Giving Tuesday
Have you guys heard of Giving Tuesday? I just learned of it today…and I love the idea! We have Black Friday and Cyber Monday, days full of spending money on material items we don’t really need, it’s only fair we have a day to give back! Aka Giving Tuesday.
Giving Tuesday is the Tuesday following Thanksgiving and began in 2012. Its mission is to create a national day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season. You can find more info here.
With so many great organizations and charities out there, it can be overwhelming! You want to help, but it seems so daunting. “I’m just one person” you think, or maybe “I’m a poor college student, I can’t afford enough to make a difference”. Let me introduce you to an organization I love, and that you can make a difference through supporting!
Meet: The Mocha Club
Our Vision: Mocha Club is a community of people giving up the cost of a few mochas a month to fund development projects in Africa.
How did Mocha Club begin?: Mocha Club Director, Barrett Ward, realized the frustration among many young people today who feel marginalized by their perceived inability to make an impact in Africa. With only a few dollars – rather than thousands – to spare, many people feel like their efforts to give are like dropping a pebble into the Grand Canyon. This compelled Barrett to create a new model of giving, and Mocha Club was born.
Sound familiar? It sure did for me! Even their name drew me in (for those who don’t know I am a huge coffee addict!) Knowing that by giving up a couple Toffee Nut Mochas each month from Starbucks, I was actually making a difference in someone else’s life? That really hit home for me.
Mocha Club members donate $9 a month – that’s only 2-3 of those fancy Starbucks drinks these days. And better yet? You can choose what you want your money to towards! They currently have 5 project areas: Clean Water, Education, Economic Freedom, Orphan Care, and Healthcare. Considering I work in a hospital, my donation goes towards healthcare. You may wonder “how much is my donation really doing though…” Well, in Africa $9 can: sustain life for 1 person living with AIDS, provide clean water to 9 Africans for 1 year, save 1 person’s life from malaria…I’d say that’s quite the difference!
Interested? You can learn more here. Even more interested? Join my team here!
Maybe you already have an organization or charity you support, that’s great! If you don’t, this would be a good time to do Day #3 of our 25 Days of Kindness and donate to your local food bank! Giving Tuesday suggests taking an UNselfie and posting it, with hopes others will do the same.
Happy Giving Tuesday everyone!
~Stephanie
