Jan
19
2010
Live from the Invisible Children Blog:
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VOTE TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF INVISIBLE CHILDREN AND THEIR RELIEF EFFORTS IN HAITI
With your 30-second vote, you can provide $100,000 of relief work in Haiti. Invisible Children is a charity working to make invisible children around the world visible. We fight to end the use of child soldiers in Uganda and the Congo, and build schools for war-affected children in the region. But in light of last weeks devastating earthquake in Haiti, we understand that our commitment in this time of crisis needs to broaden. We are planning on implementing $100,000 in an Invisible Children relief effort to Haiti, but we need your help.
We’re a finalist in the Chase Community Giving Facebook competition to win $1,000,000 for our ‘big idea’ of ending Africa’s longest running war.
But, this contest started before the tragic earthquake hit Haiti last week and with no Haitian non-profits represented in the 100 finalists, Invisible Children felt the need to help Haiti in this time of crisis.
With the money we’ve raised through our programs (detailed at invisiblechildren.com), 760 Ugandan students have been provided with scholarships, 11 war-destroyed schools have been rebuilt and numerous microeconomic programs have been implemented to jump start village economies. A million dollars will help take these programs to unprecedented heights.
More so than at any other time in history, we are all connected as global citizens looking out for the interests of others. As we continue to help build a sustainable economy for those who have been affected by the war in Uganda, we have seen what the hope of a new beginning can bring. It’s one rooted in refusing to ignore the cries of our neighbors and providing the help needed for them to build back up a better way of life.
It’s because of this commitment that if we win, we’ll be funding $100,000 from our general fund towards our very own relief effort in Haiti. In 2005, we sent a team for four months to help in New Orleans in the wake of Katrina, and the fruit we saw from that was powerful. Using money raised over the holidays, we will put together a team to research and travel to Haiti to contract and oversee relief work ourselves.
But this is only possible if the Chase award is won. This decision is made with confidence that continued support is necessary for Haiti to overcome the devastating impact of the earthquake.
If you do anything today, do this: go here and take 30 seconds to cast your vote for Invisible Children, providing $100,000 to Invisible Children’s relief work in Haiti and $1,000,000 to bring child soldiers home from the battlefield and build schools for war-affected children.
Social networking has already raised $21 Million for Haiti, let’s continue to use this platform and provide another $100,000…and it won’t cost you a dime!
- Jason Russell and Laren Poole.
http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/598099
no comments | tags: 1 million, chase community giving, haiti, help, invisible children, jason russell, laren poole, san diego, taylor swift | posted in california, invisible children, taylor swift
Jan
8
2010
Hello Friends and Fam!
I’ll jump right in.
Just this week I got an internship with an amazing non-profit organization, Invisible Children. The crazy part is it starts next week!
Invisible Children Inc. (IC) is a Non-Profit organization that was started when three young filmmakers went to Africa looking for a story to tell. What they discovered was a 20 year long war in Northern Uganda that has affected hundreds of thousands of people, primarily children. These children are abducted almost daily, the boys are forced to fight as child soldiers, the girls, used as sex slaves and those who refuse are murdered violently as an example to the rest. The non-profit was birthed out of the response to the original documentary these three young filmmakers created. Today, IC continues to work to bring peace to Northern Uganda through programs aimed at raising awareness here in the States, and provide relief on the ground in Northern Uganda. Unfortunately, no matter how well I explain the complexities of the situation, I know that I won’t be able to fully communicate the realities of this crisis. I truly wish I could send a copy of the DVD to each of you. If you ever have a chance, please watch it, it’s called Invisible Children. A picture is worth a thousand words and a movie, perhaps even more.
The next national tour has divided the country into 10 different regions. The region that I was chosen for is Texas/Louisiana! Starting in January and ending in May, I will have the privilege of traveling around TX and LA with a team of three others. While we are on tour we will be screening the DVD mainly at high schools but also colleges and churches. We will be promoting a new program called Schools 4 Schools where schools in the states will team up to raise money for schools in Uganda. While living in San Diego I work 30+ hours a week in the IC office calling schools in my region trying to set up assemblies for the tour. What’s even more exciting is we will have Lilian, from the IC film GO, and her mentor on tour with us. She is from Uganda and will be sharing her story while traveling with us. This is really awesome because she puts a real tangible face to the cause of IC.
How I Need You. First and foremost I need your prayers. Please keep me in your hearts and daily prayers as I enter into this incredibly exciting and rewarding season of my life. I think it’s safe to say that this experience will stretch me like no other season has. Second, I am writing to seek financial sponsorship. This is a volunteer position and for the 5 months I’m here life goes on outside of the internship. IC takes care of transportation and has a network of people we will be staying with on the road. I have student loans and will have day-to-day expenses such as groceries, toiletries, and any unforeseen costs. Any money that comes in will help offset these expenses and is tax deductible. My goal is to raise $2500 for the 5 months. If you are able to donate I’ve added a button on my blog that takes you through Paypal, or you can send a check to IC where they have an account set up for me:
Invisible Children, Inc.
Direct Support for Taylor Swift
1620 Fifth Ave, Suite 400
San Diego, CA 92101
Thanks so much for taking the time to read all this and I look forward to sharing the adventures with you from the road.
I’ll try to keep up with the blog during the internship and post pics when I can of the venues and people we are impacting.
Below are some links if you want more info.
Thanks again,
Taylor
For more information on Invisible Children Inc. go to www.invisiblechildren.com
For more information on the current situation in Northern Uganda, go to www.ugandacan.com
1 comment | tags: change, child soldiers, culture, help, invisible children, joseph kony, non-profit, support, taylor swift, together, uganda, unite, volnteer | posted in taylor adam swift, taylor swift
