and company actions in Vancouver, have promoted a thoughtful lifestyle for thousands across the globe.

Originally created as a design/yoga studio for Chip Wilson’s experimental yoga-wear, “an underground yoga clothing movement was [ultimately] born.” From the overwhelming success of lululemon’s first official store opening in 2000, this “yoga clothing movement” has grown exponentially.

Their philosophy?

“Elevating the world from mediocrity to greatness.”

How?

“Creating components for people to live longer, healthier, more fun lives.”

A simple mission through thoughtful means.

From a yoga studio in their HQ to extra brownie points for employees who hike one of Vancouver’s mountains before walking/biking to the office, lululemon “yoga’s their yak.” (aka walks their talk). Their company is not only founded on creating meaningful designs and lifestyles, but on eliminating waste “by removing anything that does not add value to our company, our guests and our communities.”

Constantly aware of local community needs, you can often spot:

A) the lululemon ambassador (sporting the latest yoga apparel) while dispensing advice and athleticism on the healthy yogi life

B) the lululemon free yoga class (free use of mats) both indoors and outdoors.

With the help of their company stores, showrooms, and ambassadors, leading a healthy lululemon lifestyle is not all that difficult.

Elevate your life to the next level by literally “bow[ing] to you” or figuratively finding the energy of connection and timelessness, free from the bonds of ego-connection—translated: Namaste.

Please visit lululemon.com for more information. (Thanks for bearing with me for the t-shirt improvisation this week-- I guess for-profit companies don't display their logo so prominently)

****NEW****E-mail charitychange [AT] gmail [DOT] com with a jpeg of you donning your fav charity tee. You will be featured in an upcoming post!

(lululemon athletica inspires and creates materials “for people to live a longer, healthier, more fun life”)

THE GULF RESTORATION NETWORK

2010-07-14T11:30:00.000-07:00

“We have held hands walking down the beach at the brink of divorce, the budding of new love, the devastation of death and disease --- and the Gulf, she allowed us to breathe in new breath and start again with new perspectives.”

Such is the nostalgic sentiment of a 61 year-old Gulf Coast dweller.

Thanks to The Gulf Restoration Network (GRN), thousands have benefitted from the protection and restoration of the natural resources in the Gulf Region. Since 1995, the GRN has provided “technical support and mentoring to grassroots groups,” developed partnerships and coordination of member activities in the region, and pursued “campaigns on priority issues… including water quality, wetlands, sustainable fisheries, smart energy, hurricane rebuilding, and species-at-risk.”

While numerous environmental threats—from protecting cypress forests to “fil[ing] suit blocking expansion of phosphate strip mining in central and southwest Florida”—have sustained the GRN’s 8 person staff for years, BP’s colossal oil spill has devastated the GRN’s agenda.

Their deep understanding of both wild life and human life in the Gulf Region has enabled the GRN to advise and guide the community through the most recent unchartered waters.

This local, communal knowledge is paralleled by community based t-shirt company, Threadless, which reacted to the unprecedented oil spill with the peliCAN tee. Reminiscent of the oil covered birds in Saved By The Bell’s “Oil Spill” episode (back in 1991), the peliCAN t-shirt is providing funds for the GRN’s on-the-ground efforts in aiding the ailing natural resources in the Gulf Region.

Even though some of the world’s most influential companies, powers, celebrities, and organizations are scrambling to clean up the spill, 3 months later, the oil disaster is flowing freely.

Maybe the failed response is a consequence of the “not-in-my-backyard” attitude.

But this disaster is in someone’s backyard.

It is—
where thousands have lived
where family businesses have thrived
where life has found new perspectives—
for generations.

Please visit healthygulf.org for more information.

(The Gulf Restoration Network unites people to protect and restore the Gulf Region for generations to come)

GOOD SEARCH

2010-07-07T12:54:00.000-07:00

Aviva Schick Searches for Good.

In fact, googling doesn’t compare to the results she obtains on goodsearch.com—“a search engine which donates 50 percent of its sponsored search revenue (about a penny per search) to the charities and schools designated by its users.”

As the co-founders of GoodSearch, siblings Ken and JJ Ramberg have brought a conscious to the Internet Search—raising money for charities through our often subconscious clicks on the Internet.

Powered by Yahoo!, GoodSearch uses some “of the $8 billion generated annually by search engine advertisers” to fund thousands of charities. Not only are the search results top notch, but each search generates money for your choice of do gooders in the world.

With an ever-growing database of nonprofits and charities, GoodSearch expanded their capacity in 2007 to another Internet realm—shopping.

aka GoodShop.

This “online shopping mall of 1,500+ world-class merchants is dedicated to helping fund worthy causes across the country.” Every purchase in GoodShop contributes 3-30% of a sale to your designated charity.

GoodSearch and GoodShop generate money for your charity choice based on the “portion of advertiser dollars earned as a result of your search.”

Remember that $8 billion dollars mentioned above? Thanks to GoodSearch and GoodShop, some of it is now contributed directly to charity.

While some may believe that the one penny per search method is not the most effective, check out the $34,000 that the ASPCA has received thanks to the now conscious clicks of their supporters.

As their alternative search and shopping engines continue to grow, GoodSearch is making its way into the September issue of Self Magazine and increasing their web ad campaign.

Most recently, they have left their mark on “the Association of Fundraising Professionals Conference, where we have the opportunity to interact first-hand with the nonprofits that we help support.”

If their PR and ad campaigns reach the limits, perhaps “goodsearching” will officially be inducted into the English Dictionary.

So the next time you have a question—goodsearch it.

Thanks Aviva, for teaching us how to find the good in our Internet searches (and for being charitychange's first guest model)!

Please visit goodsearch.com for more information.

(GoodSearch is an Internet search engine that generates funds for non-profits)

ONE

2010-06-30T13:24:00.000-07:00

2,000,000 people for 1.

Bono’s campaign to fight global poverty in 2002, started as DATA (debt, AIDS, trade, Africa), an advocacy organization focused on solving major problems in developing countries. After partnering with ten other anti-poverty organizations, Bono and his crew decided to launch ONE, an advocacy organization that mobilizes “Americans from all walks of life” in the fight against poverty.

Through “global online actions [and] an iconic ad campaign, [ONE] succeeded in helping to secure a pledge by the G8 to direct an additional $25 billion in effective assistance to Africa by 2010 [and] in less than a year, signed up more than 2 million members,” as a part of a grassroots campaign to support better policies in combating poverty.

Officially combining forces in 2007, DATA and ONE merged into a single organization: ONE. “DATA’s high-level global advocacy and policy depth [and] ONE's grassroots mobilization expertise” form the foundation that executes ONE’s mission.

Kim Smith, ONE’s Deputy Director of Field, has been involved in fighting HIV/AIDS for years. She notes that one of the most attractive aspects of ONE “is that we are non-partisan and that we do not ask our members for money.”

Not the most common formula among non-profits.

ONE has in fact united some 2,000,000 among the wide spectrum of political opinions and views in America to fight against global poverty. By eliminating the draining effort of fundraising campaigns from their agenda, ONE is able to engage its members in “focus[ing] purely on advocacy and us[ing] their voice for the world’s poorest people.”

Reaching out to members of Congress has been ONE’s most major success. Kim explains that in 2008, “the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which has provided more than 2.1 million people with life-saving retroviral treatments,” was reauthorized. While this bill was stuck in the Senate, ONE mobilized its member network to call their Senators to support this “life-saving legislation.”

While ONE does not endorse political candidates, whichever Senators do win the next open 2010 Senate races across America will be well-informed “on the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease.” Thanks to ONE members and staff who are educating candidates, no matter their political affiliation, such crucial issues will be on the forefront of the political agenda.

From its inception, ONE has consciously worked (not competed) with other similarly goal-oriented organizations to be a leader in advocacy to fight global poverty.

2 thoughts from 1:

Sidestep politics.

No fundraising needed.

Thanks Kim (and Robyn), for uniting the political front in the fight against global poverty.

Please visit one.org for more information.

(ONE is a grassroots campaign and advocacy organization dedicated “to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa.”)

HOLE IN THE WALL CAMPS

2010-06-23T12:44:00.000-07:00

The next time you purchase Mango Tango juice or any other Newman’s Own product, smile.

Smile in honor of Paul Newman, a role model for his philanthropic endeavors and for his humble approach to helping hundreds of thousands of individuals around the world.

While many may associate Paul Newman with his highly successful acting career, kids today know him as the man smiling on their tomato sauce, or even better, as the man who created their summer camp.

Through donations from the net royalties and profits from Newman’s Own products, Paul Newman not only created the Newman’s Own Foundation but he founded the Hole in the Wall Camps, an international family of camps for kids with serious medical conditions, named after the Hole in the Wall Gang in the hit film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” starring Robert Redford and our very own Paul Newman.

Paul “wanted to acknowledge luck; the chance and benevolence of it in my life, and the brutality of it in the lives of others, especially children, who might not be allowed the good fortune of a lifetime to correct it.”

