LAST MONTH - HAPPENINGS

This past month has been jam-packed.  We started off the month celebrating 3 years as an organization.  We are still amazed at what has been accomplished in those 3 years and are excited for the future.

After celebrating 3 years, our tour team gathered in Florida to get ready for our Summer Festival Tour.  Many t-shirts were rolled, buttons made and somehow we managed to fit everything including David, Matt and Hade in a Ford Explorer.  As sort of a warm up for our tour, David spoke once again at the HOBY Mid-Florida Leadership Seminar in St. Petersburg, FL.  The response was overwhelming and it was such a good time.  We met some amazing kids that are already making a huge difference in their communities.  We hope to partner with HOBY on future projects and are excited to hopefully be back next year.  

From Florida we made our way to Wilmore, KY, to Ichthus Festival.  We had a great time at the festival and were able to see a lot of old friends and make some new ones.  Thanks to the guys in Everyday Sunday for supporting The Love Alliance from stage.  It was great to spend time with them as well as James Young, our TLA Louisville, KY Group Leader.

From there, Hade and Matt took over the tour and headed out to Alive Festival.  The festival was in a new location in Mineral City, OH, but the rain still followed the festival.  Overall it was a great fest and we met some amazing people and had some quality conversations.  

From Ohio, Hade and Matt headed to Cornerstone Festival in Illinios where Candice and our friend Courtney Coleman met them.  The response this year was so much better than last and we were so glad to once again be at Cornerstone.  Thanks to Ben from Skillet for sporting our classic logo shirt on stage.  

Creation Festival in Pennsylvania overlapped with Cornerstone this year so David left from NYC to PA for the event.  This is by far the largest event that we attend each year (80,000+ in attendance) and because of this the booth is constantly busy.  Thanks to our old friend Tim Torres for driving from Virginia to help us out at the booth.  Also many thanks to Owen Jones, our TLA Alexandria, VA Group Leader, for giving up his time to volunteer at the booth.  As always the response was great at Creation Fest.  We made some good friends with the vendors around us, including Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee which sells fairly traded coffee.  Check them out at www.drinkcoffeedogood.com

Overall the summer has been a huge success and we are only half way done.  To keep up to date with the tour visit our tour blog here and check out our flickr for up to date pictures.

In the midst of the Summer Festival Tour we also did a soft launch of our new campaign “What is Social Justice?”  We have had a good response especially at the music festivals.  It really has started some amazing conversations.  You can check out the responses so far on the site: www.whatissocialjustice.com  You can also upload your own video response or text response via the website or via text message at 321-426-8677

LAST MONTH - ACTION PROJECT

Last month we celebrated our 3rd year as a non-profit organization.  We decided to take it back to our roots and revamp our first ever Action Project.  We remembered the homeless by making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, donating essentials and spending time with the homeless in our areas.  As always the response was great and it was good to hear from people about the homeless outreach that they are doing in their community.

THIS MONTH - HAPPENINGS

Summer Tour is almost upon us and we are busy getting everything ready.  As our third anniversary comes around we are getting excited to see so many of you this summer and to meet and educate so many more.

LAST MONTH - HAPPENINGS

Help us make this summer successful by helping us fundraise so that we can reach thousands of people.  Check out this month's Action Project for more details.

LAST MONTH - HAPPENINGS

Thanks for reading!
Candice
www.ywamhaiti.org

We encourage you to "Educate Yourself" about environmental issues affecting the Earth right now and to find out what you can do to help.  Visit our "Remember the Environment" section to learn more. 

We also encourage you to "Take Action" today and this month.  Pick up some trash, Recycle, Plant a Tree, Plant some flowers, etc.  Check out this month's Action Project to find out more.

<3 The Love Alliance Team

Spring is in the air. What a perfect month for Earth Day and Arbor Day. Celebrate by joining in our Annual Community Cleanup. Check out this month’s Action Project to find out how.

LAST MONTH - HAPPENINGS

www.thelovealliance.net

March 4, 2010

This month is Women’s History Month and March 8th is International Women’s Day.  Lets honor the women of our community this month.  Check out this month’s Action Project to find out how.

