Detroit Water Project

Week 15: Detroit Water Project

Hi wonderful people! Welcome back to GIVE52. This week’s organization has a simple mission: Dignity for everyone, everyday.

The Detroit Water Project is a platform to help donors pay the delinquent water bills of people in Detroit so that their water does not get shut off. Since July 2014, donors have helped over 900 families in Detroit and Baltimore.

Everyone needs running water. In cities across the US, water companies are turning off the tap. This is forcing low-income families, seniors, and single parents to live without basic necessities. Can you imagine living without running water? Families are forced to go elsewhere to take showers, clean dishes or simply get a drink.

“Water is fundamental for life and health. The human right to water is indispensable for leading a healthy life in human dignity. It is a pre-requisite to the realization of all other human rights.”
— The United Nations Committee on Economic, Cultural and Social Rights

Your donation can help turn the water back on.

This project inspired me more than I can say. It was started by two women who connected over their concern for Detroit families on twitter. They saw a problem and within a few hours, the website was live. It inspired me to seek out simple solutions and to find more opportunities to directly connect people who need help with those who can offer it.

We can help turn the water back on this week. Let’s do this!
Keep rocking,
Jodi

Kiva

Week 14: Kiva

Welcome back to another week of GIVE52! This week, we will be giving/lending with Kiva. Kiva is extraordinary because with as little as $25, you can make a life-changing loan to help other entrepreneurs create a better life for themselves and their families.

Kiva believes that lending is one of the most powerful and sustainable ways to create economic and social good. Lending on Kiva creates a "partnership of mutual dignity". It re-frames the notion of philanthropy. Their model of loan repayment means that you can continue to touch more lives with the same dollar. 'Fund a loan, get repaid, fund another.'

“The key to ending extreme poverty is to enable the poorest of the poor to get their foot on the ladder of development . . . the poorest of the poor are stuck beneath it. They lack the minimum amount of capital necessary to get a foothold, and therefore need a boost up to the first rung. ”
— Jeffrey Sachs

By lending on Kiva, you can help a borrower survive and thrive by working on starting or sustaining a business, going to school, and more. The purposes of the loans vary greatly, and you can read through the site to find someone you connect with and help them out.

100% of every dollar you lend on Kiva goes to funding loans. Kiva covers administrative costs primarily through optional donations, as well as through support from grants and sponsors.

Let's keep up this amazing momentum.

Here's to you!

Have a fantastic week,
Jodi

National MS Society

Week 13: National MS Society

Hello and Happy Monday! Welcome back to another week of GIVE52. Let's check in. How has this challenge been going for you? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Hope your Monday is fab so far.

Let's jump in to this week's cause: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease in which the immune system eats away at the protective covering of nerves which disrupts communication between the brain and the body. In severe cases, the disease can cause paralysis or blindness and in milder cases, there may be numbness in the limbs.

The National MS Society’s Vision is a world free of Multiple Sclerosis. They fight for people affected by MS to live their best lives, to stop MS in its tracks, and to seek an end to MS forever. My sister and I were so stoked to run in Muckfest MS which I highly recommend if you are looking for an epic way to spend the day - covered in mud!

The National MS Society has goals to expand investments and worldwide collaborations to accelerate research and expand access to healthcare. They connect individuals with the information and resources they need and mobilize individuals and communities to spread awareness and action around MS. Your donation will help in this effort.

Here's to a world free of MS. Have a great week!

Sending you all love,
Jodi