The Love Alliance Newsletter #39
www.thelovealliance.net
September 1, 2010

School has started or is soon approaching along with fall.  We can’t believe it is September already, which means that it is time for our Fourth Annual Fall Cleaning. Check out this month’s Action Project below for more information.

LAST MONTH - HAPPENINGS

Last month marked the end of our busy summer schedule.  We started August off at Kingdom Bound and Soulfest, which we already recapped in our last newsletter.  We had a week off and then headed to Purple Door Festival in Lewisberry, PA.  This was our fourth year at the festival and we had a great time.  This was Lauren’s first festival of the summer and we were also joined by Candice and Owen.  Our neighbors just happened to be our good friends Walk in Love. Clothing and Bradley Hathaway.  (Click here to see some fun pictures from Walk in Love’s Smilebooth) Overall it was a great festival, we were able to see some old friends and make some new ones and as always educate countless individuals about the issues we deal with. 

Last month was also a month of catching up.  Several groups have formed over the last couple of weeks and current groups are getting geared up for the school year.  If you are interested in starting a Love Alliance Group check out the group section on the website here or email groups@thelovealliance.net

LAST MONTH - ACTION PROJECT

Last month we focused on providing school supplies for our monthly Action Project. It is such a simple, easy and cheap way to make a huge impact on our communities.  We gave you three easy ways to provide school supplies and listed them out in great detail.  If you weren’t able to participate in the project, it isn’t too late.  Check out all the information on our Past Projects page here.

THIS MONTH - HAPPENINGS

We head to Revelation Generation Festival in Frenchtown, NJ, this coming weekend. The lineup looks awesome and it should be a great way to spend Labor Day weekend.  If you are going to be there and would like to volunteer, email info@thelovealliance.net , or just stop by our booth in the vendor tent to say hi.  Our friends from The Blind Project will also be there, so make sure to check them out as well.

We are excited to tell you about a great campaign going on right now.  We have introduced you to Restore in the past and all of the amazing work they are doing to combat sex trafficking in New York City.  Their vision is to open New York City's first “safe house" which will give sex-trafficking survivors both long-term housing and a stable, secure environment to recover and transition to a healthy and sustainable life. They have launched a new fundraising campaign to fund the first year’s expenses for the “safe house.”  Every dollar raised during this campaign will be matched if they reach their goal of $50,000.  The Love Alliance has donated and we have created a page in hopes that our supporters will also donate to such a great cause.  Just visit http://my.restorenyc.org/thelovealliance to donate.  Every dollar of this campaign will go towards obtaining and maintaining a safe house for international victims of sex trafficking + each dollar raised by any new donors will be matched for a goal of $100,000.

We continue to catch up on The Love Alliance and reflect on what we have done and what our future looks like.  There is a lot going on in the life of the organization as well as all of our staff.  We are hoping to sit back and gain a fresh perspective and solidify what the next 6 months and beyond will look like for the organization.  Stay tuned for more information.

THIS MONTH - ACTION PROJECT

This month we will be holding our 4th Annual Love Alliance Fall Cleaning.  This Action Project has probably been one of our most participated in projects. We encourage you to go through your piled up stuff this month and give away anything you no longer wear, use or want. Be sure to not confine your giving to just clothes. We have seen people give away old CD players, computers, and even a car. I think many times we look at the needs in the world and feel like they are so big that there is nothing we can do to help. But this simply is not true. This month you have the ability to give away things that are cluttering your life to someone who is in dire need of it. Whether that is a pair of shoes you never wear, or an old computer that is collecting dust. Lets be sure to have just as much fun with this year's Fall Cleaning as we did the last three years.

If you would like to make an even bigger difference, you can organize a clothing drive.  Our groups have done this in the past and even made it a competition where total individual amounts are weighed. Friendship Used Clothing Collection offers suggestions for organizing a used clothing donation drive, as does this guide to campus clothing drives and this guide on organizing a clothing drive in your office. Charity Guide also has an easy 5 Step Guide.

It is your decision as to where you would like your donations to go.  The Love Alliance Melbourne Group has donated to a local non-profit thrift store the past three years.  Every town should have a place like this, if not you can donate to nationwide non-profits like Salvation Army and Goodwill.