LAST MONTH - HAPPENINGS

We had several events happening around the country this past month.  David Ranzino spoke at the Isaiah 61 Conference in Boca Raton, FL.  The conference focused on the clean water epidemic and money was raised to help ship a well drilling machine to Malawi.  We were able to meet some fantastic people who had some great ideas on how to raise awareness and funds for the clean water epidemic as well as other social justice issues.  Thanks to Hade Smith for traveling down to the event and helping run the booth.

Unfortunately due to bad weather we had to miss the Pennsylvania Christian Teen Convention this past weekend but we are hoping to make it to the event next year.

We had several benefit concerts happen this past month as well.  Asher Plock in Evansville, IN, put on a benefit concert for The Love Alliance and raised over $200.  Our TLA Louisville, KY Group put on a benefit concert to raise money for Clean Water in Haiti through WaterMissions.org.  They too were able to raise almost $200.  Putting on a benefit concert is a great way to get involved with The Love Alliance and make a difference.  If you are interested in putting one on in your hometown, please email info@thelovealliance.net

We also had a lot of love being shown in February.  Our TLA Wilkes Barre, PA Group visited their local women's shelter and did manicures and pedicures for the women there.  Click here to see pictures.  Red Eye: NYC also partnered up with Reveal for their annual Valentine’s Day Makeover where NYC professionals from the fashion industry came together to give makeovers to women who are recovering from abuse and sexual exploitation.  It is amazing to see how much healing can come by celebrating beauty in these women.

LAST MONTH - ACTION PROJECT

Last month we focused on continuing to Help Haiti.  We held and still hold the belief that as worldwide interest fades, we must not forget about the great amount of needs that Haiti has.  We posted ways that people could help daily on our Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace and asked that people pick one thing to do in order to Help Haiti.  These ways are still listed in the "Help Haiti: Ways You Can Help." Please visit the blog if you haven’t yet and/or comment on the blog if you have any other ways to Help Haiti.  Our "Help Haiti: List of Organizations Helping Haiti" blog is still up as well.

We had a great response to this month’s project.  As we already mentioned, our TLA Lousiville, KY Group put on a benefit concert to raise money for Clean Water in Haiti.  Our TLA Triangle Area, NC Group put together Hygiene Kits through Convoy of Hope.  Not to mention the countless stories from individuals that we heard.  Again we encourage you to visit our blogs, there is still so much that can be done. blog on our website.

THIS MONTH - HAPPENINGS

We originally posted a blog titled “Help Haiti: List of Organizations Helping Haiti” and we had a great response. For this month's Action Project we are asking people to pick one thing to do in order to Help Haiti. We will be posting ways you can help daily on our Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace.

#1: Help Haiti: Buy shirts and prints from Thread & Water and 100% of proceeds will go towards clean water in Haiti. http://threadnwater.com

#2: Help Haiti: Follow what Children's Hunger Fund is doing in Haiti by bookmarking their website http://chfus.org & donate to their Haiti fund.

#3: Help Haiti: View these beautiful images to know that there is still hope and to be moved to action. http://adamsjoberg.com/stories/haiti/

#4: Help Haiti: Send Hygiene Kits to Convoy of Hope to distribute in Haiti or donate $5 to pay for a kit. Visit: http://convoyofhope.org/go/kits

#5: Help Haiti: Bid and/or spread the word about Straylight Run's charity auction (Super rare Straylight Run vinyl test pressing (only 5 exist)), all proceeds are going to Haiti Relief. http://bit.ly/brVHre

#6: Help Haiti: Buy Hope for Haiti Limited Edition Tees from our webstore host Storenvy: http://www.haiti.storenvy.com

#7: Help Haiti: Rainy season in Haiti is just days away. Help by buying a tent or donating money for a tent through http://aHomeinHaiti.org

#8: Help Haiti: Our very own Candice Gordon is traveling to Haiti in March to volunteer. For more info and to donate visit: http://bit.ly/c0N3S5

#9: Help Haiti: Buy the "HELP HAITI RISE" Shirt or Print from Fretto Prints & 100% of profits will be donated to Parners in Health http://frettoprints.com

#10: Help Haiti: Check out Invisible Children and Charity:Water's new partnership: http://bit.ly/9hLy7c

#11: Help Haiti: Promote Compassion International's "Help Haiti Live" benefit concert event happening tomorrow night. Visit the site: http://helphaitilive.com

#12: Help Haiti: Compassion International's live streaming benefit concert for Haiti relief starts now (2/27 - 8:30 EST). Watch it live at http://HelpHaitiLive.com and donate.

