Linking Up to Make a Difference
A reader apologized to me once for donating to a World Vision fund besides the one I suggest on my site. The truth is, when I started graffiti parties and the idea of "Leave Your Mark," it was to encourage people to figure out what it was they cared about and do something big or small to make a difference, to leave their mark on this world. It doesn't have to be the cause I'm talking about to be a worthy one.
Unfortunately, there are plenty of bad things going on in the world, so there's a lot to choose from. So much so that sometimes horrific crises become barely a blip on our radar. Right now, there are 12.4 million people affected as the Horn of Africa faces its worst drought in 60 years. More than 35% of all children in the region are facing emergency levels of malnutrition, and some 30,000 children have already lost their lives.
People often ask me why I first chose World Vision as the organization I wanted to raise awareness for with my writing. My answer is two-fold: 1) They use their money wisely – your donation goes where they say it will go and 2) They are big and they're everywhere.
Okay, maybe not literally everywhere, but they have developed long-standing relationships in communities around the world. That means when something goes wrong, they probably already have resources on site. World Vision has assisted communities in the Horn of Africa for 3 decades, so their teams in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia are already responding to the crisis with food, water, blankets and other critical needs for families.
The good news is that sometimes, even the little things can make a difference. Over the next couple of days, World Vision is coordinating a LINK UP campaign to combat the famine in the Horn of Africa. You can read about that campaign here.
Ask yourself: what's the one thing I typically spend $10 on that I could give up this week to help those in crisis in the Horn of Africa? For me, it's probably the sodas I pick up on my way to get my oldest son from school. Two sodas a day for five days—not only will I be doing a good thing for someone else, it's a healthy choice for me. Double win.
Instead of those sodas, I'm going to send in my $10 donation by texting the word "FAMINE" to "20222″ and join World Vision in fighting hunger in the Horn of Africa. Don't text? Donate any amount by clicking here.
What one thing could you give up to help save lives in the Horn of Africa?