And so, along with12,000 volunteers, over 42,000 children, suffering from medical illnesses, have the opportunity to attend summer camp free of charge. From Israel and Ireland to Uganda and the United States, the Hole in the Wall Association runs (summer/winter) camps and programs ranging from recreational activities on acting and zip lining to educational activities on self esteem and HIV/AIDS awareness.

At the Hole in the Wall Camps, campers experience a yearning they long for the remainder of the year: “just to be a kid.”

While their abilities range from wheelchair bound to oxygen tank dependent, campers, staff, and volunteers at the Hole in the Wall Camps can be found smiling and cheering in the midst of the weekly dance party or at a quick IV pit stop at the “Body Shop” (known to the rest of the world as the infirmary).

As Hole in the Wall continues to expand and provide opportunities around the world for kids to just be kids, they are constantly finding new funding opportunities and partnerships with various organizations, companies, community groups, and individuals.

Donating money to a cause individually is meaningful, however being part of a team of donors is uniquely rewarding. And that is exactly what Team Hole in the Wall achieves—an opportunity for individuals to raise money for Hole in the Wall Camps while achieving a great athletic feat (marathons, triathlons, Riding events) knowing thousands of campers are cheering you on.

Smiling across the finish line after 26.2 miles gives an athlete a taste of the courage, will, and determination that campers attending the Hole in the Wall Camps encounter on a daily basis.

This summer thousands will celebrate Paul Newman’s legacy as they chant “Mango Tango Mango Tango” in the Hole in the Wall Camp dining rooms.

While you may not be able to fit summer camp into your busy schedule anymore, if you are a young professional in the New York City area, experience summer camp Hole in the Wall style at Hole in the Wall’s first young professional’s event in NYC! RSVP at: www.holeinthewallcamps.org/campout
Please visit holeinthewallcamps.org for more information.

(Hole in the Wall Camps provides an opportunity for children suffering from long-term illnesses to attend summer camp and programs)

BACK ON MY FEET

2010-06-16T09:38:00.000-07:00

You probably won’t find a marathon winner or star sprinter among this bunch.

What you will find among this group of runners, however, is willpower and perhaps a welcome addiction.

After personally experiencing the effects and consequences of her father’s gambling addiction, Anne Mahlum found that one of the most tragic effects of addiction is often homelessness.

Determined to channel an addict’s “downward spiral” into a positive obsession, Anne founded Back on My Feet in 2007 to “promote the self-sufficiency of homeless populations by engaging them in running as a means to build confidence, strength and self-esteem.”

Building a community network of personal support and help is the core of Back on My Feet’s operations. While she was familiar with numerous programs for the homeless population in “education, housing, or even job[s],” Anne found a lack of personal support available to one of the most vulnerable populations in Philadelphia.

And so, “Back on My Feet now serves the role of not only connecting our members with those education, housing and job programs, but also helping our members develop that personal support.”

Three mornings a week, volunteers wake in the pre-dawn hours to run with groups of individuals struggling with homelessness. Participants in these group runs now have a network of individuals they can rely on and the discipline to propel them towards their goal of getting “back on their feet.”

“Fellowship, teamwork, friends—that is where it all starts.”

And it shows no sign of ending any time soon.

Back on My Feet is on the verge of major expansion. They are ready to spread their running addiction to Philadelphia’s neighboring major cities. With branches already in Baltimore and Washington D.C., programs are being launched in Boston and Chicago. And by 2011, Back on My Feet hopes to be in 10 major cities in the U.S.

With the help of Back on My Feet, 19 previously homeless individuals completed a marathon— but more importantly, over 1,000 individuals have been impacted through Back on My Feet’s running. Participants rely on team support to help them through the physical as well as mental training. The skills they learn from the early morning runs with Back on My Feet are paving the road to rejuvenate their lives.

With incentives ranging from free sneakers to finding a job, Back on My Feet has the infrastructure and programming to rebuild the lives of homeless individuals.

Decision time:

Run as an addict or Run as an addiction?

Thanks Anne, for the virtual run with Back on My Feet!

Please visit backonmyfeet.org for more information.

(Back on My Feet is dedicated to helping the homeless get back on their feet through the discipline and personal support of running.)

NOT FOR SALE

2010-06-09T11:15:00.000-07:00

Be an Abolitionist.

Not metaphorically. For Real.

Slavery exists in our lifetime—make it history.

Upon discovering that his favorite Indian restaurant in California had been trafficking women from India, David Batstone embarked on a journey around the world to understand how “slavery flourishes in the shadows.”

During his travels, David met remarkable heroes, constantly engaged in fighting the war against modern day slavery. He joined the battle and created Not for Sale, a movement that “combines technology, intellectual capital, abolitionist groups and a growing network of individuals” to end slavery.

Modern day slavery is often hidden from our line of sight—precisely why it is able to thrive and spread around the world.

While supporting the innovative projects of abolitionists from Asia to South America, Not for Sale has also created an abolitionist network in the U.S. With the help of its regional directors who facilitate events which raise awareness and funds for Not for Sale’s global partners, the movement to end slavery has taken on a thoughtful yet modern design.

Not for Sale identifies with the individual, and it provides the tactics and resources to take action regardless of your interests, successfully engaging the businessperson and the athlete alike.

Their “free2work” campaign highlights the integrity and transparency of certain companies’ supply chains, while their “free2play” campaign supports the rehabilitation of slavery victims through physical activity.

Founded on “open source activism” and transparent communication, Not for Sale is paving the way for spreading open advocacy through a smart and fresh communication forum.

Not for Sale workshops and events encourage abolitionists to evaluate the process and production of everyday materials and products whether made in “their own backyard” or in small village halfway across the world.

Join modern day abolitionists to make this reality a story of the past.

For more information, please visit notforsalecampaign.org.

(Not for Sale’s grassroots social movement is fighting human trafficking and slavery.)

JEWISH DISASTER RESPONSE CORPS

2010-06-02T20:26:00.000-07:00

This week I learned that a crowbar and a hammer go a long way.

In fact, these tools can break down a standing house into a pile of sheetrock, wood, nails, mold, and other various materials.

When a natural disaster hits a community in the U.S., many volunteer groups collaborate with the government to quickly assess the need of the affected area.

One of the newest volunteer groups that is joining the relief effort is the Jewish Disaster Response Corps (JDRC), an organization founded by recent college grad, Elie Lowenfeld. With its t-shirts fresh off the presses, JDRC is partnering with other organizations in the field to learn from their experience and to build its volunteer base.

Nechama (Hebrew for “comfort”) is one of these organizations. Equipped with a trailer full of tools and gadgets, Nechama is leading relief groups in organizing, assessing, understanding, and finally addressing the demolition process after a natural disaster.

Most recently, JDRC and Nechama have been spotted pulling sheetrock and water tanks from homes affected by extensive flooding in the greater Nashville, Tennessee area. I had the opportunity to get my hands dirty and learn the harsh reality of the damage that 3 feet of standing water can do to a house.

Floating furniture, soaked photo albums, and children wading in water up to their shoulders, was the reality for members of the Nashville community in early May 2010. As water crested streams and creeks at 15-20 feet, many neighborhoods saw their usual water sources overstep their natural boundaries, turning their streets, yards, and houses into flowing rivers.

Unfortunately, time does not erase the consequences (mold) that form from wet wood and wet sheetrock. It must be removed.

Manually.

Enter the JDRC and Nechama’s awesome tool truck.

Enter the crowbar and hammer.

With the help of some good souls from around the country (including Americorps and the Muslim disaster relief group), JDRC was able to gut 4.5 houses in the 3.5 days I was with the group.

They have taken the overwhelming task of emptying and gutting a house (some lived in for 40+ years) and have methodically instituted a type of checklist to eradicate the mold buildup from flooding. While the work may be physically draining, the homeowner’s will and strength is at times overwhelming.

Watching her once cherished possessions rest in a now large garbage pile, one homeowner explained that it is in this place, this home, that she is at peace.

That pile of stuff, she said, is replaceable.

That’s the message Nashville left me and that’s the hope the JDRC is bringing to victims of natural disasters.

Thanks Elie for an incredibly productive and exhausting tour with JDRC!

Please visit jewishdisasterresponsecorps.org for more information.

(JDRC is “mobilizing American Jewish communities to lend skilled hands to assist American communities recover from natural disasters.”)

NATIONAL DOWN SYNDROME SOCIETY

2010-05-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

What does it take to have a friend?

I don’t mean having friends in the sense of gaining popularity among your peers. I mean taking the risks to find a true friend.

A buddy.

The National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) faces this question every day. Through a series of advocacy events and agendas which promote inclusion and acceptance, NDSS provides services, opportunities, and help for the over 400,000 Americans with Down Syndrome.

Sarah Schleider of NDSS explains that “NDSS is the first national organization to design and distribute a national public awareness campaign for people with Down Syndrome across the U.S. garnering exposure in national and local media. The campaign, My Great Story, was launched in September 2009 and to date has attracted over 150 million viewers.”