Dear Friends,

We now have more specific information to share with you about the Haiti crisis.

First, I can tell you that Ketnise Doreainvil and Djemson Dorevil do not live in an area where the destruction was most severe.

Because of the extreme challenges in communication and transportation, we are not able to confirm each child's personal circumstances just yet. We will confirm your children's status and provide more information on the Compassion center that ministers to your children as soon as we can.

Be assured Compassion has an effective relief plan that is working very efficiently right now.

• To date, 500,000 pounds of medical supplies, blankets, food and water have been flown to the Dominican Republic to avoid the backlog at the Port-au-Prince airport and shipping docks. We transported these supplies to our warehouse at the Haiti border, and then trucked them to our church partner locations in the Port-au-Prince area for distribution.
• Compassion has also sent a team of doctors, nurses, and EMTs -- men and women who have already started treating patients in an outdoor clinic. The next wave of helpers will include counselors with necessary language skills and a background in crisis counseling.
  

Thanks to our network of 230 church partners in Haiti, Compassion has a system of aid distribution through the local church. This avoids bottlenecks and bureaucratic delays and has proven to be highly efficient. Our church partners know the needs in their communities best. They are the real heroes -- working in the name of Jesus to help those most in need.

As we continue to provide you with information about your Compassion children and our relief efforts, please continue to pray with us for our staff in Haiti as they work tirelessly, going from tent city to tent city to locate children in spite of their own personal suffering and losses.

With your faithful help and support we have been serving the needs of children and their families in Haiti for four decades. Be assured that we are committed to these precious children and will endure this long road to recovery with them.

We earnestly seek your continued prayers during this time of crisis. May God bless you as only He can!

Sincerely in Him,

Dr. Wess Stafford
President

P.S. If you wish to donate, or have already donated, you may want to take advantage of a tax law just enacted. Charitable contributions to assist with the Haiti relief efforts can be claimed as itemized charitable deductions on your 2009 tax return within certain guidelines. (See the House of Representatives bill H.R. 4462 passed Jan. 20, 2010.)

It has almost been a month since the 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck and ravaged Haiti.  In the face of devastation so much good has been done, but there is still so much more left to do.  Let’s not forget about Haiti as the headlines begin to focus on other things.  Check out this month’s Action Project below to find out easy ways that you can help.

LAST MONTH - HAPPENINGS

January was a great start to a new year and a new chapter for The Love Alliance.  We were able to be a part of the Red Eye:NYC launch as well as their first humanitarian event.  Red Eye was started in L.A. a few years back and now has a branch in NYC.  Their focus is on creativity, community and humanity with a long term vision of creating a global community of influencers and creatives shaping our youth and young adult culture to embrace generous living.  The Love Alliance is helping out with the monthly humanitarian events that Red Eye:NYC will be doing.  Check out this video from last month’s project.  We partnered up with the NY Dream Center’s Adopt a Block and painted a few apartments in the Chelsea Housing Projects, as well as cleaned up the playground area.  If you are in the NYC area and would like to be involved with Red Eye:NYC please email NYC@redeyeinc.org 

Marjie Wolfe recently took over the TLA Melbourne Group for David and Lauren and the group didn’t miss a beat.  Part of the group is affiliated with No Limits Academy, a local school for physically disabled children ages 6 to 21.  The students found out about the St. Jude's Ranch for Children Recycled Card Program and were anxious to help. In total they collected 776 cards which doubled the "in stock" number of cards in the "general Christmas" category that the St. Jude website had!  Click here to read more about this.  Also the St. Jude's Ranch for Children Recycled Card Program is still accepting cards until Feb. 28th visit http://www.stjudesranch.org/help_card.php for more information.

