Tag Archives: Water related illness

August 12, 2010 · 4:51 pm

Thirst Officially Quenched!

With 2 days to spare, we met our $1000 goal for our Charity Water Campaign! Booya! If you still feel inclined to donate, we are not opposed to exceeding the goal but you better hurry!! Or perhaps you could start a campaign of your own and get your family and friends involved in this cause! Trust me, it is super fun to see the money roll in and know the collective effort is saving lives. The page says there were 9 donations but really there were 39 as one donation was a lump amount from 31 of my grandma’s sorority sisters. Those 39 people helped to provide water for 50 people. Not just water for one day either, a fresh flowing supply of water that should be sustained for 20 years. That is a lot of crystal clear glasses of water and a lot of baths. Not to mention that people can support crops and livestock which not only equals food but also income. To sum it up 39 people helped to build a well which will sustain 50 thirsty people, reduce water related illness big time, create economic development, leave time for education as they no longer have to collect water,  provide protection as they no longer have to walk many miles in dangerous conditions to find water, and will create a food source. If you think about the compound effect of all these things, the results are amazing. So Thank you, for helping make that possible for 50 people. Thanks to Google Maps, Charity Water will show us the exact location of our well when it starts being built. I will keep you posted when I get word on that!

Photo by Melissa Mullen

On another charitable note, Melissa Dunstan, emailed me a story today that she thought I would appreciate. Of course, she was right! The article is about a bride, Carla, with a huge passion for rescuing needy animals. She logs many hours at her local shelter and has adopted many dogs over the past several years. She was lucky enough to find a husband that had a similar mindset and together I know they will do big things for animals. As this is a major passion of theirs, they decided it was only fitting to incorporate it into their big day. Which included of course, their own rescued dog, Ruby. Read the article to see all the other ways they incorporated this cause into their wedding. There are some great ideas for couples interested in bringing in a little charity in subtle ways!

Finally a little help is needed for a couple set to be married on September 3rd in Vegas. The couple has attempted to be married on two previous occasions but was unable to. The reason: The groom has terminal cancer and was too sick on the other occasions. Their budget is tight as they spend a lot on medical expenses yet they are determined to make their love official and have a wedding. Nick and Aleah Valley, of Valley & Co, are an event planning and design dream team. They took on this wedding and are making every effort to make it absolutely amazing for this deserving couple and their families. With little time to spare before the big day arrives, they are still in need of some things to insure this day blows the couple’s minds not to mention gives them a beautiful, stress free day that is about their love and nothing else. Just one day to forget the terrible situation they are facing and just enjoy each other. To find out how you can help go here.

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June 21, 2010 · 10:50 am

Water for Everyone, Friends for Life.

I never joined a sorority in college and it was likely because my idea of a sorority girl was based largely on a stereotype. As we all know stereotypes are often inaccurate and the vision of girls partying and drinking couldn’t be further from the truth. Sororities center around academics, leadership, philanthropy and maybe most impressive, they create life long bonds among women. Let’s take a trip back in time to the 50’s when it was not common for women to attend college. My Grandmother was pledging the Chi Omega sorority at Arizona State University. Now let’s fast forward 50+ years to the present, her sorority sisters are just a memory, right? Not exactly. In fact the ladies of the ASU Chi Omega sorority still meet monthly for lunch. They call it the Lunch Bunch and it is composed of 37 Chi Omega’s from varying pledge classes. The ladies have been around for each others marriages, the birth of children, and even the death of spouses as that is what happens when you have a friend that long. So when my Grandma found out about our wedding she did what every grandma does, she started telling her friends about it. One lady, Juanita, started reading the blog and her philanthropic spirit came out.  Upon reading about Charity:Water she sprung into action and called each of the ladies with the help of another sister, Dot, and asked them to donate $20 towards the cause. You see these sorority sisters do like to drink, water that is, and they felt like other people should have the same opportunity. Last Wednesday they presented my Grandma with twenty-six $20 checks, three $25 checks, one $40 check and one $20 bill, for a grand total of $655.

I am beyond humbled and extremely grateful for their amazing contribution to the cause. Last night I wrote out 31 Thank You notes to each lady, telling them each a brief fact about how they changed and saved lives through their donation. Some of the stats included:

  • 42,000 people die each week due to water-related illness and lack of sanitation.
  • 90% of the victims are children under the age of 5.
  • Women and children in Africa alone spend 40 billion, yes billion, hours walking for water each year.
  • Once full the water jug, they carry for miles, weighs 40 lbs.
  • The time spent walking for water not only prevents children from attending school but it also puts both women and children at greater risk of violence and sexual assault.
  • Charity:Water spends extensive time teaching the people where wells are built about proper sanitation. Proper hand washing alone can prevent 45% of deaths caused by water-related illness and lack of sanitation.
  • A Water Committee is formed of elected members of the community where water projects are built so that they can help organize and maintain their water project. The elected positions are often women which brings a new sense of respect and integrity to communities where women are not treated as equals.
  • Each community that receives a well from Charity:Water must petition for one and contribute to the project. This instills a sense of ownership and pride.
  • A water source not only provides clean water for drinking and clean water for sanitation but it also provides a way to irrigate small gardens. This not only provides food for families but it also provides an income source as they can sell their produce at open markets.
  • Just $20 provides water for one person for 20 years.

Before their donation our campaign had raised $145 toward the $1000 goal. They pushed us up to $800 and their contribution alone will serve 33 people. We have 55 days left to raise the remaining $200. If we meet our goal before June 30th we can send our money out into the field for projects that are about to begin. With just a few phone calls a group of sorority sisters came together to produce amazing results. The ladies are friends for life and they’ve carried the values they learned in their sorority days with them throughout their life. Thank you ladies, your generosity is inspiring.

What could you do with a little effort? Would you be willing to change a life for $20?

Go here to read our first post on Charity:Water.

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