Participants in the “My Great Story” campaign. like Sara Wolff and Sujeet Desai, tell unique stories about their passions of public speaking and travelling around the world. The stories highlight the accomplishments and life goals of individuals with Down Syndrome, and the campaign aims to “gather the stories of the 400,000 Americans with Down syndrome in our online storybook” to help advocate and promote the inclusion of those affiliated with NDSS.

While the online storybook has created a new interactive community of people living with Down Syndrome, NDSS is constantly advancing its education, policy, healthcare, and scientific research plans.

For the past 15 years, NDSS and its 300 affiliates around the country have worked with local organizations and individuals to facilitate the annual “Buddy Walk.”

The one mile “Buddy Walk” has grown from 17 walks in October 1995 to over 280 walks in October 2009. Millions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of walkers later, the “Buddy Walk” continues to be a central part of NDSS’ success.

Framing the concept of the “Buddy Walk” around the accomplishments and capabilities of its participants ensures that every individual does indeed have a place among their peers.

Not only a place, but a community. A community of buddies.

Thanks Sarah (and Jordana) for sharing NDSS’ Great Story!

Please visit ndss.org for more information.

(The National Down Syndrome Society is improving the quality of life for people with Down Syndrome by ensuring that they are valued members of society.)

GIFT CARD GIVER

2010-05-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

Get rid of that extra weight in your wallet.

Donate that ever accumulating pile of gift cards from the store you will never visit to Gift Card Giver, an organization which redistributes gift cards to help non-profit organizations and individuals in need. (Giving away your leftover change would probably ease the weight as well.)

Jeff Shinabarger, one of the four founders of Gift Card Giver, explains “that $8 BILLION goes unused in gift cards every year. People don't generally view gift cards as money, so they're much more willing to part with them. I had a theory that with a statistic like that, people must have unused gift cards in their wallets. I tested out my idea at a wedding, and walked away with $50 to help someone in need. It's grown from there.”

Grown to say the least.

Shinabarger and his friends continued collecting gift cards and have since created an extensive network to connect the unused $8 billion in gift cards to non-profits in need of supplies and materials through Gift Card Giver.

Once $100-$500 has accumulated in gift cards for any given company, the cards are then distributed towards a project, person, or organization as a big stack of cards or as direct gifts purchased from the money on the gift cards.

Cards of any amount are welcomed (even the 68 cents from the store which wouldn’t give back your change).

Every cent helps. One of Jeff’s favorite stories illustrates the direct impact of these seemingly “useless” gift cards. A little girl with a terminal illness drove with her parents “from Alabama to Boston…to get treatment. It meant her mom had to quit her job. So they were now living on a single income, with more expenses and a very ill daughter. A friend of theirs contacted us and let us know about their situation. We were able to send them gift cards for restaurants and for gas to help with their expenses. The family wrote us the nicest notes assuring us that as soon as they were able, they'd pay it forward for someone else in need.”

Paying it forward is as easy as 123:

1- Use as much of your card as you want (or send a full card).

2- Write how much is left on your card using a permanent marker.

3- Place the card in an envelope and send it to:
Gift Card Giver

PO Box 17628

Atlanta, GA 30316

To kick off the summer gift card donation style, Gift Card Giver is “taking a huge summer tour! We're throwing 30 parties in 30 days at different locations in the US to collect gift cards! The people hosting the parties can choose charities they would like their parties to benefit, then we will send that charity back gift cards that they can use. We're expecting our summer tour to help us exceed our goal of giving away $50,000 in gift cards this year!”

Imagine a world of bouncers collecting gift cards.

Thanks Jeff, for teaching us the true meaning of “getting carded!”

Please visit giftcardgiver.com for more information.

(Gift Card Giver is a grassroots organization that redistributes used and full gift cards to individuals and organizations in need.)

TO WRITE LOVE ON HER ARMS

2010-05-12T15:47:00.000-07:00

To Write Love on Her Arms (TWOLHA) began as a story.

A real story typed on a computer and posted on the social networking site: MySpace.

It began as one story written to help one friend.

This story, however, did not remain on the page for long—it leapt from the confines of a computer screen to inspire a movement.

Since its inception in 2006, TWLOHA has reached hundreds of thousands of individuals suffering from depression, suicide, and addiction.

Jamie Tworkowski wrote the story: “To Write Love on her Arms” after witnessing the struggle of his suicidal friend, Renee Yohe. In an effort to raise awareness about Renee’s tragic condition, Jamie posted her story (TWLOHA) on his MySpace page, and sold t-shirts to raise money for her rehab treatment.

The result was overwhelming.

Tworkowski’s friends wore the TWLOHA t-shirts while playing on stage and hundreds of people soon contacted and connected with Jamie via MySpace to tell their own stories of suffering from depression and addiction.

TWLOHA burst into a growing movement as stories continued to pour into Jamie’s inbox and MySpace page. He was inspired to connect and create a community of love and support for the hundreds of thousands of people who had written to him since his initial post in 2006.

While TWLOHA gives a large amount of the donations it receives to other organizations that help with treatment and recovery, TWLOHA serves people struggling with depression and addiction by informing and inspiring them to focus on the goal of treatment and recovery.

The small team at TWLOHA “responds to MySpace messages and emails everyday. That’s the heart of what we do. That's the most important piece; it is the interaction and being in a place to encourage people who are hurting. In so many cases, those are folks talking about these issues, sharing their struggles, asking for help, for the very first time.”

Through social media outlets such as MySpace, and now, Facebook and Twitter, TWLOHA has received a large following of fans as well as victims crying out for love and support. TWLOHA initiatives to raise support for those suffering from depression and suicide include concerts; UChapters, TWLOHA clubs at colleges; MOVE, a workshop about how to overcome “stigma and shame with honesty and compassion.”

TWLOHA is inspired by the impact of community.

Instead of merely giving people tools to promote TWLOHA, their goal is to teach people how to understand and address these issues, to help people in every day life who may be suffering from depression, addiction, and suicide.

What movement will your next MySpace or Facebook post ignite?

Please visit twloha.com for more information.

(To Write Love on Her Arms offers hope and finds help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide.)

LOVE 146

2010-05-05T11:51:00.000-07:00

They never knew her name.

They never knew her age.

They never knew what she wanted to be when she grew up.

All they knew was her number.

146.

On a trip to Southeast Asia in 2002, Rob Morris, Desirea Rodgers, Lamont Hiebert and Caroline Hahm created Love 146, an organization dedicated to ending child sex slavery and exploitation.

Standing in a brothel to learn first hand about the atrocities and tortuous life of over 1.2 million children who are trafficked annually, Rob Morris, President and co-founder of Love 146, described the scene among “the usual group of ‘customers’” waiting to bid on the little girls.

While the blank-faced children stared at the playful cartoons on the TV screen in front of them, one girl stood out from the rest. Rob writes that this girl’s eyes, full of life and hope, stared beyond the TV directly into the one-way mirror where Morris and “the usual group of ‘customers’” were “hiding.”
The number pinned on her red dress was 146.

Since Rob was undercover at this point, he could not help 146 or the other girls escape. However, that brothel in Thailand has since been raided and the children have been rescued—146 was not among them.

Although nothing except her number is known, 146 has inspired a movement to aid those victims of sexual exploitation through aftercare and preventative services at Love 146’s Round Homes.

Designed in a circular shape, emphasizing safety, love, and growth, Round Homes provide holistic care for trafficking victims. And children are now given a second chance at life both physically and emotionally.

As Love 146 was just getting off the ground in 2002, Rob received a letter from an individual who ran a large organization in Cambodia. She wrote about a major problem that repeatedly occurs when Americans respond to crisis situations.

They don’t think. They react.

Rob took this consideration to heart and expanded Love 146 through thoughtful research and has focused on raising awareness to provide prevention services in vulnerable populations and aftercare services for survivors.

Love 146 has indeed found its niche and its fans. The movement is picking up momentum in governments and communities around the U.S. and is helping to renew children’s lives around the world.

146’s stare of helplessness and hope will never escape Rob’s mind. Has her message reached yours?

Please visit love146.org for more information.

(Love 146 is focused on ending child sex slavery and exploitation.)

ARCHITECTURE FOR HUMANITY

2010-04-28T13:19:00.000-07:00

Who wouldn’t love to be a CEO?

CEO meaning Chief Eternal Optimist, of course.

That’s how Cameron Sinclair describes his position at Architecture for Humanity. 11 years ago Kate Stohr and Cameron Sinclair founded Architecture for Humanity; an innovative solution to capture the talent and intellect of the design world focused on sustainable building.

With a network exceeding “40,000 professionals willing to lend time and expertise to help those who would not otherwise be able to afford their services, [Architecture for Humanity] brings design, construction and development services where they are most critically needed.”