Last month we asked you to take a minute to answer our ten-question survey.  Your answers have been great and very helpful.  If you haven’t filled out the survey we would still love to hear from you.  Click here to take the survey.  We still would also love to hear your thoughts on The Love Alliance and what you would like us to be doing this year.  Feel free to email us at info@thelovealliance.net

LAST MONTH - ACTION PROJECT

We started the year asking you to re-educate yourselves about the social justice issues we represent.  We hope that you were able to visit our website and learn more about the issues and also come up with ways that you can get involved in making a difference.  If you didn’t get a chance, you can do so now: www.thelovealliance.net

THIS MONTH - HAPPENINGS

We are already starting to book events for 2010 and we have two coming up this month.  We will have an information and merchandise booth at the Isaiah 61 Conference in Boca Raton, FL, on February 12-13.  The theme this year is Clean Water.  David Ranzino will be leading a workshop on “What is Social Justice? And how you can make a difference.” Friday night.  For more information visit: http://www.youthhope.com/i61_boc.htm  We will also have an information and merchandise booth at the Pennsylvania Christian Teen Convention in Harrisburg, PA, on February 26-28. For more information visit: www.mypctc.com

As mentioned before, this Friday marks one month since the 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck and ravaged Haiti. Haiti's government raised the death toll to 230,000 and that toll is expected to rise as more bodies are counted, not to mention that the 230,000 does not include bodies buried privately by funeral homes or families.  The amount of those injured is estimated at some 300,000.

Our friend Adam Sjoberg flew down to Haiti days after the earthquake to help with relief work.   Please watch the slideshow of his photographs here. This is what he had to say about his trip.  “Haiti was once referred to as ‘The Pearl of the West Indies.’ It's people are strong and beautiful-- and though they have seen so much suffering, I hope that it will refine them and teach them to build, and rebuild. The country of Haiti is still a great Pearl, seemingly delicate as the child I watched emerge from the womb in a tent in Port au Prince, but like that child they are filled with a vibrant future that is yet unwritten.”

Simon Biswas also went down three days after the earthquake and took this beautiful video.

Please read our Action Project this month to find out ways that you can still help with Haiti.

THIS MONTH - ACTION PROJECT

The earthquake that struck Haiti has caused unfathomable damage and left so much to be done.  The worldwide response has been phenomenal and so many organizations were on the ground immediately.  Initial needs were able to be taken care of and so much has been done, but there is still so much left to do.  As worldwide interest fades, we must not forget about Haiti.

We originally posted a blog titled “Help Haiti: List of Organizations Helping Haiti” and we had a great response.  For this month we are asking people to pick one thing to do in order to Help Haiti.  We will be posting ways you can help daily on our Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace.  For now here are some resources and things that you can do:

- We always encourage people to use their talents to make a difference.  So many artists have taken initiative and used their talents to help raise money for Haiti.  Here are some friends who are selling t-shirts and art to raise money:

www.threadnwater.com
www.frettoprints.com
www.haiti.storenvy.com

- Convoy of Hope is collecting Hygiene Kits to send to Haiti.  You can collect the items needed for the kit and send your kits to COH or you can make a $5 donation to pay for all the items in the kit.  For more information visit: http://convoyofhope.org/go/kits

- A great non-profit organization, Children Hunger Fund, was on the ground almost immediately providing much needed meals and aid.  You can follow what they are doing in Haiti by bookmarking their website at www.chfus.org and donating to their Haiti fund.

- If you have followed The Love Alliance for any amount of time you will know that we partner with a great organization called Compassion International.  The majority of Compassion’s work is in Haiti.  The Love Alliance sponsors two children in Haiti through Compassion’s sponsorship program that are thankfully ok. 

On February 27th Compassion is having a series of concerts and web simulcasts called Help Haiti Live. This event will be Compassion’s most ambitious effort ever in terms of single day awareness and fundraising.  The event will also have a giving / blogging component and they want as many people as possible involved. You can get involved, help promote and donate by visiting: www.helphaitilive.com

- Donate money.  Visit our original blog “Help Haiti: List of Organizations Helping Haiti” for a list of organizations that you can donate to.

These are just a few ways to help and we will be adding more ways during the month.

