Sponsor Match!

Another sponsor match, this time from Authentic Community Members Amphai and Surapon (my parents!).

Here's Chrismari from the Philippines. He enjoys playing with toys and being cool and wearing snazzy white shirts. And he's single, so ladies watch out!

Chrismari, age 7

Here is the match, Munni from Bangladesh, who enjoys reading, writing, and 'rithmetic. I'm sure she's a stellar student.

Munni, age 10 (Match #20)

Help us hit our target of 25 matches! We're only 5 matches away! Here's the link for our "Two For One Program"!

Sponsor Match!

Another great sponsorship from another great anonymous sponsor!

This sponsor was kind enough to send along his kid. Meet Katherine from El Salvador. She enjoys playing with toys and giving mean scary looks to photographers. It's working cause I'm totally terrified of her.

Katherine, age 3

And here is her match; Juan from El Salvador. He loves playing outside, and prefers the tried and true method of smiling for the camera.

Juan, age 8 (Match #19)

If you want to get in on the fun and help Save the Children provide vital support and care to kids in all parts of the world, please sponsor a kid. We've got 6 matches left, so hurry up and double your fun! Click the link to our " Two For One Program"!

The ethics of how we spend our money

Hi,

If you read the recent post on whether you should buy Truck Antlers or spend your money to sponsor a child through Save the Children, you might be interested in seeing this video where bioethicist Peter Singer talks about the ethics of how we spend our money. Singer says few of us would ignore a child drowning in a pond, even if it meant ruining our expensive shoes. But he points out that giving what we spent on those shoes to an organization that helps children in need could actually save more than one life.

Please take a look!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m1XAVV8H5FNVTV

And here is a link to Singer's website where he answers some simple questions about how we should spend our money:

http://www.princeton.edu/~psinger/faq.html

Jon

Truck Antlers or Help Change a Child's Life - YOU DECIDE

Hi everyone,

I was on a flight yesterday morning and couldn't help myself: I picked up the inflight catalog. I'm sure you've browsed through it once or twice. It's full of things you just have to have, especially when you're a captive audience on a runway.

While I was browsing, I got really excited about a few things I just had to have. That would finally, truly, make me happy. I mean, how could you really, ever be happy without....

Truck Antlers. That's right, antlers that hook up to your truck. To give your truck the appearance of having, well, antlers.


They're listed for $24.99. With tax and delivery, it comes out to $37.11.

I don't have a truck, but I believe they make a car model.

So I was getting my credit card out to buy the truck antlers when I realized that for only $28.00, I could help Save the Children make a difference in the life of a child and his or her community. That's a savings of NINE DOLLARS!!! I'm sure you've seen some of the kids we've sponsored through Authentic's Two for One Program - but truly, should we waste our money on sponsoring a kid like Karen-Joy when we can have truck antlers??? I'm sure she and her family would understand that I NEED TRUCK ANTLERS.

Whew. Gotta take a breath. Feeling a little guilty about the antlers, so I went back to the catalog in search of something a little more substantial, something that would really, truly make a difference in my life. Something that would make me completely, irrevocably happy.

And then I found it:









The Marshmallow Shooter, for $24.95. I mean, can you imagine how happy I'd be if I could freakin shoot marshmallows out of a freakin gun??? It shoots sweet, edible miniature marshmallows over thirty feet. How amazing is that??? Four cents less than the antlers––and a bargain at that price.

Then I started to think. The Shooter is $37 with tax and delivery. What if I skipped the shooter and spent $28 on sponsoring a child through Save the Children? Check out this info from our Two for One posting:

When you commit to sponsoring a child through Save the Children, you're providing necessary resources to help Save the Children help them thrive. Save the Children works with the child's family and community to develop the entire community's ability to take care of itself. Your sponsorship contributions are not given directly to your sponsored child but combined with the gifts of other caring individuals and organizations to help support local projects that benefit many children in the communities receiving sponsorship funding.

Sponsoring a child directly benefits his or her community, by providing activities like basic medical care and hygiene education, or programs that allow the child and his or her classmates and friends to attend and thrive at school.

Wow, what a guilt trip! I'm sure little four year old Rasel from Bangladesh would be fine without Save the Children's services for one lousy month. Because that marshmallow shooter would truly make me happy, at long last.

But if I'm going to be really, truly happy, I shouldn't skimp, right? I should spend a few extra bucks on myself and make 100% sure I'm living a life of total bliss. Which can only mean one thing:

Voice Activated R2-D2.








How could I really ever be happy without a Voice Activated R2-D2? It's $169.99 but comes out to $205.99 with delivery and tax. Now that would really make me truly happy.

Much happier, than, say, sponsoring Pinki for seven months. That's right. For less than the cost of the Voice Activated R2-D2, I could help Save the Children provide Pinki and her community with essential services. But what's her well-being compared to the happiness I'd have by getting a Voice Activated R2-D2??? Seriously now.

But once again, I think I'm selling myself short. If I'm really, truly going to be happy, there's only one thing that would guarantee it:

A Six Foot Tall Italian Armor Sculpture. Remember, friends, nothing screams "classy" like a giant suit of armor. And for only $1138.02, I could have one shipped to my own home! Yayyy!! Now that would truly ensure my happiness. Surely it would, more that sponsoring Sherlyn from the Phillipines for forty freakin' months. That's right, for the price of the Italian Armor, I could help Save the Children make a difference in the life of Sherlyn and her community for over three years.