This enterprise taps into the tangible skills of professionals in the architectural and design fields to use their expertise in a meaningful way. Every year, their dedicated work has manifest itself in over 10,000 built structures for needy populations, while engaging an additional 50,000 individuals in advocacy, training, and outreach.

By working with local communities, “aid organizations, housing developers, government agencies, corporate divisions, and foundations” Architecture for Humanity “has channel[ed] resources of the global funding community to meaningful projects that make a difference locally.”

Some of Architecture for Humanity’s thoughtful, sustainable designs have changed communities around the world by “providing access to water, sanitation, power and essential services, bringing safe shelter to communities prone to disaster and displaced populations, rebuilding community and creating neutral spaces for dialogue in post-conflict areas, [and] mitigating the effects of rapid urbanization in unplanned settlements.”

In addition to building and initiating sustainable design in needy communities, Architecture for Humanity has created the online Open Architecture Network, where “architects, designers, builders and their clients… share architectural plans and drawings-including CAD files. All plans are shared through an open-source model and can be freely downloaded.”

While each Architecture for Humanity project is uniquely memorable in itself, one of Kate Stohr’s favorite experiences was working with the community in Biloxi, Mississippi to complete Model Homes after Hurricane Katrina. This program allowed families affected by Hurricane Katrina to partner with designers and architects to use “the latest in materials research, disaster mitigation and sustainable building techniques…to help set the bar for new construction in the area…By rebuilding responsible homes in a devastated community, families have a real base for contributing to the reestablishment of their community, rather than just getting by until the next disaster.”

Architecture for Humanity thrives on building and thinking in a sustainable manner. By integrating the importance and appreciation of design with local community needs, they are able to “engage all stakeholders in the design process.” Continually working to both build and rebuild, Architecture for Humanity can be found constructing schools in Haiti to building community centers in Rwanda.

No matter where its impact is felt, Architecture for Humanity’s immense network of design professionals has opened their resources, expertise, and hearts to help those in need.

Kate explains that “We learn by doing. We know the value of sharing success stories and lessons learned-our own as well as those of others. Design is the ultimate renewable resource.”

Thanks Kate, for building a sustainable future!

Please visit http://architectureforhumanity.org to learn more.

(Architecture for Humanity is dedicated “to building a more sustainable future through the power of professional design”)

A T-SHIRT'S JOURNEY

2010-04-21T12:41:00.000-07:00

So where do these t-shirts come from?

Short answer: The Internet

Long answer: I have no idea

Anvil, a for-profit clothing company implementing responsibility, integrity, and value into their knitwear, contributes their share of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to enhance the sustainability of their business.

CSR is based on the “deliberate inclusion of public interest into corporate decision-making, and the honoring of a triple bottom line: People, Planet, Profit.” With CSR on its mind, Anvil has designed their products to raise awareness about the sustainable processes used to make the t-shirts they create.

One of Anvil’s websites, Life of a T-Shirt allows individuals to track the life of a t-shirt—from birth to purchase.

The interactive website engages the consumer; in t-shirt making; from the cotton gin process to recycling plastic bottles. People may track how their tee was manufactured by typing the unique code found on Anvil t-shirts on trackmyt.com.

To highlight Earth Day this week, Grand Central Station (GCS) in NYC is inspiring its daily commuters to become more aware of their natural surroundings. A series of exhibits focusing on sustainable initiatives and healthy lifestyles currently surround GCS’ Vanderbilt Hall.

From Safari 7, an exhibit which illustrates the variety of urban wildlife along the #7 subway line to a presentation about healthy food opportunities in American public schools, Vanderbilt Hall has transformed temporarily into a wealth of information about the newest sustainable initiatives and gadgets.

Anvil knitwear is among the Earth Day exhibits in GCS.

Their station is not only selling “healthy” t-shirts (using sustainable practices), but Anvil is also raising awareness among their clients to think about where their daily wear is manufactured, purchased, and finally consumed.

While some of the t-shirts I have purchased for this project claim to be made from recyclable or sustainable processes, most are just “plain old t-shirts” from a far away land, shipped on a boat or plane to my doorstep.

I guess some fuel was spared for my t-shirt delivery this week since I bought it in person at the Anvil exhibit in GCS.

Hopefully, someday soon all of those “plain old t-shirts” will be created through environmentally conscious practices.

40 years ago, some people decreed that “The End is Near.”

Others created Earth Day.

Please visit trackmyt.com and anvilcsr.com to learn more about Anvil’s sustainable practices.

SHARE OUR STRENGTH

2010-04-14T10:33:00.000-07:00

SOS—Help!

While some may think the SOS international Morse code distress signal has become obsolete in our technologically advanced society, the people at Share Our Strength (SOS) are answering calls for help and aid to ensure that “No Kid [goes] Hungry” in America.

SOS uses innovative programming, creative marketing, and intriguing partnerships to integrate healthy nutritional eating habits into the busy lives of hungry children. From the most developed nations to third world countries, hunger rests on every nation’s doorstep.

Almost 1 in 4 children in America (about 17 million kids) is hungry.

We often think of hunger’s immediate effects—growling stomachs or perhaps a headache. But SOS has highlighted hunger’s long term effects, which include weak immune systems, behavioral difficulties, and deteriorating academic performance, among other consequences.

By collaborating and partnering with restaurants and foodservice professionals, SOS has shared the industry’s strength of food knowledge to raise awareness about hunger through cooking classes, volunteering, and fundraising events.

Much of SOS’ success comes from their partnerships with world renowned chefs, restaurants, and corporate sponsorships. From their first “Taste of the Nation” (an American Express sponsored event where restaurants host tastings to benefit SOS) in 1988, involving 25 cities and raising $250,000, to the current “Taste of the Nation” which includes 55 cities and has since raised over $70 million, SOS has reached millions of lives and continues to promote and expand their mission.

The $265 million raised from SOS’ four main events: “Taste of the Nation,” “Great American Bake Sale,” “Great American Dine Out,” and “A Tasteful Pursuit” is allocated into grants for SOS’ partners and for their own educational program “Operation Frontline,” which teaches low-income families “how to shop for and prepare healthy, low cost meals.”

These grants focus on state partnerships and individual organizations whose work aligns SOS’ 10 points national plan to end childhood hunger. SOS’ Funds and partnerships have already helped to serve 40.2 million meals to kids, created almost 1,000 afterschool feeding facilities, and educated hundreds of thousands about healthy foods.

While many of us living in one of the wealthiest countries in the world rarely think about where our next meal will come from, there are millions of Americans wondering how they will make it through afternoon recess without their snack.

SOS is their help.

Please visit strength.org to find out more.

(Share Our Strength has been feeding the hungry and teaching the importance of nutrition not only in America, but in Ethiopia, Mexico, El Salvador and Haiti as well.)

THE DIZZY FEET FOUNDATION

2010-04-07T19:45:00.000-07:00

So You Think You Can....

DANCE!

Yes, So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) has made it to charity change. In the summer of 2009, Nigel Lythgoe, the executive producer of SYTYCD, launched The Dizzy Feet Foundation. Partnering with other star choreographers, including Adam Shankman and Carrie Ann Inaba; and star performer, Katie Holmes, Lythgoe has formed a new creative dance venture.

The Dizzy Feet Foundation hopes to impact the dance world in three major ways:

1. Supply scholarships to students studying dance

2. Institute standards for dance education “and an accreditation program for dance schools in all of the major styles of dance”

3. Expand and create dance education programs for disadvantaged children

Fame in the dance-world usually remains as fame in the dance-world. Pop culture does not often tap into the talent among those who leap and chasse across the floor. Rather those spotted on red carpet premieres claim the fame of the public’s eye.

With his immense knowledge of who’s who in the dance world, Nigel Lythgoe along with Katie Holmes, a red carpet star, have taken advantage of their popularity. They have used their own fame as well as the hit show SYTYCD as a platform to launch The Dizzy Feet Foundation. The foundation’s success is built in the popularity that accompanies this fame. After all, who doesn’t love to be a part of a popular movement?

The Dizzy Feet Foundation is currently providing scholarships to nine dancers in dance academies across the U.S. It has also partnered with local community organizations, including LA’s Best, an organization dedicated to enriching after school programming for the most vulnerable in Los Angeles, to bring the joy of dance to people of all backgrounds.

Lythgoe and Holmes, along with the support of major choreographers in contemporary dance, are making dance accessible.

Humans have a spirit of freedom—albeit some more talented than others—to move.

It’s simple—just ask kindergartner Julian why he loves to dance: “I like to move it, move it.”

Please visit dizzyfeetfoundation.org to learn more.

(The Dizzy Feet Foundation is dedicated to improving and expanding access to dance education.)

ONE DAY'S WAGES

2010-04-01T07:31:00.001-07:00

Have you ever calculated your daily wages?

Well, Eugene and Minhee Cho have done exactly that and have formed a global movement out of their calculations. In their quest of ending extreme global poverty, the Chos donated their 2009 income to combat global poverty.

But they didn’t stop there.