Haiti is one the poorest and most densely-populated countries in the Western Hemisphere.  Currently 54% of the population living in Haiti lives on less than $1 a day.  [ref.]  The Love Alliance community supports two children in Haiti.  Their names are Djemson and Ketnise.  We support them through a partner organization, Compassion International, who does extraordinary work in the country. 

Many people have asked us where they should give and the fact is there are many organizations who are already on the ground helping and making a difference.  Here is a list that we have compiled through several different sources:

• Compassion International
• Red Cross
• World Vision
• Children’s Hunger Fund
• World Relief
• Samaritan's Purse
• Jesus in Haiti Ministries

via Charity:Water
• Partners in Health
• Concern Worldwide

via CNN: Impact Your World
• International Medical Corps
• Direct Relief International
• World Vision
• International Relief Teams
• Yéle Haiti
• American Red Cross
• Operation USA
• CARE
• Catholic Relief Services
• World Food Programme
• World Concern
• Save the Children
• UNICEF USA
• Mercy Corps
• Operation Blessing International
• Shelterbox
• Americares
• Operation USA
• Doctors Without Borders
• Medical Teams International
• The International Committee of the Red Cross
• The Salvation Army

• More ways to help victims of NATURAL DISASTERS

Keep checking back for more updates on the disaster in Haiti.  We will also make sure to keep you updated on the children we sponsor as we receive information from Compassion International.

We are honored to have gone through another year with everyone in The Love Alliance community. Last year was a busy year for us and we plan on amping things up in 2010.

We want to hear from you while we are planning for this year. Please take a minute and answer a short ten-question survey here.

LAST MONTH – HAPPENINGS

In 2009 we launched our new website, attended 14 different festivals, partnered with many other organizations and did countless projects to make a tangible difference in communities through out the world. Last year our groups grew from 35 to 60+ groups in four different countries. We are excited for all that has been accomplished and look forward to exceeding the past in a big way this year. For more information on what we accomplished in 2009, our big plans for 2010 and how you can be directly involved read our year-end letter here.

Last month we accomplished a large goal we had set for ourselves for 2009. In 2008 we distributed 50,000 educational flyers. We made it our objective for ’09 to double that amount and distribute 100,000 flyers. We are proud to announce that as of last month we distributed well over 100,000 flyers in 2009! These flyers go a long way in educating individuals on social injustice while providing them with means to make a difference towards injustice. Through our time on the road we have met so many people who these educational flyers mean a great deal to. They often serve as a catalyst for those wanting to use their lives to make a difference in this world. We met an elderly woman who uses the flyers as bookmarks for her Bible so she can be reminded often of the needs of the world and her ability to impact them. We also remember one specific mother in Buffalo, NY, who told us about her 9 year old son who taped the flyers to his wall to remind him of the needs in the world and his ability to help meet those needs. We are thrilled at the impact these flyers have had in evoking passion in individuals to use their lives to make a difference towards injustice in the world.

Our TLA groups made a huge difference last month. Our TLA Louisville, KY Group collected Christmas wrapping paper left out for garbage on Christmas night and turned it in for recycling. Our TLA Triangle Area, NC Group made a huge difference in the lives of 37 homeless and needy people within their area by providing them with much needed winter coats during an unusually cold spell in NC. Our TLA Appleton East, WI Group made fair trade chocolate available to their high school encouraging an entire school to consider the treatment of those who produce the things they buy every day. Let us know how you &/or your group made a difference in December. Email us at: info@thelovealliance.net. Click here to find a group in your area or to apply to get one started where you live.

LAST MONTH - ACTION PROJECT

Last month we considered the environment during our holiday gift giving. We encouraged everyone to relax a bit in his or her consumerism and give vintage or homemade. Instead of placing a demand on new products those that participated in December’s Action Project reused or repurposed previously used products. Lisa and Gary from North Carolina gave only vintage or homemade last month. In the end of their holiday giving they had not only reduced their demand on new products but had also saved them a great deal of money. Having given 12 gifts they only spent $1 on gifts and $22 on shipping. There are many other stories like this of individuals using recycled wrapping paper and homemade thoughtful gifts. This is what The Love Alliance is all about. Using the events and things we have at our disposal to make difference in the world around us.

