I'm excited to launch on this Valentine's Day,
a new fundraiser to benefit the cause that is closest to my heart: Water.
It's hard to believe, based on your everyday reality and my everyday reality, that there are so many people in this world who don't have access to clean water. Just think about that. No clean water. How do people survive? It's unimaginable. Lack of safe water endangers the health of families, prevents children from getting an education, and traps millions of people in a cycle of poverty.
Let me shift gears and talk about The Uniform Project by Sheena Matheiken. In 2009, Sheena founded the project and pledged to wear the same black dress for one full year to raise awareness and funds to support underprivileged children in India. She raised more than $100k. When I learned about this project ... about Sheena's audacity, and about the real dollars that went to chidren in need as a result of her imaginative project, I became deeply inspired. Sheena challenges others to take the pledge and raise awareness and support to help people in need. The project also makes us aware of how much we as consumers consume ... and how maybe we don't have to consume so much ... that perhaps we can choose to make do with what we have. Because you know what? We have SO much.
So here's my pledge: I pledge to wear this uniform dress that was designed and made for me by artist Cynthia Shaffer, who drafted the pattern inspired by Sheena's original dress as follows:
- I will wear this dress every day from today until Valentine's Day 2013.
- The times when I won't wear the dress will be:
+When I have to wash it, dry it, or repair it
+When I am going to and from the gym to exercise
+When I am exercising at home
+When I am taking the kids to school early in the morning (usually in my robe and slippers) :)
- When I have interesting outfits that I compose with accessories, I will share images of those outfits with you here.
So how does this relate to water? I have started a fundraiser campaign titled the CRESCENDOH PROJECT HOME EC FUNDRAISER through my charity of choice: Water.org. For more than 20 years, Water.org has been finding long-term solutions that involve buy-in from local community members within developing nations to find ways to support sustainable ways in which water can be brought to people who need it.
If you feel inspired, I ask you to sponsor my fundraiser by making a tax-deductible donation of $25 to Water.org. With this sponsorship, if you are a creative type, you are invited to send me a handmade accessory (e.g., scarf, pin, socks, bloomers, vest, apron, cuff, etc.) that I can wear with my uniform. All sponsored accessories will be used to compose a uniform outfit that gets photographed and blogged about on this blog, with a link back to your site. Please note that you are not required to send in an accessory. If you want to just make a donation without sending an accessory, that would be great. My goal is to raise a minimum of $5,000 during the course of this year.
You can send your handmade accessory
and confirmation of your donation made to Water.org to:
CRESCENDOh
PO Box 11726
Santa Ana, CA 92711
If you would like to have your accessory returned to you,
please send sufficient funds for return shipping.
For only $25, Water.org can get someone safe water for life. I hope you'll join me in this effort. Thank you for considering it. Donate here.
Happy Valentine's Day.
With love,
Jenny