They created One Day's Wages (ODW), an organization dedicated to ending extreme global poverty by partnering with existing organizations to raise funds to aid their work. This movement encourages individuals to be conscious of their own daily earnings by donating small amounts to their ODW’s partner’s work. ODW works with non-profit organizations including charity:water, Partners in Health, Heal Africa, and Not for Sale, among others, to raise funds to aid those suffering in extreme global poverty.

Kate, ODW’s operations director, changes for ODW “because it invites people to give what they can, as they’re able. It’s the knowledge and awareness that even small amounts of money can go far in the fight against extreme poverty.”

ODW has reframed the notion of giving.

As Kate mentioned, ODW illustrates the power one individual has to impact the large fight against global poverty. In dedicating just one day’s wages, whatever your salary may be, you become conscious of your earnings and the impact just one day’s work can have in helping to save another’s life.

“3 billion people [who] live on less than US $2/day and 1.4 billion people [who] live on less than US $1.25/day.”

The numbers are staggering—but innovative solutions are on the way.

By using social media and investing in existing organizations which are already involved in impoverished communities in “doing effective and transparent work to empower people to uplift themselves out of poverty,” ODW is reshaping the giving world.

Things aren’t as expensive as we imagine.

ODW highlights the direct effect organizations have created through individual small donations:

“Malaria Net: $10
Clean water for one person for 20 years: $20
Child’s tuition for education: $45
Teacher’s salary in jungles in Burma $60/yr”

Contributions pour in from across the globe. Kate explained that “Every so often, we'll get kids - sometimes really young ones - who save up their allowances, or get their school friends together to host a fundraiser of some sort....seeing a younger generation recognize the importance of generosity is really inspiring.”

One of ODW’s newest ventures in 2010 is “Birthdays for a Cause!” Tapping into new social media networks and technology, ODW will serve as a forum for individuals to “create your own page and choose a cause that ODW is currently fundraising for, forward it to your friends/family/coworkers and invite them to donate in honor of your birthday.”

Think about it as volunteering one day of your work. Use the wages from your “volunteer day” at work to help someone else live a dignified life.

Thanks, Kate, for teaching us how to use our wages wisely!

Please visit onedayswages.org to learn more.

(One Days Wages is a movement focused on ending extreme global poverty.)

TOMS

2010-03-24T17:37:00.000-07:00

Shoe fashion has taken on a new trend; charity.

TOMS, a shoe company based in Santa Monica, California, has created a business model which matches “One for One.” For every pair of TOMS shoes that are purchased, one pair of shoes will be given to a child in need.

By working with charities all around the world, TOMS is able to partner with agencies well aware of the issues that develop among individuals who do not have the resources to buy shoes. TOMS works with lasting partners so that once one pair of shoes wears out, the same individuals will receive a new pair—forming a long term investment in certain communities. Additionally, TOMS is sensitive to local environments, and is careful not to encroach on the community’s shoe industry.

Often only semi-conscious when we lace our shoes in the morning, we tend to overlook the trust we place in those things on our feet. 400 million children and 200 million people around the world suffer from worms which enter the body by walking barefoot. These worms cause diseases and “can cause permanent cognitive damage… stunt… physical growth,” and often result in children having a “lower school attendance.”

While TOMS is a corporate shoe company, its business model revolves around “the giving side.” Through their partnerships with non-profit organizations and the creation of their own non-profit “Friends of TOMS,” TOMS organizes “shoe-drops” and works with agencies to heal those suffering from Podoconiosis, “a debilitating disease that causes extreme swelling, repeated ulcers and deformity in the feet and legs…caused by walking or working barefoot in silica-heavy volcanic soil, a common practice in rural farming regions of developing countries.” Fitting every foot size, volunteers work with Toms to facilitate “shoe drops” around the world from cities in the United States to rural villages in Ethiopia.

TOMS views their customers as benefactors. Instead of fundraising, TOMS has created a sustainable business by empowering “the purchasing power of individuals to benefit the greater good.” Inspired by his visit to Argentina, where Blake Mycoskie saw children running around barefoot, he founded TOMS shoes in May 2006.

In the first year, kind-hearted customers donated 10,000 pairs of shoes to those in need in Argentina and as of December 2009, over 400,000 pairs of shoes have been given to children in need around the world.

TOMS has created a shoe revolution.

Focusing their lens on an issue that so many of us take for granted, TOMS’ has partnered with other companies including Ralph Lauren and Element Skateboards, to create shoes that are tailored to their companies’ vision. The company is also planning a “One Day Without” campaign on April 8th, which encourages TOMS supporters to spend the day or part of the day barefoot to raise awareness and to experience a day sans shoes.

Join the movement—take off your shoes—leave your own footprint.

Please visit toms.com to learn more.

(For every pair of TOMS shoes that is purchased, TOMS donates a new pair of shoes to a child in need.)

PARTNERS IN HEALTH

2010-03-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

How do you climb Mountains Beyond Mountains?

Follow Paul Farmer.

The Haitian proverb “Beyond mountains there are mountains,” exemplifies the willpower and determination of Paul Farmer to not only tackle the problems that arise after one problem is solved, but to “bring the benefits of modern medical science to those most in need.” In 1987, Farmer devised a “comprehensive and community-based approach” to solve some of the largest problems facing the world’s poor today through the creation of Partners in Health (PIH).

PIH strives to raise the standard of care for the poor in the world by applying treatments used in first world medical care systems to those diseases previously thought “untreatable” in third world countries. In essence Paul Farmer, through PIH, has brought hope and healing to nations around the world, while advocating on their behalf to world class agencies and institutions. As a result, Farmer has reframed the focus and capabilities of the modern medical world to tailor their work to address the “mountains” affecting all of humanity, not only those who are suffering from medical problems in first world countries.

Through his work, Farmer has inspired and indeed created a following, so much so, that Tracey Kidder, who encountered Farmer on one of his trips to Haiti, wrote Mountains Beyond Mountains, a book which documents the work of Paul Farmer and his organization, Partners in Health. While each page tells the inspirational story of how Farmer has successfully raised awareness and reorganized models for dealing with the sick poor around the world, specifically in Haiti, nothing compares to the trained response and action Partners in Health took when the 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook Haiti’s core on January 12th.

Since the organization had already been on the ground in Haiti for over 20 years, PIH, locally known as Zanmi Lasante, was well versed in the local culture and needs of the community. PIH has not only implemented a medical landscape in Haiti, but they have trained the locals to care and adapt medical procedures and materials for their own communities. After all, it is the locals who know their country and community the best.

Zanmi Lansante started as a small community clinic in Cange, a village about 60 miles from Port au-Prince, in 1985, and has since grown to be a full service hospital, with operating rooms, in-patient units, and an infectious disease center for starters; similar models have also been set up throughout Haiti’s Central Plateau, reaching hundreds of thousands of Haitians.

This existing “medical network” in Haiti helped serve and continues to serve as a backbone of support and navigation for the hundreds of organizations that travelled to Haiti immediately following the earthquake.

With money still pouring in to aid victims of the earthquake (individuals have and are continuing to raise money and awareness- runwithhaiti.org, www.askyourmama.com, and other events!) PIH has been forced to respond quickly and to reevaluate its focus on the ground in Haiti, while still maintaining the success of its many programs around the world; in Peru, Russia, Rwanda, and elsewhere.

Partners in Health does “whatever it takes.” Through their leadership, PIH acts as we would if a member of our own family fell ill, by using every means at our disposal to make them well; highlighting the fact that “The only real nation is humanity.”

Please visit pih.org to learn more.

(Partners in Health is dedicated to providing better health care for the poor around the world.)

TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES

2010-03-09T09:39:00.000-08:00

One Less Car can make the world a Better Place.

Since 1973, Transportation Alternatives (T.A.) has been a leader in reducing car use in New York City. Lindsey Lusher Shute, a staff member at Transportation Alternatives, explains how the unique work environment of T.A., where many staff members themselves are avid bicyclists, contributes to the entrepreneurial, healthy spirit of the organization. “T.A. is run by a highly motivated and dedicated staff that achieves big change with relatively few resources. I’ve seen few other organizations that are nearly as dynamic, effective or fun!”

T.A. strives to decrease the amount of cars on the road in NYC. It follows a “Green Transportation Hierarchy” where certain modes of transportation are given preference over others due to “their benefits and costs to society.” Areas of T.A.’s expertise include: “Bicycling, Walking and Traffic Calming, Car-Free Parks, Safe Streets and Sensible Transportation”.

Perhaps most well-known for the NYC Century Bike Tour, the “country’s only all-urban 100 mile bike tour,” Transportation Alternatives runs numerous events and campaigns throughout the year to bring awareness and change to the streets of NYC; these include Park(ing) day, where individuals take parking spaces and temporarily make them into pedestrian spaces or “parks,” and “Block Party NYC,” which helps neighborhoods or blocks organize parties to encourage people to care and become involved in their community.

