At it Again - Redux - Double Down

Update on Food Aid to Ethiopia using Doctors Without Borders as Your Charity
IMPORTANT UPDATE: Donations must be made online and/or mailed by Sunday Nov. 1 to qualify for matching funds!

Why, you ask? Ethiopia and Kenya have been all over the news. Hear it on public radio, read it on CNN, listen to local programs discussing the world food crisis. Even my freshman high school students brought the news to me - "Hey Ms. Plum, did you see the news last night about the straving people in Kenya? They mentioned Ethiopia too." When the kids see it, hear it, read it, I know mainstream media is perking up their ears and taking note; the situation MUST be bad.

Lots and lots of adoptive families writing on adoption forums are asking, "what can we do - how can we help?" My classroom is talking. My friends are asking, "did you know?"  One mama made this video  and has inspired average folks, just like us, to think about how to help and compelled helping hands to unite. The conversations are laced with deep compassion for families who are suffering, for children having love but needing food. Adoptive parents are worrying about first familles. Waiting families are aware of the tragedies that are touching the lives of those they await. People who work for social justice are concerned - and aware.

I acted, with my social justice sidekick, Amber, in the best way we know how: We called Doctors Without Borders this week to find out what we can do and how we can make the most of our doing. I'm talking about doing with $10 or doing with $1000. Every dollar counts, and now it counts double. I'm not kidding. Right now MSF (Doctors Without Borders) has a matching program that will DOUBLE any donation. There are instructions below. Please read and give.

First, if you'd like to donate by check simply write a check to MSF at the following address:

Doctors Without Borders USA
ATTN: Charlie Kunzer
333 Seventh Avenue, 2nd floor
New York, NY 10001

In the envelope should be a note to Charlie stating:
your name
donation amount
Statement that this donation is for Meghan and Amber's Fundraiser
and should be dedicated to nutritional fund AND Janus Charity Challenge 2010

*Amber and I need to keep track of donations for the Janus Challenge, so if you could, please leave a comment with your info as stated above, I won't publish it, and it will be entirely confidential (sorry folks, just don't want to put my e-mail out here on blogland).

If you do this by credit card donation, please make the donation at the MSF website here:
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/donate/?ref=main-menu
Click on donate online. Or if you want to donate by phone, click on the donate by phone link.
Then send Charlie an e-mail at her address Charlie.Kunzer@newyork.msf.org  with the the following information:
your name
donation amount
Statement that this donation is for Meghan and Amber's Fundraiser
and should be dedicated to nutritional fund AND Janus Charity Challenge 2010

*Amber and I need to keep track of donations for the Janus Challenge, so if you could, please leave a comment with your info as stated above, I won't publish it, and it will be entirely confidential (sorry folks, just don't want to put my e-mail out here on blogland).

If you do this soon (as in, in the next few weeks) GREAT things happen:

1.Your donation is MATCHED by an MSF donor who set up a match fund for any money going into the nutritional fund: Plumpy'Nut and Ethiopia are the primary beneficiaries of the nutritional fund. 85-95% of nutritional fund monies end up in Ethiopia.

2. Your donation counts towards our annual fundraising campaign thru the Janus Charity Challenge - and we get to count the matching funds too - I mean...WOWOWOW.

Thus, next year in September we can make our donation report and hopefully win dollars to be added to the MSF nutritional fund. (if you don't know what I'm referring to, comment and ask about the 3rd annual fundraiser largely supported by readers just like you - or scroll through former posts).

*about 85-95% of nutritional fund donations actually ends up at feeding stations in Ethiopia - this is our strategy and we are so excited! Because Ethiopia has a history of temporarily kicking aid organizations out of Ethiopia now and again, this strategy means monies don't sit in a fund that can't be flexible - MSF can direct nutritional fund money to feed Ethiopians in Sudan, for instance (something they did for 3 weeks this past summer).

**it is not my intention to nose into anyones donation business, so please understand I've asked for a comment on the comments section of my blog about your donation ONLY so that I can track donation totals (side by side with Charlie) for 2010 verification for Janus Charity Challenge totals. These totals are my job to report to Janus and then Charlies verifies the totals to Janus Funds. I assure you strict confidentiality and will not share your personal information in any way with anyone. Of course, feel free to chat up your own personal actions here in any way you would like - including your personal strategies that might lie outside of MSF.

Please please ask if you have any questions. I am fully aware that charities are competing for our charity dollars. This very specific information that DOUBLES YOUR DONATION and allows me to begin the 2010 campaign extra early (um, like 10 months early). I hope to harness your concern today to make a difference in Ethiopia RIGHT NOW!

My stat counter says I get about 100 hits a day - so I'm hoping to see some of you in a private comment :-)