What we love

We here at curious aside (and by "we", I mean "me"), love smart people. We love them. I'm crazy about smart people. And smart people come in all shapes and sizes. If you're thinking I'm running around with MIT and Harvard, think again (but I do on occasion chill with a NASA scientist. Can't run with her, she's too fast). The world is full of smart people. People with know how in strange situations. That see a tree down on the side of the desert road, realize that could be useful for some people near me, and decided to stop and cut the tree into manageable bits to haul it to the people. Smart people who realize I can't afford lumber for a table but I can buy pipes and they build the pipe table. Smart people who see the need; see their talents and gifts; and say "I can effect change." I love that. I love people who love people, want to help people and move their love to action.
So one of my favorite groups of people Compassion International told me about another one of these smart groups of people Sevenly
and you know what happens next. I love the smart people at Sevenly. This week Sevenly is helping Compassion to provide treated mosquito nets to families in Rwanda. If it was possible to roll chocolate and coffee into that mix that is what heaven would be. Healthy African families and me drinking coffee with chocolate bread- that would be heaven. Back to the point, I had never heard of Sevenly before but I predisposed to like them because Compassion likes them. So I set my fingers to the walking and went through their website. They send $7 of every t-shirt purchase to the charity of the week- this week that is Compassion. I checked what they say about themselves, what other people say about them and what their annual report says (we like honesty and clarity here at Curious Aside). They're a for profit company that likes to give money away so they don't have to be held to that non-profit standard of administrative costs vs. actual giving to a need. There are a lot of non profits that pull in a lot of money and not a lot goes out to the need. But if we're talking about a for profit, the rules are different. So out of a $22 shirt, $7 goes to the charity of the week. That's not great math for a non profit but its stellar math for a for profit.
Why not give to the charity straight away? Good question. And that is the point they're trying to make. Sevenly wants to raise awareness of charities you and I haven't meant yet. They want to push those charities into light

So what should you do? Well you get to choose. 1. Maybe you want to just get a feel good t-shirt. So you go to Sevenly.org and you spend $22 and get a t-shirt. 2. But maybe you say, "I love children and the thought of a kid sick, hurt, or doing without makes me crazy!" So you go to Compassion.com and you read through the site (because you're smart and want to be well informed) and realize these Compassion people understand kids. They've thought through how to help families become stronger families; how to help kids that are sick, hurt or doing without be safe, educated and loved. And you sign up to sponsor a child. That last link is for you. Compassion is going to throw in a t-shirt just for sponsoring a child.

Hey, we here at curious aside like you too. Because chances are pretty good that you're going to join the ranks of smart people because after you start thinking about a hurting world, you're probably going to start thinking of ways you can move to help and we LOVE that! Thanks!