With over 8,000 members, T.A. has built a significant and reliable clientele. The minimum level of T.A. membership starts at $30; benefits include discounts at bike shops, free issues of “Reclaim Magazine,” cycling handbooks, and being a member of a rapidly growing movement to reclaim the streets of NYC.

Lindsey “originally joined T.A. as a member before working at the organization. My first interaction with T.A. was at the New York City Century Bike Tour where I completely overwhelmed with joy when I got to ride down Park Avenue with 7,000 other city cyclists.”

She commented that T.A.’s large impact on NYC’s streets is illustrated by the rise in cyclists and bike lanes, which were very scarce just a few years ago.

While T.A.’s events on the streets appeal to many people, their advocacy campaigns to government officials and various organizations are crucial to their success. One of Lindsey’s most memorable experiences with T.A. was “Marching across the Brooklyn Bridge to deliver 10,000 postcards asking for a Car-Free Prospect Park to Mayor Bloomberg. Our march included 100 Brooklyn High School students carrying banners and the Brooklyn Steppers band and drill team. This action was part of my all-time favorite campaign, Youth for Car-Free Parks.”

Inspiring the young and the old alike, T.A. has built appealing programming for entire communities to voice their support to create streets that will inhabit “one less car.” Such campaigns are sustained on the growing need and desire of communities that wish to live in safer, healthier neighborhoods.

Thanks, Lindsey, for letting us hop on for a ride with Transportation Alternatives!

Please visit transalt.org to learn more.

(Transportation Alternatives works to retrieve New York City's streets from the car, by advocating for bicycling, walking and public transit.)

SESAME WORKSHOP

2010-03-02T12:41:00.000-08:00

The longest street in the world is composed of “writers, researchers, child development experts, puppeteers, actors, producers, corporations, foundations and most importantly, you.”

And where is this street located exactly? It’s Sesame Street!

Initially an experiment to understand the tools needed to engage children in educational TV programming, Sesame took off from its start in 1968. And over 4 decades later, Sesame Workshop continues to expand and to reach audiences worldwide with the show’s original enthusiastic agenda.

While many may think of Sesame Street as a TV program that consists of daily showings and reruns, in reality, there is a much larger picture that encompasses the brilliance that is Sesame Street, and that brilliance lies in the Sesame Workshop.

Sesame Workshop strives to EDUCATE. With the proper tools of promoting peace and wellness, Sesame Workshop has made a lasting impression around the world; from regions deep in ethnic conflict, struggling with economic stability to areas engaged in endorsing healthy habits and advancing literacy skills.

With outreach in over 120 countries, Sesame Workshop works to identify, focus, and educate children on issues directly affecting their lives. The puppets and characters that were created to engage youngsters in educational programming have thus become icons in certain cultures.
In some countries, like in Kosovo, children of different ethnicities attend different schools and even have different postal services. Thus, each group is nurtured in isolation from the other, forcing stereotypes and images of “the other” to support this sense of hatred that surrounded their childhood.

In 2004, Sesame Workshop and UNICEF adapted Sesame Street to deal with this ethnic tension in Kosovo. Sesame Workshop producer, Basia Nikonorow, explains that “Hate … is a learned trait… Children don’t naturally hate someone of another ethnicity; this is taught to them or they pick it up from snippets of conversation and stereotyping.”

By forming a flowing montage of images, with children of different ethnicities in Kosovo performing an interactive storyline, Nikonorow and her team were able to mold new expectations of respect and appreciation among the Serb, Albanian, Roma, Turkish, and Croatian children in Kosovo.

Early results from children who watched the show illustrate its success by their newfound interactions and mutual respect for their neighbors, who may be of a different ethnicity.

Such original ideas form the structure of the most basic needs in life. In order to succeed and grow, a nation must place education at the center of its culture’s development.

Sesame Workshop is inculcating such crucial values from the very start.

“'We decided that kids shouldn’t suffer from the mess the adults had created,’ Nikonorow says. ‘They deserve a carefree childhood.’”

Please visit sesameworkshop.org to learn more.

(Sesame Workshop addresses the critical developmental needs of children across the globe).

THE JIMMY FUND

2010-02-24T13:24:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am a Red Sox Fan; and Yes, I am a Jimmy Fund Fan.

What began as one child’s plea for help, culminated in the birth of The Jimmy Fund. This charity is dedicated to supporting “the fight against cancer in children and adults at Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, [by] helping to raise the chances of survival for cancer patients around the world.”

While many believe that Jimmy was the one who began The Jimmy Fund, in reality “Jimmy” does not exist.

In fact, he never existed.

In 1948, the name “Jimmy” was given as an alias to Einar Gustafson, a twelve year old boy who was suffering from cancer, to protect his privacy when he was chosen to speak from his hospital room on Ralph Edwards’ national radio show “Truth or Consequences.” Gustafson appealed to the show’s listeners to donate funds towards Dr. Sidney Farber’s, the founder of the Children’s Cancer Resaerch Foundation, (later named Dana-Farber Cancer Institute) and a pioneer in modern chemotherapy, research. Once more than $200,000 was raised towards Dr. Farber’s cancer research from Edwards’ radio show, The Jimmy Fund was created.

Although not intentional, until 1998, Gustafson’s identity as “Jimmy” was concealed. While most people imagined that the young “Jimmy” had passed away as cures for pediatric cancers were very rare at the time in which Gustafson was treated, Gustafson had returned to live anonymously at his family’s farm in Maine and later in Massachusetts after his successful bout with fame and the remission of his cancer.

On the 50th anniversary of the radio broadcast from Einar Gustafson’s hospital room, “Jimmy” was “welcomed back” to Dana-Farber and he was once again a celebrity. This time though, he ran with his fame.

From the time he “reemerged” as “Jimmy” in 1998, until he passed away from a stroke in 2001, Gustafson spread this charity’s message through the variety of fundraising events The Jimmy Fund offers and even drove a trailer across the country painted with The Jimmy Fund’s logo: "Because it takes more than courage to beat cancer.”

So what does The Jimmy Fund have to do with The Boston Red Sox?

Back in his hospital room in 1948, the Boston Braves, Boston’s baseball team at the time, joined “Jimmy” in his appeal to the millions of listeners on Ralph Edwards’ radio program. And since 1953, when “The Red Sox [Boston’s new baseball team] adopted The Jimmy Fund as its official charity,” the two have “established a deep bond —unlike any other in professional sports.”

The team’s enthusiasm and dedication to raise funds for The Jimmy Fund, which in turn funds the research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has highlighted the importance of partnering such a legendary sports team with such a celebrated charity.

The Red Sox consistently place The Jimmy Fund at the top of their priorities; from visiting sick children in the hospital to hosting the annual WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon and the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (“the nation's original fundraising bike-a-thon”).

Additionally, The Jimmy Fund organizes numerous events, such as the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk, and the Jimmy Fund Scooperbowl (an all you can eat ice cream festival, where funds to enter the event are donated to The Jimmy Fund).

In their mission to restore and maintain the resilience and happiness of “kids just wanting to be kids,” The Jimmy Fund has become one of the nation’s premier charities to reach such a feat.

Please visit jimmyfund.org to learn more.

(The Jimmy Fund supports the fight against cancer in children and adults at Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute).

KIVA

2010-02-16T17:26:00.000-08:00

Ever wondered how to say “unity” or “agreement” in Swahili?

Thought so.

It's Kiva.

Founded by Matt and Jessica Flannery in 2005 as the world’s first online micro-lending system, kiva.org partners with microfinance institutions around the world, known as Field Partners (in Kiva language), to help finance small loans to individuals, known as entrepreneurs (in Kiva language), who need loans to sustain their businesses.

Thanks to kiva.org, Kiva is now known as an “agreement” in both Swahili and in English. It is a connection. It is a community. It is a source of livelihood formed through an agreement of loans made by one individual to another. By empowering both the lender and the entrepreneur through their online lending system, Kiva has created a “global community of people connected through lending.”

Kiva has not only provided an opportunity for the poor to live in dignity and respect by pursuing their dreams through partnerships rather than “benefactor relationships,” but it has raised awareness about the importance of microfinancing institutions around the world.

Microfinance institutions fill the void of the lack of financial services available to people who have little cash or income. Since banks generally require clients to have a base amount of assets or income to qualify for a loan (which are accompanied by interest rates), poor people are generally excluded from such financial opportunities.

Enter Kiva.

Kiva uses its field partners (microfinance institutions) on the ground in various regions of the world “to disburse a microloan to an entrepreneur in their community.” A microloan is a small loan given to those living in poverty to help encourage entrepreneurship among those who lack collateral, a credit history, or other financial opportunity.

After the field partners upload an individual entrepreneur’s profile to the Kiva website, lenders on kiva.org, like you and me, can search through the profiles and lend to various entrepreneurs around the world.

Usually, field partners have already made a loan to an entrepreneur by the time their profile is loaded to kiva.org. Therefore, the loans that lenders make on kiva.org are most likely going towards “funds to backfill the loan they’ve (field partners) already disbursed to the entrepreneur.”

