The state of the Global economy has been at the forefront of most of our minds over the last several weeks. Those of us who live in the United States have been watching the nightly news in horror as we see stocks plummet, banks collapse, government fail, and the domino effect roll out across the world. I think it’s important during times like this that we strive to keep things in perspective.

Yes, the United States economy is in crisis and things are bad right now. But did you know that according to the United Nations one person dies of hunger or hunger-related causes every three and a half seconds? And sadly enough it’s children that die most often. Sobering thought isn’t it? There is more than enough food in the world for everyone, so why does this happen? Poverty.com answers this question best:

The problem is that hungry people are trapped in severe poverty. They lack the money to buy enough food to nourish themselves. Being constantly malnourished, they become weaker and often sick. This makes them increasingly less able to work, which then makes them even poorer and hungrier. This downward spiral often continues until death for them and their families.

Today is Blog Action Day 2008 and the issue we are raising awareness about is poverty. Given the current state of the U.S. economy and the financial situations of many people I know and love, I thought I’d blog about some free ways that we can all help.  So, don’t use the fact that your bank account balance is lower than normal stop you from helping out – Get Involved! Here’s how:

1. Join ONE and get involved. One.org is an awesome website that is dedicated to uniting Americans as ONE to put an end to poverty.  They are, “a campaign of over 2.4 million people and growing from all 50 states and over 100 of America’s most well-known and respected non-profit, advocacy and humanitarian organizations.” As ONE they are raising public awareness about the issues of global poverty, hunger, and disease.  You can join the movement at no cost and then perform simple but important actions like writing your congressman or congresswoman, volunteer your time, or rock some very cool ONE gear to help spread the word.
2. Click on “The Hunger Site” to give free food. The Hunger Site is an website that allows you to click on a button every day and give free food. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true.  You click the button and their website sponsors pay for cups of food.  And if you want to give more, they even have a store you can make purchases from where all proceeds go to charity.  Oh and while you’re there, be sure to click on the tabs at the top of the website.  There are other sister sites just like this one, except they’re dedicated to other very worthy causes like breast cancer and literacy where your clicks will translate to free mammograms or free books. How cool is that?
3. Test and expand your vocabulary while you end hunger. FreeRice.com is a fun website that lets you quiz your vocabulary for a very worthy cause.  For every right answer, the UN World Food Program will donate 20 grains of rice. It’s so much fun and it feels great knowing that just by playing a game you’re helping make a real difference. And if you’re thinking that 20 grains of rice seems like a small amount, just remember that while you’re playing, so are thousands of other people at the same time. It’s everyone together that makes the difference, so why not share the site with your friends and family and amplify your efforts? 

Click Here to Check Out More Blog Action Day 2008 Posts!

Most of us will never forget that day…

That day, I got up and followed my normal morning routine just as I always did. I’m not much for TV in the morning, so being that I live in California I was somewhat oblivious to what was going on. I dropped my daughter off at elementary school and proceeded to drive to work. I happened to turn on the radio and heard them talking about a plane crash. I remember thinking, “Oh no… those poor passengers!”. Then they went on to say ANOTHER plan crashed… both into the World Trade Center. I thought to myself, “What is going on? Is the FAA having some kind of issue we don’t know about that they would allow two planes to crash like that?” I was confused… still having no idea what was really happening.

Only moments later the radio announcer spoke of yet another plane crashing into the Pentagon and felt a shiver run down my spine. I lost my breath for a moment and looked around me at the other cars in a panic. “What was happening?” I thought, “Were we,The United States of America, under attack?” The answer was yes, we were. The first thought in my head was whether I should go back and pick my daughter up. I have never been so frightened and felt so insecure in my entire life.

I continued to drive to work in a daze. Once I got there, me and my co-workers watched the footage of the towers collapsing and I burst into tears. So many lives were lost that day… not just in the WTC, but in the Pentagon as well, and the heros who lost their lives on Flight 93 trying to fight back.

The images of that day are still painful to watch. I remember watching the news all night sobbing… and praying… praying for those who lost their lives and that they would find those who were missing alive. The days following 9/11 were sad.. and painful… and scary. Just walking out the door the sadness was palatable. It was all over everyone’s faces… no one was untouched by that tragedy.

As time moved forward and the days carried on, their was a unity amongst Americans unlike anything I’ve experienced in my life. We were united in grief, in sadness, in fear, in anger, and in our resolve to NEVER let this happen again. It didn’t matter where we lived, how much money we made, or what political party we belonged to… for months after 9/11 we were Americans FIRST.

May God bless those who lost their lives that day… May God bless those who lost their mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, fathers, sons, uncles, and friends that day… May God bless the fire fighters, policeman, paramedics, and volunteers who worked to find survivors at ground zero… May God bless the soldiers who have been fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan… May God bless the soldiers who have lost their lives while fighting.. May God bless the soldiers who have been wounded while fighting… May God bless those affected by the terrorist attacks that have taken place in other parts of the world… and May God bless the innocent lives lost in this “war on terror”.

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Across the United States, 19 people die each day waiting for transplants that can’t take place because of the shortage of donated organs. There are more than 170,000 people waiting for an organ transplant in the United States and Europe combined. Even more staggering, there are 2 million people waiting in China and Africa does not currently have a system in place to accurately calculate the number of people in need.

Organ donation is truly the gift of life. One organ and tissue donor has the ability to save or improve the lives of as many as 50 people. During the tragic loss of a loved one, many organ donor families have found some solace in knowing that their dearly departed loved ones have managed to help others even in death.

Please visit the links below for more information on becoming an organ donor:

• OrganDonor.gov
• United Network for Organ Sharing
• Matching Donors

ONE launching a campaign of their own in their continuing effort to fight global poverty and AIDS. ONE President Susan McCue wrote:

“We are just days away from launching an aggressive field effort, placing ads on the air, and launching a new website that will track the ‘08 candidates on the ground and on the issues like AIDS, malaria, access to clean water, and universal basic education.

Our efforts on behalf of the world’s poorest people to raise awareness and spur our leaders to action have saved millions of lives. Taking our campaign to the 2008 presidential race means taking our fight against extreme poverty to an entirely new level.”

On Monday, June 11th, they will be hosting a conference call with ONE Vote ’08 Co-Chairs Senator Tom Daschle and Senator Bill Frist, ONE President Susan McCue, and a special guest.

* You can sign up to join the conference call by clicking here *

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