Project Change

Saving Lives

For our first ever challenge as Team “Change Within Reach”, we collectively chose to “Give the Gift of Life” and donate blood to the American Red Cross.  We thought we needed to really WOW everyone in Project Change and be more creative than we really needed to be since we were the 'new kids on the block'.  That was when we said to each other what better way to change someone’s life than saving it?!  It made the decision that much easier.

The American Red Cross is an amazing organization if you did not already know!  They are a group that aims to prevent and relieve world suffering with so many great services provided.  It is where people mobilize to help their neighbors across the street, across the country and across the world in emergencies or disasters.  Where would we be without the American Red Cross?

One of the more popular services they provide is the collecting, processing and distribution of blood and blood products.  While I would love to think our group stumbled on a secret to give blood, 4 million people donate each year making it the largest supplier in the U.S. 

Geographically we as a group could not go to the same specific blood drive so 3 out of the 4 went to a church in Darien CT.  We could not believe the amount of people either waiting or had already given blood.  This drive had a great turn out.  The 4th member of the group went to Western CT State University all by herself to donate.  Poor Rachel as I know she was nervous!  It was really cool that everyone noticed our “Project Change T-Shirts” which gave us a reason to explain how unbelievable “Project Change” really is as an organization.  All were very impressed. 

After donating we all realized we don’t, and most likely will never, know the person whose life we are changing by donating blood.  Depending on how you look at it is unbelievable to think that my blood could help a sick young girl in Kansas City, an injured U.S. Marine in Iraq, or an Earthquake victim in Haiti.  Bottom line our donation of blood will end up saving a life and there is really nothing better than that!

As a group we all intend to continue to create change without using $$Change$$ and all have signed up for another blood drive 56 days later (that’s the rule).  Visit www.redcross.orgso you too can experience the act of saving a life.

Education Donation

*What if your Mom wanted to read you a bedtime story but couldn't....because she did not know how to read?

*What if you wanted to brush your teeth but couldn’t, because you did not have a toothbrush and toothpaste?

Can you imagine what this must be like?  These are things that we do everyday but unfortunately not everyone is so lucky. 

The 2nd challenge for our team was "See a Need, Fill a Need" and we saw "The Need" at the Mercy Learning Center in Bridgeport, Ct. 
The center was developed in 1987 and has provided basic life education skills like reading, writing, math, and computer knowledge to women who can’t afford to take care of themselves or their families.  The center works hard to create a more hopeful future for themselves and their children.  It is a supportive environment that helps women believe they can do and be something amazing!

Most of the women at the Mercy Learning Center are living with little or no money so the center has an ongoing WISH LIST for donations.    

Team "Change Within Reach" collected over 300 donations from our offices, families and friends. A full car’s worth of items like toothpaste, soap, hairbrushes, toilet paper, shampoo, coffee, sugar, and clothes were loaded up and driven down to Bridgeport.  When we arrived everyone was so kind and grateful!  We took a private tour and what we witnessed was amazing. It was wonderful to know we helped many women, including mothers, not have to worry about the items we use every single day so they could focus on education.

“Education is like a fisherman's net. Without the net, the fisherman cannot catch anything. Without education, I cannot be a marvelous mother for my child, I would not be eligible to have a better career or life, and I would not be able to be a role model.” –Mercy Learning Center Student Kaphia H.

A Day Without Shoes

As our part of "Project Change" The Greenwich & Westport Studios participated in Tom's Shoes...Day Without Shoes... 

This is to raise awareness of all of the people in the world who do not have shoes.

Tom's will provide shoes to an entire village once they reach 1000 participants.

The Challenge was....

On April 5, people are going without shoes for One Day Without Shoes. It might be cold, it'll probably be uncomfortable, and our feet will certainly get dirty, but by doing so, we’ll help raise awareness of the impact a simple pair of shoes can bring to a child’s life. 

One Day Without Shoes is an annual event hosted by TOMS Shoes in which students, friends, parents, strangers, and co-workers host or participate in events without shoes. Some go without shoes for an hour, some for the whole day, but all become a part of a greater movement toward change. 

This involvement will captivate and educate our community, and impact the lives of children around the world.

Most children in developing countries grow up barefoot. Some children walk without shoes for miles each day, and they can often not attend school without proper footwear. In Ethiopia, approximately 1 million people are suffering from a debilitating disease called podoconiosis, which is 100% preventable with basic hygiene and shoes. 

If you could change the lives of children with a simple gesture, would you do for one day what millions do everyday? 

It was strange to take my shoes off and walking around in a business environment. It most certainly made you think about how self concious and disadvantaged someone might feel not having shoes.

Perhaps next year more people will be encouraged to be a part of One Day Without Shoes and Tom's will continue to donate shoes to those in need.