Once the entrepreneur repays the loan over time, the field partner repays the loans back to Kiva and through a “net billing system” (used to speed up and minimize the costs of wire transfers), Kiva credits the lender’s account on kiva.org so that the lender can now relend their funds to another entrepreneurial venture.

While some may find the details a bit confusing, Kiva counts on the accountability of loans, rather “than donations where repayment is not expected.”

With a minimum payment of $25 for a loan on kiva.org, one individual has the opportunity to change another’s life. Kiva uses the internet to form a virtual lending institution- to raise funds for their field partners around the world who are constantly lending to local entrepreneurs.

Through the microlending cycle “as of November 2009, Kiva has facilitated over $100 million in loans.”

Although the 34 full-time employees at the Kiva headquarters reside in San Francisco, CA, Kiva’s loans reach the far ends of the earth.

Kiva believes that “People are by nature generous, and will help others if given the opportunity to do so in a transparent, accountable way.”

$25. Whose business will you finance?

Please visit kiva.org to learn more.

(Kiva's mission is to connect people, through lending, for the sake of alleviating poverty).

MERCY SHIPS

2010-02-09T21:27:00.000-08:00

Meet Mercy Ships — the latest trend in floating hospitals.

Marius Prinsloo, a staff member at Mercy Ships, explains that “Mercy Ships operates the world’s largest non-governmental hospital ship to serve the poor free of charge. Hospital ships can sail to areas of greatest need; carry large amounts of medical, construction and agricultural supplies; accommodate large numbers of experts from around the world including surgeons, doctors, nurses, teachers, water engineers and agriculturalists.”

Not only does Mercy Ships provide immediate medical relief and support to the poor in developing countries, but the organization focuses on training locals to build and develop sustainable infrastructure “to continue the work after Mercy Ships has left.”

“Crew members [aboard Mercy Ships] are volunteers who pay fees to serve. The global charity has volunteers from over 40 nations. Professional doctors, surgeons, nurses, teachers, dentists, marine and support crew live in a community onboard the ship and provide state-of-the-art medical care.”

Marius describes the pain and anger which envelops the lives of the thousands of patients that Mercy Ships treats. Demba, a 42 year old man suffering from a cleft lip and palatte, had been shuffled from doctor to doctor his whole life to find a cure for his malaise. As a result, “Demba was never allowed to attend school as the children mercilessly mocked him and the adults accused him of being cursed.” Although his sister taught him to read and write, Demba could not find a job—forcing him to live on the streets until a compassionate hotel owner trained Demba as a baker and told him about “the big white ship that could help him.”

Demba's surgery performed on Mercy Ships transformed the “anger in his eyes, a life long hurt and distrust of people” to “eyes filled with compassion and care.”

Such stories are the norm on Mercy Ships.

Dedicated to serving the continent of Africa, the Africa Mercy, Mercy Ships’ and the world’s largest non-governmental hospital ship, has six operating theatres, and a 78-bed ward, intensive care, CAT scan, and isolation ward. With 15 national offices around the world, Mercy Ships has enabled the Africa Mercy to double “the annual capacity of her predecessors in terms of direct medical outcomes.”

Mercy Ships uses the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) to determine where those areas most in need of Mercy Ships’ help are located.

From February through August, “the Africa Mercy, will be delivering free world-class health care and community development services to the people of Togo. An estimated 70% of the population lives on less than $2 a day, [and] there is only one doctor for every 28,500 people -- compared to 74 physicians for every 28,500 people in the United States.”

Thanks, Marius, for bringing us on our maiden voyage with Mercy Ships!

Please visit mercyships.org to learn more.

(Mercy Ships brings hope and healing to the world’s poor.)

JEWISH HEART FOR AFRICA

2010-02-02T17:45:00.001-08:00

Israeli Solar Technology + Rural African Villages = Jewish Heart for Africa

Capitalizing on the technology that one country in the world has to offer another thousands of miles away, is exactly why Associate Executive Director Rachel Ishofsky “changes” for Jewish Heart for Africa (JHA).

Rachel has “always been a strong believer in the need for infrastructure development in the developing world, and Jewish Heart for Africa does exactly that. We bring light to schools, electricity to medical clinics, use solar power to pump clean water from underground and irrigation systems to improve local agriculture.”

In adapting Israeli solar technology for use in Africa, JHA supports the Israeli economy by purchasing its solar technology models to save African lives. Having opened their offices only in 2008, JHA works with partners in Israel and in Africa to channel their resources and expertise in the most sustainable way. Their state of the art website directs visitors through an interactive explanation of how their organization operates, with 100% of donations going directly towards funding projects in Africa. As JHA continues to engage more donors and to expand its number of projects, they still manage to personalize the stories of their beneficiaries.

Rachel’s “most memorable moment working for JHA was the night I spent at Kaliro Orphanage, Uganda. It took us five hours to get there by car, driving along dirt roads in a van crowded with both bags and people. We had just gotten off the plane from Ethiopia, and were at the end of what had become a very long trip (http://bit.ly/96gRKy). But suddenly we were out of the car and surrounded by children. It was nighttime--and for the first time, they had light.

“Our solar panels had just been installed there the week before. The orphans were running around, playing, and groups of them were studying together in classrooms lit by our solar powered bulbs. They were doing their homework.

“There was a small boy there named Allan (http://bit.ly/d0PE92). Both his parents died of AIDS, and he has already been living at the orphanage for three years. For over half of his short and underprivileged life, Allan has been going to bed each night alone and in the dark.

“But that night, as our team of three helped to tuck in the kids, I watched another child crawl into his bed, and together, they read a bedtime story.

“It's moments like these that remind you how much a single lightbulb really can brighten a life.”

In addition to projectsol, JHA’s solar power technology project, and projectagro, JHA’s initiative to use innovative Israeli agricultural practices to make agriculture sustainable even in regions of drought, JHA plans to “more than double the 70,000 African people that our work reached in 2009. We will expand to three new countries and see the completion of our first agricultural projects.

JHA has “also launched the Pilot Eco Village Program--a combination of a solar powered school, medical clinic, water pumping system, and drip irrigation technologies, all in a single village. These projects will simultaneously revolutionize the education, health and wealth of an entire community. And that's all just the beginning.”

Thanks, Rachel, for “enlightening” us with Jewish Heart for Africa’s innovative initiatives.

Please visit jhasol.org to learn more.

(Jewish Heart for Africa brings Israeli solar technology to rural African villages.)

CHARITY: WATER

2010-01-27T08:20:00.000-08:00

Scott Harrison “wears charity.”

After working in the nightclub promotion business for years, Scott Harrison, the founder and president of charity: water, decided to make a major lifestyle change. In 2004, he left life in the fast lane and went on a journey with Mercy Ships, an organization that provides free medical care from floating ships. By the time Scott completed his experience as the ship’s photojournalist off the coast of Africa, he had been exposed to the horrific realities of poverty in Africa, specifically to the region’s lack of clean drinking water. And so, he embarked on a new adventure of wearing charity. He created charity: water, an organization that brings clean drinking water to those whose only sources of water are dirty ponds and swamps.

Through its clever branding and young appeal, charity: water has become one of the most chic charities around. Not only is its mission incredibly inspiring, but it allows everyone to participate. Charity: water explains that for $20, a person in Africa can have clean drinking water for 20 years. Working with a number of partners on the ground, charity: water gives 100% of their donations to help sustain the programs already in place by their field partners. In effect, charity: water serves as an advocacy and fundraising arm for their partners on the ground in 11 different countries.

Individual stories of people living without clean drinking water around the world are highlighted through photographs and day to day updates on new water projects through charity: water’s website. Recently, mycharitywater.org was launched as a mechanism for individuals to create their own fundraising page for charity: water.

Charity: water was born in September 2006 when Scott Harrison asked his friends to donate $20 towards his new project instead of buying him a birthday present. Once 700 people showed up to his birthday party, charity: water became a reality. Since then the organization has grown and expanded to bring clean drinking water to various regions around the world.

Due to its successful ad campaigns and high-tech appeal, charity: water was the first non-profit to attract over 1 million followers on twitter. Some campaigns include charity: water outdoor exhibits, charity: water windows at Saks Fifth Avenue, charity: water Gala events, and of course the annual charity: water birthday party (always with a different edge to engage donors in new initiatives).

With his yellow jerry can by his side, Scott Harrison somehow transformed charity into cool.

Please visit charitywater.org to learn more.

(Charity: water offers a simple solution to bring clean drinking water to various regions around the world.)

INVISIBLE CHILDREN

2010-01-20T12:33:00.000-08:00

3 young filmmakers educate millions to tell a story of the world’s INVISIBLE CHILDREN.

In the past 24 years, over 30,000 children have been abducted in central Africa to serve as soldiers for Joseph Kony, a rebel leader. An additional 2 million people have been displaced in central Africa as a result of the violence.