THIS MONTH - HAPPENINGS

It has been a busy yet slow start to this month. We (David and Lauren Ranzino) have officially made the move to New York City. After what was supposed to be a temporary move to NYC in the fall, we felt like NYC was the best place for us and the non-profit at this time in our life. We are excited for the opportunities that the organization will have in this influential and big city. We are thrilled to get more involved and excited to be working with individuals from NY Dream Center, Trinity Grace Church, and the soon to be launched Red Eye: NYC. Not to mention others that we still have yet to meet. The organization will continue to be based out of Florida and we will still be highly involved in the Sunshine State. We are just broadening our reach and excited for it.

President Obama has issued a proclamation naming January 2010, “National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.” In this proclamation he says, “I urge all Americans to educate themselves about all forms of modern slavery and the signs and consequences of human trafficking.” Obviously this is a huge goal of The Love Alliance. So please educate and/or re-educate yourselves on human trafficking by visiting the Remember the Enslaved section of our website. Click here to read the Presidential proclamation. And also find out more about human trafficking from organizations like Love 146, Not for Sale, and RestoreNYC.

Our TLA Wilkes Barre, PA Group is recycling their holiday cards in a very neat way this year. We thought we would pass along the word so all of you can join them in making a difference. Did you receive some holiday cards this year? Or any greeting cards for that matter? St. Jude's Ranch, is an organization that serves abandoned and neglected children and families to receive a better life. One way for them to raise money is to recycle greeting cards. What you can do is send the cards to St. Jude's Ranch for Children Recycled Card Program, 100 St. Jude's Street - Boulder City, NV 89005, and they will take the design part and paste to it a new back and create a new card. For more information visit http://www.stjudesranch.org/help_card.php. Be sure to join with friends, co-workers and family members to save on postage and to do something very simple to help sick children.

Coincidentally our TLA Avon Lake, OH Group is also reaching out to sick children this month. They are holding a teddy bear drive. They will be collecting the teddy bears and distributing them throughout a children’s hospital in Cleveland. We are so proud of how our groups are thinking outside the box in ways they can give back in the month of January.

As we plan for this coming year, we are really hoping to hear more from you. As mentioned before, please take a minute to answer our ten-question survey. We would also love to hear your thoughts on The Love Alliance and what you would like us to be doing this year. Feel free to email us at info@thelovealliance.net

Again we are so thankful for all of your support that you have given in the past We want to extend our offer of 10% off in our webstore through January. Just type: THANKS in the discount code field at the checkout. Click here to visit our store now.

THIS MONTH - ACTION PROJECT

In this New Year we as a community of people working to make a difference in the world choose to learn new things. This month as an organization we will be focusing on educating and/or reeducating ourselves. What social justice issues are most important to you? How much do you really know about these issues? This month we encourage you to get to know these issues and all of the ways individuals can make a difference towards them. Visit the Education section of our website to learn more about social justice issues.

What are the ways in your specific community that individuals can get involved in making a difference? The best resource to educating and activating your community is you. This month focus on under girding your foundation of knowledge to become a better resource to those around you that are seeking to make a difference.

Did you receive some holiday cards this year? Or any greeting cards for that matter? St. Jude's Ranch, is an organization that serves abandoned and neglected children and families to receive a better life. One way for them to raise money is to recycle greeting cards. What you can do is send the cards to St. Jude's Ranch for ChildrenRecycled Card Program, 100 St. Jude's Street - Boulder City, NV 89005, and they will take the design part and paste to it a new back and create a new card. For more information visit http://www.stjudesranch.org/help_card.php.

Join with friends, co-workers and family members to save on postage and to do something very simple to help sick children. 

"We are collecting used and torn Christmas wrapping paper left out for garbage on Christmas night and turning it in for recycling. We feel that even if one person on each street in the city just recycled their wrapping paper, the impact on our environment would be amazing.  This will also set an example for those to take advantage of the little opportunities in life."

Make sure to recycle your own wrapping paper this Christmas as well.  Are you celebrating a "Recycled Holiday?"  Let us know what you are doing to make a difference.

As 2009 quickly comes to a close we eagerly plan for 2010.  Join us inmaking the most out of this last month in 2009.

