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Dear Friend of Giving Spirit,
Welcome to the August issue of The Giving Corner. This month we're excited to share details on our recent 1st charity event AFRIBIKE.
As Giving Spirit's mission is to assist the most economically challenged children in South Africa obtain access to education, in this issue you'll also find current information on vital Giving Spirit projects that your kind donations help to support.
And finally, this month we'll share with you cool new ideas for giving back including helping you do 'green' good. The idea of charity should not end with just donating to one's favorite
cause. Starting this month The Giving Corner will
feature a new section called 'Get Your Green On!', which will share cool tips & products that can help newbie and seasoned philanthopists alike extend
their charity reach to include the environment. Hope you enjoy!
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Cycling For Good
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AFRIBIKE 2008 - A SUCCESS!
On May 31st Giving Spirit held its 1st semi-annual charity bike ride, AFRIBIKE. The event raised funds for Giving Spirit's ongoing work in providing educational access assistance to children in South Africa.
Sponsored by Zaccaro's market, Kinko's, FM Webmasters JHK Graphic Design, and the Hub bike shop, the 21 mile ride explored downtown Detroit and even picked up curious cyclists along the way.
Approximately 15 riders participated in the fun-filled event, which started and ended in the Zacarro's parking lot.
More photos from the event can be seen here. |
At Risk Children In South Africa
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 Orphans & Vulnerable Children
In South Africa there exists a segment of at risk youth referred to Orphans and Vulnerable children or (OVC). Compared to other children, orphans and other vulnerable children are more likely to:
- live unprotected in dangerous environments such as areas without basic sanitation, & high levels of crime or landmines
- have poor educational and vocational opportunities
- begin working at an early age
- have poor health and nutrition
- experience sexual & general exploitation & abuse
- become HIV-infected
- lack emotional support to deal with grief and trauma
Currently, our partner organization and primary beneficiary, CIE, has a program devoted to these children entitled the Caring Schools Project. Under this project resources are provided to poor schools to
assist children identified and selected by the school with the everyday
costs of education, including a daily meal, uniforms, transport, stationery, outings and fees.
Progress reports from the project thusfar indicate significant improvements in the
students' academic performance as well as their psychosocial
development compared to national averages. Continued funding is critical to the survival and reach of the project.
To help Giving Spirit support the ongoing work of the Caring Schools project click here.
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Get Your Green On!
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 It Is Easy Being Green
If you've ever felt overwhelmed by all the ways to be more environmentally friendly or where to start, we'd like to help you get your green feet wet. Below are a few of the hottest ways you can get in the circle of earth friends.
 Sneakers are no question hot right now and we love these fair trade kicks by Veja. The canvas is made of organic cotton by a co-op of producers in the Brazilian Northeast, and the soles are made of nautral wild latex only found in Havea latex trees which grow wild in the Amazon jungle. Buying a pair of these cool sneakers will help combat deforestation and support fair trade in one shot.
See the rest of our suggestions on fab green goods here
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Trends in Giving
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Circle This
By Johnette Barham
Remember in the movie Meet the Parents when Robert DeNiro cornered
Ben Stiller's character and gave him the low-down on how to stay in the
'circle of trust'? That was definitely one of my favorite parts in the
whole movie.
Interestingly though, the idea of 'circles' of like minded people
extends also to the arena of philanthropy. One of the coolest new ways
to get more for your charity buck is to join, or start for that matter,
a Giving Circle. By Wikipedia definition, a Giving Circle is a group of
individuals who pool their funds and other resources to donate to their
communities and seek to increase their awareness and engagement in the
process of giving.
Visit our blog and read the full article here
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Hope you enjoyed the information shared this month. If you have a philanthropy or South African education topic that you'd like us to cover in the future, please don't hesitate to drop me an email.
Sincerely,
Johnette Barham
President
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