content development (&) management

My friend saw my tweet about charity: water, and then sent me the following eye-opening story:

“I have friends in Africa, I went to help them with a building. One week I was there we had no water of any kind or electricity for 4 days straight… it gets pretty smelly, I can vouch for that. Most third world countries I’ve visited use mini water towers for each family unit. Ours happened to be broken and so we had no reserve. You can’t drink the water in any case due to foreign microbes being different from US microbes, our bodies only tolerate familiar parasites… I was able to find enough water for drinking obviously (since you typically die at around 70 hours w/o water). No electricity there also means it’s a lot hotter, so far less sleep, plus the ceiling fans reduce the malaria risk so not having them makes for a more nervous sleep at any rate…

“Life in a third world country is 90% struggling to survive, find fresh food/water, 10% everything else – on a daily basis.”

Click the image above to help charity: water change those ratios. While you are there, watch the Twestival Day 4 Drill video, and celebrate with the group in Northern Ethiopia.

Be free,

Jeff

Purity Dairies sponsored a race to raise funds for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville yesterday, and my wife Dana ran the 5K. She beat her best time, clocking in at 30:45, with a pace under 10 minutes. She was cheered on by me and new friends Alex Kelso and family, who were there for Alex’s daughter Lori and friend Lauren, who also had excellent times.

Purity gave out a ton of ice cream and, believe it or not, chocolate milk, which has recently been recognized as an excellent sports drink! Researchers have discovered that adding protein to the carbohydrates normally consumed by runners after a race significantly shortens recovery time.

The mission of RMHC is to “keep families close” by providing essential resources and a “home away from home” for families of critically ill children receiving inpatient or outpatient medical care at Nashville area hospitals. Recent donations replaced all of the old washers and dryers that guests were using, and RMHC is very thankful to all runners and other donors that participated.

The mission of Purity, however, is to keep me in Nutty Buddies. Here I am, getting caught sneaking off in the middle of the race…

Dana and I love to participate in these kinds of events. It gives us a chance to give while doing things we love. The Center for Nonprofit Management in Nashville, among others, is encouraging nonprofits to think of these type of fundraisers this season. Your corporation may not be able to handle one more golf scramble, but Ella Marin published a list of Fund Raiser Ideas on Suite101.com back in 2000 that are timeless.

And if those don’t get you energized, swing by the Purity section in your local grocery store, and pick up some chocolate milk. Ask for their poster girl while you’re there. :)