LAST MONTH - HAPPENINGS

We were able to attend two great events in Florida this past month. The first was Way fest in West Palm Beach, FL.  This was our second year at the one-day festival and the response was overwhelming.  Our booth was non-stop busy the entire day and we were able to have some great conversations with people about what we do and the social justice issues that we represent. Thank you to Gerald Delvaille for giving up his day and helping run the booth along side David.

The second event in November was the Alternative Christmas Market that was held in our hometown of Palm Bay, FL, at Our Lady of Grace Parish. This was the event's first year, but the room was packed with local and international organizations that work with social justice.  Local fruits and vegetables were available; fair-trade coffee and chocolate; different foods and arts and crafts from around the world; and much more.  We were honored to be a part of the event and are happy that we were able to connect with our local community in a new way.  Thank you to Marion and Bonnie Ranzino and Evan Nichols for helping running the booth on both days.

This past month we were able to meet with Sean Carasso, the founder of the organization Falling Whistles.  We have been connected to this organization since their beginning through a friend, David Lewis. Falling Whistles is a campaign for peace in Congo.  You can read the story that started it all on their website at www.fallingwhistles.com.  You can also buy a whistle to wear as your protest and be a whistle blower for peace.  Proceeds go to rehabilitate and advocate for war-affected children in the Congo.  We are excited about what they are doing and the possibility of partnering together to make a difference.

LAST MONTH - ACTION PROJECT

Last month's Action Project was centered around the holiday of Thanksgiving. We encouraged you to pick up extra items while you shopped for Thanksgiving and to donate them to a local place providing Thanksgiving meals for less fortunate families.  We had a great response to the project, as it was an easy way that we could make a difference in our own communities.

We also partnered with the New York Dream Center to provide families with an entire Thanksgiving meal on Thanksgiving day.  NYDC was able to provide more than 200 full meals to over 200 different families in need within the New York City area.  We are proud to partner with the New York Dream Center and hope to work closely with them in the future.

THIS MONTH - HAPPENINGS

In 2008, The Love Alliance distributed 50,000 educational flyers on different social justice issues; most of you know these as our “Remember” cards.  At the beginning of 2009 we set a goal to distribute 100,000 of these cards this year.  Through our groups, events and touring we have been able to distribute the majority of those f lyers already.  Within the last couple of days, we posted a blog and posted on our social networks, asking for help in distributing the remainder card.  We were blown away by the response and received enough orders for flyers to exceed the 100,000 for this year.  We will be sending out these flyers in the coming weeks.  This is a huge accomplishment for the organization and it could not have been done without all of you.  Thank you all so much.

We are planning for the coming year and want to hear from you! How can we help you be more effective in making a difference towards social injustice in 2010?  What kinds of resources would you like to receive from The Love Alliance in the new year? We are here to help you make a lasting difference.

Send us any photos or stories you may have of how you have made a difference towards social justice this year. We would love to brag on how proud we are of each and every person in The Love Alliance community on our website.   Email us at: info@thelovealliance.net.

We are so thankful for all of your support this year.  As a thank you, we would like to offer everyone a 10% off discount code in our webstore.  Just type: THANKS in the discount code field at the checkout.  Click here to visit our store now.

THIS MONTH - ACTION PROJECT

This holiday season we are remembering the environment by having a "Recycled Holiday." The holidays can often be a time for excessive consumerism. Buying things just to buy them. Instead this year our Action Project is to give vintage or homemade. Instead of placing a demand on new products we can reuse or repurpose previously used products. Purchase items from estate sales, and antique, vintage or thrift stores. You can give them as is or you can revamp/repurpose the items. Not only will this likely help your wallet, but it will also be a much more meaningful gift to the person receiving it. You will also be reducing waste and energy as old products will be saved from landfills and new products will not need to be produced. Here are some fun gift ideas, do them yourself or hold a recycling gift party to make them with friends:

- Get a wide array of items locally from furniture, electronics, sporting goods to clothing on freecycle.com
- Decorate a box or tin and give baked goods
- Give an old bag decorative stitching to make it one of a kind
- Find beautiful vintage jewelry online or at local estate sales and antique/vintage stores
- Make bowls or mail holders from old records (click here)
- Repaint used furniture to make it one of a kind 
- Make new things out of old magazines (click here) 
- Give a  unique jewelry organizer (click here) 
- Make something out of old blue jeans (click here) 
- Give a gift in someone's name to help people in third world countries live self sustainably (click here) 
- Wrap old wire hangers in yarn with bows to give beautiful custom padded hangers (click here) 
- Make plastic bag yarn and knit or crochet recycled goodies (click here)

These are just a few ideas to get the wheels turning in your heads. We are asking you to get more involved by posting on our site any other recycled holiday gift ideas you may have along with links to how people can achieve these ideas if available. You can do so here.