Since 2003, Invisible Children has used its entrepreneurial spirit to engage millions in teaching and advocating for peace in Uganda. Sounding like a fairytale story in itself, Invisible Children began when three young filmmakers ventured to Africa. They returned with the “rough cut” of their concept for Invisible Children. After initial viewings for their family and friends, Invisible Children reached out to the young spirit of America through their multimedia story. “How can I help?” was the overwhelming response to Invisible Children’s work. And so, in the years since their first movie screening, Invisible Children has gained major individual, community, and governmental support to reveal the story of Uganda’s Invisible Children.

Jenna Ingrassia, the Office Manager at Invisible Children, explains the unique impact that Invisible Children “has had on the youth of western countries. I feel like our generation has been categorized as apathetic and lazy. Through Invisible Children, I have personally witnessed people of all ages becoming active and engaging in something much larger than themselves with their communities.”

Invisible Children sends its message across America with the help of groups of “Roadies” who tour the U.S. to screen the original, raw footage of the effects of the war in Uganda.

One of Invisible Children’s most popular programs is “Schools for Schools,” where students in western countries fundraise to build “sister” schools for children affected by the war in Uganda. This initiative has expanded to educate teachers (both Ugandan and western) to exchange skills and cultural values.

To raise awareness through local and national media outlets, in April 2009, Invisible Children took to the streets of America. Organized groups in major cities around the U.S. showed solidarity with those children abducted in Uganda by staging “The Rescue.” Groups of Invisible Children supporters “abducted themselves” to popular sites in major cities, only deemed “rescued” once a major media outlet recognized their “abduction.”

Jenna wrote that “The Rescue event in Chicago was an amazing experience… When we finally were spontaneously put on Oprah's Friday morning show, I just remember feeling so relieved. Oprah definitely raised the profile of the current situation with the L.R.A., [(The Lord’s Resistance Army) a militant group based in northern Uganda,] and Joseph Kony... she gave it the exposure that it has been lacking for the past 23 years. Check it our here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4noq5nGiyaY&feature=related.”

Right now, Invisible Children’s “main focuses are the L.R.A. Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act and our Legacy Tour. We have a meeting with the State Department to discuss the bill and the petition to make sure our representatives recognize the situation in central-east Africa as one that needs immediate attention. The Legacy Tour is a three month long international tour that will include guest appearances by the people who have been featured in our films or a part of our programs from northern Uganda. You can find more info on that here: http://www.invisiblechildren.com/theMovement/National_Tour”

With the plethora of opportunities that Invisible Children has to offer, it is no wonder they are in second place on Chase Community Giving’s Facebook application to receive 1 million dollars if they win the contest on January 22nd.

Please visit invisiblechildren.com to learn more.

Thanks, Jenna, for teaching us how we too can make the Invisible Children visible!

(Invisible Children is motivated by the unseen war in Northern Uganda, to use the power of stories to change lives around the world.)

MAKE IT RIGHT

2010-01-13T12:25:00.000-08:00

Brad Pitt + Sustainable Housing + New Orleans = Make It Right

After Brad Pitt toured the hurricane devastated region in the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans, he connected with community groups and families in the area, spurring a new movement and organization called Make It Right (MIR) in 2007. Since its inception, MIR has partnered with architecture firms to build sustainable housing solutions for those homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Kim Haddow, MIR’s Communications Director, “was attracted [to MIR] by how solutions-oriented this project is. They are asking the right questions. How can homes and communities be built to adapt –to survive and thrive in the face of a changing climate? How can energy efficient homes be made affordably for the working families who need the cost break the most? In a world of concepts and theories, I liked how hands-on the search for solutions is here at Make It Right.”

It is often difficult to understand and to witness first-hand how policies and theories may be applied to changing life on the ground. Kim describes how this “hands-on” approach at MIR came full circle at her first closing on a MIR home. She explains “the joy on the face of a sixty year woman who lost a home in the hurricane that had been in her family for generations. After so much loss and sorrow, it really is quite moving to see a family regain their footing – and on the same lot they owned before the storm.”

This closing is only one of 150 homes that MIR hopes to complete closings for in 2010 and 2011.

While MIR definitely has their work cut out for them in the Lower 9th Ward alone, they are not stopping there. MIR is “part of a consortium of builders and non-profits in Newark, New Jersey waiting to hear if we have been awarded NSP2 (Neighborhood Stabilization Program) money from The Department of Housing and Urban Development.” This would enable MIR to build “affordable green housing” in areas not only devastated by hurricanes, but also in areas suffering from economic crises.

And now what you have all been waiting for!

Kim told me that she has “seen Brad three times in 9 months – twice in New Orleans, where he likes to come in quietly and meet with homeowners and staff, and once in New York for the Clinton Global Initiative, which featured a session on Make It Right last September. He is always passionate and up to speed on the project and clearly cares about the homeowners. When he was in New Orleans for the 4th anniversary of Katrina (Aug 29), he showed up at a farewell party for our interns at a local bar – it made their summer (and stunned the other four people at the bar).”

Make It Right has definitely left its mark on the streets of the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans. As construction continues to both inspire and lead homebuilding efforts in The South, MIR is creating a model for “affordable green housing” all over the country and perhaps all over the world.

“Why not rebuild using the lessons we have learned in New Orleans?”

Please visit makeitrightnola.org to learn more about Make It Right and Kudos, Kim, for sharing your insight on Make It Right!

(Make It Right is helping to rebuild New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward through sustainable solutions.)

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY-NYC

2010-01-06T14:22:00.000-08:00

What happens when “corporate CEOs and their staffs, government leaders, faith groups, community groups and ordinary people like you and me” put our muscles into action?

A Habitat for Humanity worksite is born.

Habitat for Humanity- New York City is Charity Change’s first featured charity of the year! This week, Josh Lockwood, the executive director of Habitat for Humanity - New York City, gave me some insight on the organization and its mission for change in New York City.

Josh explained that “Habitat-NYC has taken a rural, volunteer homebuilding model and applied it to a dynamic, high-density urban environment. Most importantly, our organization provides the opportunity for low-income families living in overcrowded and dangerous circumstances to forever change the trajectory of their lives, by building their own homes, and by becoming first-time homebuyers.”

While many people may think of Habitat-NYC as an organization that builds homes for low-income families locally, Habitat-NYC also works with Habitat for Humanity International on a variety of projects to apply this rural homebuilding model in a high-density environment to various situations.

About four years ago, I had the opportunity to experience the “rural, volunteer homebuilding model… [in a] high-density urban environment” when I participated in an all-night Habitat build in Rockefeller Center for victims of Katrina.

The all-night build consisted of New Yorkers building the frames of houses which were then disassembled into large pieces and loaded onto trucks, driven to New Orleans to be reassembled, and finally inhabited by individuals devastated by Katrina.

It seemed to me that this event was the epitome of Habitat’s “change” it sees in the world. Through this building process, Americans from around the country were able to connect with each other in an intimate way even though they have yet to meet. As the sound of hammers banging nails into wood planks reverberated throughout the night on Rockefeller Plaza, volunteer builders would write messages on the frames of the houses: “God Bless You,” “Welcome Home,” “NYC Loves You.” These messages would be read by the new homeowners and volunteer builders in New Orleans as the houses were reassembled at their final destination.

Not only does Habitat-NYC face fundraising challenges to maintain its capabilities to physically build housing for low-income New Yorkers, but, as Josh explains, they “also face the challenge of educating policymakers and the general public about the life-changing merits of homeownership for low-income New Yorkers. There is no better way for working families to move out of poverty, and no better way to stabilize distressed neighborhoods than to have passionate new homebuyers invest in local property, schools, and institutions.”

Habitat for Humanity is probably well-known for the variety of people that can be found on a housing build work site at any time. “It brings people from all walks of life together to work for common good. In our new global world, our “neighborhood” includes our local communities, towns and cities and people from every continent. Working side-by-side with families, we all work together to transform families and communities.”

While there are endless stories of the lives that Habitat has touched, one particular family stands out in Josh’s mind as he recounted the story of the Ansahs. The Ansahs first approached Habitat-NYC in “a letter saying, "My wife and I live in a run-down one-bedroom apartment, and my wife is about to have quadruplets. Can you help us?" Through the help of Habitat-NYC, the Ansahs now live in “a 3-bedroom condominium that they helped to build in the South Bronx.”

Josh said that he is ”continually blown away by the work ethic and perseverance of our family partner homebuyers. These are folks leading families, holding down full-time jobs, going to school at night, taking care of elderly parents, but they still find time to build their new green homes on the weekends, and they have the vision to see a better life for their children. Somehow, they make the time to build their homes, take the requisite financial literacy classes, and take a step toward a better life.”

Please visit habitatnyc.org or habitat.org to learn more about Habitat-NYC and Habitat International.

Thanks, Josh, for an insider’s view on Habitat-NYC!

(Habitat-NYC is an independent affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International and builds homes in the five boroughs of NYC for individuals in need.)