Be The NOW

Cassie Rollman is a stay at home mom of two young kids.  She lives in Wichita, Kansas and is quite busy. Cassie saw a need and made the decision to help in the best way she could.  She made a goal to raise $5000, which will all (100%) go towards building wells around the world for people who don’t have clean water.

Cassie shares her story of how she got involved in Charity Water, what’s she’s doing and how it’s impacting people around the world.

Why did you pick to get involved with Charity Water?

I found out about Charity Water at a conference I went to in October 2010. I have been wanting to find an area to get involved in for a while and this seemed like something I could do. Being a stay at home mom, I don’t have a lot of time to put into something outside of the home, but Charity Water was something that I could do whenever I was out with friends or family. Just spreading the word about the need and asking for support from them was something I could definitely do. I also chose Charity Water because 100% of the proceeds go towards helping others.

How will this impact others (people around the world, in your community, your friends, etc.)

Charity water has and is impacting lives all over the world. They provide fresh, clean water for millions of people in countries all over the world, by going and digging wells in their local villages. By gaining access to clean water, these people no longer have to drink muddy water that is filled with bacteria that often causes life long illnesses or death. They also no longer have to walk miles a day to get water, and have more time to go to school or work. By getting involved in Charity Water, I am helping make a need known to my friends and local community. People often want to give and get involved in helping others but simply don’t know where to start. I am also setting an example to my friends and family on how to love others and give to those in need.

What drives you to help people in need?

I have much to be thankful for in my life. I have my health, a home, food to eat, clean water to drink, and a future full of possibilities. When I see others in need of all these things, I can not ignore them. I feel it would be selfish on my part to look away and ignore them when they are crying out for help.

How would you encourage people who want to get involved with something to help others, but aren’t sure how?

I would tell others who want to get involved to start by figuring out how much time they have to give. If they have a lot of time, maybe look into getting involved in a soup kitchen or any other local charities they can volunteer at. If they are like me however, and have a lot less free time, I would encourage them to find a charity online that they could support by giving financially, or by giving needed items to. They could even just support a local charity by providing them with needed items. Whatever, they choose to do, I would remind everyone that helping others and giving to those in need is not a one time thing. To really make a difference and an impact, we must continue to give all year around whenever we are able.

If you want to help Cassie out check out her web page: My Charity Water

WAIT! Unclench your fist. Don’t really sock (hit) someone, sock them- put socks on their feet!

How?

Purchase Casey Darnell’s Full EP on iTunes on Tuesday, May 11th and Clothe Your Neighbor As Yourself will distribute a pair of socks to a child in need. You buy the album, and we’ll sock someone. It’s that easy.

And it really is!

Click here to purchase the Full EP (iTunes link).

More than likely you’ve heard of the floods that have happened in the greater Nashville, TN area. And, no doubt, there are a lot of stories of people and organizations that are helping anywhere and everywhere- this is one such story.

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Big Brothers Big Sisters is the oldest, largest and most effective youth mentoring organization in the United States. We have been the leader in one-to-one youth service for more than a century, developing positive relationships that have a direct and lasting impact on the lives of young people. Big Brothers Big Sisters mentors children, ages 6 through 18, in communities across the country – including yours.

The Big Brothers Big Sisters Mission is to help children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with mentors that have a measurable impact on youth.

The Big Brothers Big Sisters Vision is successful mentoring relationships for all children who need and want them, contributing to brighter futures, better schools, and stronger communities for all.

Our Mentoring Programs Work
National research has shown that positive relationships between youth and their Big Brothers and Big Sisters mentors have a direct and measurable impact on children’s lives. By participating in our youth mentoring programs, Little Brothers and Sisters are:

–More confident in their schoolwork performance
–Able to get along better with their families
–46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs
–27% less likely to begin using alcohol
–52% less likely to skip school.

Volunteer Here!
Donate Here!

One night in a shelter can provide comfort and security, but one night won’t end a man’s homelessness. Solving the problem that makes him homeless will. At Volunteers of America we help people change their lives for the better. Volunteers of America is unique among humanitarian organizations in that we provide both immediate assistance and long-term solutions that benefit individuals and families.

Perhaps no other organization offers such a wide range of community-based programs and services for people of all ages. Across the nation our programs range from infant adoptions to affordable housing for the elderly. We are caregivers, problem solvers and believers in miracles. When you make a charitable gift to Volunteers of America, you help a man or women take the first step toward self-sufficiency and you also ensure that someone will be there to walk with them the extra mile.

Volunteers of America has a number of programs for individuals interested in community service. One of those programs is the national Action Team initiative, which is a partnership with the Major League Baseball Players Trust that aims to instill a love of volunteering in high school students. Young people who engage in community service are more likely to continue serving through their adult years.

We have 38 local offices across the country, many of which are partnered with hundreds of other organizations and volunteer centers. This makes volunteering easier than you think! And by making volunteering opportunities accessible for individuals, we are cultivating engaged citizens, a critical need to building strong communities.

You can give online to Volunteers of America, a local office, or one of their health facilities. You can give monthly, or quarterly. You can donate your vehicle, or even give stocks!

Click here to DONATE to Fireside International

Blood:Water Mission is aiming to bring the essential, life-saving tools to Africa. Similarly to Charity:Water, you can start a campaign to raise money for these essentials. They load you up with resources to be successful in your efforts to raise money for Africa.

Blood:Water Mission (An Overview) from Blood:Water Mission on Vimeo.

You can also watch this 3 min. video if you want to know more about how they work!

Children’s Cancer Connection, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, has provided support services and programs for children with cancer and their families since 1988. The organization sponsors two week-long summer camps for children with cancer and their siblings. Approximately 300 children attend the annual camp programs designed to help them escape cancer’s effects. Children’s Cancer Connection also provides support groups, outings to events such as Disney on Ice, and weekend retreats for an additional 400 family members throughout the year.

Children’s Cancer Connection provides the only summer camp in Iowa devoted exclusively to children with cancer, and the sibling program was one of the first of its kind in the nation. Camp Heart Connection is provided at no cost to the families because of generous financial support from both individuals and organizations. Outings, weekend retreats, and hospital based programs are provided at little or no cost to participants and no one is ever turned away from an activity because of an inability to pay.

This site covers two of the three points we aim at on this site. You can support them financially online, or, if you live in or around Iowa, you can volunteer for their annual summer camp! I’ve also noticed they are on firstgiving too!

You may have seen Tom’s Shoes on a TV commercial recently, but maybe not. The vision of Tom’s Shoes is simple, give new shoes to every child who needs them. For every pair of shoes purchased, a pair is given to a child who needs shoes. It couldn’t be any simpler than that! I think I’m gonna visit Tom’s Shoes, and buy a pair for me and a child who needs a pair! Very cool!

The other day I found firstgiving, a site where people can choose any US non-profit organization! Look around and find an organization you’d like to help raise funds for and/or contribute yourself. If you’re helping to raise funds, firstgiving will help you set up a site with it’s own URL. Then it’s up to you to spread the word! Anyone can then visit your site, and help out your cause!

You can also register your non-profit so that you and others can help raise funds for it! Link your URL to any social network, and get to it!

Making a difference never seemed so easy. Here’s a short video explaining who they are further…

What is Firstgiving? from Firstgiving on Vimeo.