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
 

Charity:Water

Week 12 Charity:Water

“For people in developing countries, clean water can change everything. Most of us have never really been thirsty. We’ve never had to leave our houses and walk five miles to fetch water. We simply turn on the tap, and water comes out. Clean.”
— Charity:Water

There are 663 million people on the planet who don’t have clean water. That’s nearly 1 in 10 people worldwide! The majority live in rural areas and need to spend hours every day walking to collect water for their family. When they do get to a water source, often it is dirty and filled with disease-causing microbes. On top of that, walking for water is a huge opportunity cost and means that sometimes kids don't get to go to school or that parents lose valuable time that could be used to earn money.

Access to clean water means education, income and health - especially for women and kids. Diseases from dirty water kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. We can do something about this.

Charity:Water works with local experts and community members to find the best sustainable solution in each place where they work. With every water point they fund, their partners coordinate sanitation and hygiene training, and establish a local Water Committee to make each project sustainable.

Charity:Water first came on my radar years ago with their 100% model. Every penny of your donation funds water projects and they fund raise for overhead through separate channels. They prove each project through GPS and reports. They're transparency, efficiency, and enthusiasm towards a world where everyone has access to clean water is inspiring.

Can you believe we have been giving every week for 12 weeks already?! WOW.

You are beyond awesome.

I hope your 2017 is has been an excellent year so far.

All the best to you and yours,
Jodi

Khata Life

Week 11: Khata Life

Welcome back to another week of GIVE52. This week’s organization, Khata Life, was started by my amazing friend Michelle Welsch. At the core of their work is a desire to support personal initiative and sustainability within the Kaski community in Nepal. It is my pleasure today to tell you about Michelle and Khata Life.

The story began when, in a bold move, Michelle quit everything and moved to Nepal. After working as a volunteer teacher in a monastery, she founded Khata Life. By working with local partners and focusing on community, Khata Life encourages leadership and education in Nepal. Projects focus on two main areas: education and leadership within Pokhara.

Michelle runs Learning House to encourage education and community, has installed a solar system to provide reliable electricity for the Matepani community, hosts career seminars connecting local leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs, and runs a dental clinic.

She says that in the beginning she started small “with projects at Matepani Gumba: buying books, hiring an English teacher, getting clothes donated…then the solar project, organizing field trips and health camps …and now the Learning House.”

Michelle and I first met when she worked with Seth Godin to host a summer internship. Since then, we have traveled to Kenya together and have cheered each other on with every new project. It has been inspiring to watch her turn her ideas for supporting an incredible community into reality and I continue to be in awe of her tenacity, bravery, and relentless optimism.

Michelle had the guts to quit a life she liked in favor of one she loves.

In her own words:
“I’m so very thankful I’ve had the guts to step into the doorway of chance and risk and opportunity (and disappointment and failure). Instead of letting confusion and anxiety get the best of me, I’ve clawed my way to make decisions that tackle my fears head on.

As a result, I’ve been able to create a life I often have to laugh and smile at, “This is real! This is my life!” I have moments that feel so surreal, so dreamlike.

I’m not the richest person, but I’m doing work I love with people I adore and I think I’m helping others achieve their dreams. That seems like gold to me.”

Here’s to a life you love.
Make this week a wonderful one,
Jodi