Hmmmm....

Maybe I should reconsider.

After all, the Authentic "Two for One" program is still going on. So if I sponsor a child through Save the Children, I'm really helping two children and their communities.

But geez, Italian Armor? How cool would that look in my office?

In any case, when you're considering your next impulse purchase, consider whether the thing you're buying will make a real, lasting difference in your life. Will it truly make you happy? And then consider that the small donation you make through Save the Children makes a real, lasting difference in the lives of children and their communities worldwide.

Or buy the R2-D2. Just let me come by and play with it for a while.

Jon

Amazing Sponsor Match!

We got 5 new sponsors from an anonymous donor!!! Whoever you are, we love you!

AND... here are your matches, all from the Philippines. Ron-Jayruss, Karen-Joy, Joven, Jonathan, and Jerome. They love the J-names.

It's a J-Name Philippine Extravaganza!

Now stop. Look at these kids' faces. Think for a moment. These are 5 kids we matched, another 5 originally sponsored, 36 kids who know that someone outside their community cares. This campaign is helping Save the Children bring basic medical care, hygiene education and programs that allow children to thrive at school to even more children. All it would take for two more children to know we care and to ensure that Save the Children continue services in their community is for you to click on the link below and sponsor ONE. We'll match your generous donation.

Remember, we're not too far from our goal of 50 kids.

Help make it happen.

Ron-Jayruss, age 7 (Match #14)

Karen-Joy, age 7 (Match #15)

Joven, age 4 (Match #16)

Jonathan, age 6 (Match #17)

Jerome, age 9 (Match #18)

For more information about our match program visit our Two For One Program!

Happy Hour!

The Authentic Community had a small get together to make artwork for all of our sponsor matches. We created lots of great stuff, but I'm only picking a smattering of the finished pictures to post.

But to start off, here's a picture of our smiling faces in Bubby's Pie Company in DUMBO, NY.

Clockwise from left: Megan, Neco, Adrienne, Jon, Lily, Vikram, and Lauren (not pictured... me)

And now for the main event. Here are some pictures of our pictures!

A turtle on a road. For Likhon in Bangladesh.

A robot for Victor from El Salvador. I totally drew this.

Two people fishing drawn for Naeem in Bangladesh.

A person with a flower for Mamot in the Philippines.

A red car for Shaymali in Bangladesh.


Flowers and a note for William in El Salvador.


And here are Jon's kids Lily and Eli in a postcard they made for Rajani from Bangladesh. They took a picture and drew a note on it because they're far more creative than the rest of the adults. We promptly copied their idea and did several similar post cards.

To get more info on our sponsorship program go to: The Authentic "Two For One" Program

To find out about more great events like these visit us on Facebook: search for "Authentic Community Service"

Authentic's Community Members visit Save the Children programs in the Navajo Nation

Hi everyone! I just came back from an amazing trip with Save the Children to visit their programs in the Navajo Nation. America Ferrera and I visited Chinle and Many Farms, AZ, and stopped off on the way in Laguna, NM. America is Save the Children’s Education Ambassador, and we were fortunate to visit with children benefiting from StC's home-based and center-based education programs.

What really struck me was the impact StC's work was making in this very challenging environment. Paula Hale, a Save the Children staffer who lives on the reservation and guided us throughout our trip, told us that the unemployment rate on Navajo lands is 56%, and average family income is well below $20,000. Employment opportunities are limited, and due to the vast distances that separate homes from larger towns (we drove over four hours from Albuquerque), it's difficult for residents to work off the reservation.

One of the things that drew me to StC's work was the way they were able to show me how the funds I was donating had a direct effect on children and their communities. The benefit of Save the Children's programs was readily apparent during our visit with Jordan, 2, who lives in a remote Navajo area in AZ, in a one-room house with his parents. Jordan's teacher Karen Spencer visits Jordan and 21 other families twice a month (separated by hours of driving) as part of Save the Children's Early Steps program, working with him on reading, fine and gross motor skills, and guiding his loving parents in ways to help with his development. Jordan is a bright kid who's clearly benefitting from the work Karen does with him and his parents, and it saddens me to think of the many children on Navajo lands and around the world who aren't receiving the same education and support.

What's fantastic about the work StC is doing with Jordan and his family, and so many other families around the world is its extraordinary impact. Consider this information from StC's tenth annual State of the World's Mothers Report, released this week:

“Early childhood care and development is a proven and powerful investment in national well-being and future economic prosperity. Research from around the world shows that investing in quality early learning programs is one of the most effective ways to improve children's success in school, to increase incomes, and to reduce costs to society.... Research by Nobel prize-winning economist James Heckman shows that returns on investment in early childhood are greater than investment at any other stage of life.”

Seeing all of this amazing work firsthand really made me present to the impact it has, and the cost of participating. By sponsoring a child for $28 per month, you can make a real difference for the child and their community. And remember, we here at Authentic will match your contribution, causing twice the impact, until we've reached our goal of sponsoring fifty kids.

For more information on our matching program check out this blog entry:

http://authenticm.com/community/stc



Thanks so much to StC's Jane Berliner, Eileen Burke, Paula Hale, Linda Askew, and photographer Joshua Roberts, for making this all possible.