Lisa Loves! - Pocket Change Heroes!

Here's a great video I made! https://preview.pocketchangeheroes.com/ftc/lisa__at__givinggifts__ca/

Today my Pocket Change Heroes Campaign with Free the Children launched! I'm very excited and just a little bit nervous...$10,000 is a lot of money to raise in 33 days. I'm feeling a little bit of pressure as I was chosen as one of only 33 people to run a campaign. So I'd better succeed! 

The Pocket Change Heroes Campaign to build a school for kids in Kenya appealed to me right away. More than 6 months ago I found someone else's campaign on Facebook and donated to it right away. I didn't realize at the time that this was just a trial program for Free the Children and only immediate friends of Taylor were running campaigns in the trial phase. After donating, my first question to Free the Children, was how can I run a campaign of my own? It took more than 6 months to iron out all the kinks and to do all the prep work, but today is the day! 

The Pocket Change Heroes Campaign appeals to me for so many reasons. $3.33 a day is a very reasonable number that most people can donate. Especially, since it is only for 3 months. Everybody, or most people I know, especially me!, spend a couple dollars a day on things we don't really need. I'm often guilty of stopping for a Chai Latte on the way to work, or for saving myself time by paying for parking unnecessarily or for buying my kids a treat every time we finish swimming lessons. I definitely spend a few dollars a day unnecessarily and if I am a little more conscious of that money, I can put it towards doing major good in the world. It worked when I contributed towards Pocket Change Heroes in November, December, January. I just spent a little less on all those extras during those months. I just donated towards my own campaign, so yesterday, and today, I didn't spend any change and I'll be watching my wallet a little more closely over the next couple of months. It is actually a good habit to get into! I don't really need to run to the corner store for a pint of ice cream in the evening or a chocolate bar in the middle of the day, but kids in Kenya definitely need a new school! 

Here are the facts: 

- The school house will educate 800 kids over 20+ years.  

- 7 local workers will be employed and all local materials will be used. 

- These schools have shown an 80 to 90% increase in attendance and drop-outs decrease due to comfortable learning conditions. 

- The teachers salaries will be paid for by the Kenyan government and parents purchase the school uniforms. 

- Child labour is reduced as kids are educated

- Free the Children has built more than 750 school worldwide. It is an awesome organization started by a great Canadian kid! 65,000 kids worldwide attend Free the Children schools every day. 

- The build time for our school is 9 to 12 months and it will be build in the Masai Mara region of Kenya. 

I hope you can join me as a Pocket Change Hero and together we'll build a school in Kenya! There are a couple different options to donate - $3.33 a day for 3 months or even just $1 a day for 10 months. It only takes 33 of us to build a school for hundreds of kids! As a special thank you from Giving Gifts. I'd love to give everyone that donates a coupon code for 33% off one item at Giving Gifts. So, please let me know if you donate, by sending an email to lisa@givinggifts.ca and I'll get you that coupon code. 

Please watch the video and consider joining me as a Pocket Change Hero! Together we'll build a school! How amazing is that! 

Lisa Loves! - Giving Gifts (especially schools to kids in Kenya!)