Will you read this? Or Pretend you didn't see it?

I've been meaning to put this music video on here for a month now. It's by Nickelback, one of my favorite music groups and the song is 'If Everyone Cared'. The first time I saw this video I got teary and goose bumpy. Before you read the rest of my post, I want you to watch it.








What was the point of this Video? The point is that every person, every single one of us, can make a difference in someone else's life.

When did we stop believing in each other? When did we stop trying to help others beyond the scope of those in our daily contact? I know that I personally have my own little set of excuses:

1. It won't really make a difference

2. The money never actually gets to the people it was intended for and just lines a ceo's pocket.

3. What difference is $5 going to really make?

4. The job is so big and there is so much to be done that our help really won't even begin to solve the problem.

These are the excuses I make to myself. The ones that are supposed to help me feel less guilty and better about myself when I don't help. The ones that help me turn a blind eye to problems that I hear about on the news. But the truth is:

1. Most organizations and fund raisers are on the level. It's just the bad few who have caused the bad rep.

2. See above answer.

3. The difference is that $5 per person adds up quickly. $5 donated by 100 people means another $500 to help. That is more than a years pay for people in this village.

4. It won't. This will not solve the bigger issues or problems. Right now. But it will help this one village and this one community. And eventually village by village maybe people like Chris and Jenn can start to truly make a difference in the big picture.

Now I want to introduce you to Karen. She has stopped making excuses and is taking on the blogosphere on behalf of her friends, Chris and Jenn. Here is an excerpt from her post:

One of my very good friends, Chris, and his lovely wife Jenn are traveling to Swaziland at the end of May to volunteer a month of their time, and as many supplies as they can muster to the small town of Manzini.

Traveling to Africa is my biggest dream and I’m so proud of Jenn and Chris for taking this huge leap and helping their fellow man. One day, when my kids are older, I plan on doing this very thing.

In Chris’ words:

As you may, or may not know, Jenn and I are traveling to Swaziland, Africa at the end of the month to volunteer in a hospital in the small town of Manzini for a month. What prompted this??… I’m trying to off-set my carbon-credits with good-Karma-juju credits, thereby allowing me to continue my current global-carbon-polluting ways.

Seriously - I have recently been in contact via email with someone at the hospital, as well as someone at an orphanage nearby. And they are in need of supplies. I am attempting to get donations from VGH ( through the Vancouver General Hospital / UBC Hospital Foundation) for simple items such as diagnostic pen-lights, bone and pleural biopsy needles, and N95 masks ( the masks are for the opportunistic infections coinciding with HIV/AIDS … eg: TB ( see: drug resistant TB on the rise ) Swaziland has the worlds highest HIV/AIDS infection rate (38.8%) life expectancy : male: 31.84 years female: 32.62 years.

70% of the country earns less than $1 American per day (wikipedia)

I am also organizing donations for the orphanage nearby. these kids are orphaned due to the loss of their entire families from HIV/AIDS. they have no family to take them in, and the fortunate ones end up in the orphanage.....

Why am I writing about this? Because one of my new years promises was to be a better person. To make my optimism go past my smile and into my life. And because I believe in Karma. And who couldn't use a little bit of good Karma in their life?

Karen is right. One skipped cup of Starbucks (and you KNOW that NOTHING has EVER come between me and my Starbucks when I am near one) is enough to help. Five dollars. That is IT. Just Five Dollars. I didn't buy my traditional cup of coffee last night after grocery shopping. I have $5.18 that I will be donating.

Please head over to her post and help in any way you can.

You can make a difference by helping someone else make a difference. Is $5 really too difficult to manage??

Post about this or donate and I will link to you. Thank you!

So far they've raised $500!! Donations will be accepted until the end of the month, so please, spread the word and lets show how much each of us can accomplish on our own!