If you are still wanting to purchase new items for the holidays we encourage you to only purchase socially conscious items.  Buy fair trade, sweat shop free, items made from recycled products etc.

We also encourage everyone to take part in this year's Advent Conspiracy. Click here to learn more and to view this year's video.

Think creatively as to where these flyers can be distributed.  We have seen a lot of our educational flyers distributed at schools, put on an informational tables at churches, or at music venues.  Maybe your local coffee shop has a place for flyers.  Maybe you are in a band or know a band and want to put our flyers on your merch table. 

If you work at a school, church, venue or maybe help run a conference or something similar, we would love to get you flyers to have at your location or event. 

We currently have 5 different flyers: Remember the Poor; Remember the Thirsty; Remember the Sick; Remember the Enslaved; and Remember the Homeless.  Each flyer has information on the specific social justice issue that it represents and then gives ways that individuals can make a difference towards that issue.  These flyers provide you with a tool to educate your communities on these very important social justice issues.  We can send you a mixed package of the flyers or you can request specific cards.

Fill out the form below to place your flyer order.  If you would like to cover the shipping cost click here to make a secure donation:

We continue to add TLA Groups across the country and the world. Just this month we added groups in Louisville, KY; Morehead, KY; and Olathe, KS. One of our newest groups is on the campus of MidAmerica Nazarene University. They are already off to a great start. They have had a great article written about them in the Trailblazer Times. You can read the article online here.

LAST MONTH - ACTION PROJECT

Last month was Fair Trade Month, therefore we once again focused on Fair Trade. We asked individuals to educate as many people about Fair Trade as possible. We posted a blog called Fair Trade 101 which had some great traffic throughout the month from people posting it online via twitter, facebook and myspace. We also created a “Fair Trade Halloween Resource” which was a flyer with information on Fair Trade which could be handed out to parents bringing their children trick or treating or handed out by parents who were out with their kids. It was an easy way for us to educate others on this issue.

We will soon be making a neutral version of the “Fair Trade Halloween Resource” so that it can be used year round. Look for that on our website later this month.

THIS MONTH - HAPPENINGS

Events continue throughout the year, especially in Florida. We will once again have a booth at Wayfest in West Palm, FL, on November 14th. We had a great time last year and were able to educate more individuals in our home state and also help get them involved with these issues in their communities. For more information on the event click here. If you are attending the event and would like to volunteer at The Love Alliance booth, email us at action@thelovealliance.net

The Love Alliance has also been asked to be a part of an Alternative Christmas Market which is being held in our home town of Palm Bay, FL, at Our Lady of Grace Parish. The purpose of the Alternative Christmas Market is two-fold. Firstly, to inform people of worldwide social justice issues and needs. Secondly, to provide gift items for sale from various international artisans and providers where the profits go to benefit the third world artisans and providers or social justice causes. The market will be held on Saturday, November 14th from 8:00am until 4:00PM and on Sunday, November 15th from 9:00am until 1:30pm. It will be held indoors in the parish center at 300 Malabar Road SE, Palm Bay, FL 32907. This is the first year for this event and it was started by a group of individuals who are involved with social justice and who want to make a difference. Maybe this is something you would like to do in your town. If it is and you need to know how to get started, email action@thelovealliance.net

We continue to spend our fall, planning for the future and we have some big plans for 2010. We are excited about two projects that will be launched next year. It is too soon to announce anything, but be on the lookout for how you can get involved with these projects.

THIS MONTH -ACTION PROJECT

This month’s Action Project is centered around the holiday of Thanksgiving. Once again we are made aware of the recession and our economy and the effect that it is having on families. Many families will not be able to afford the traditional Thanksgiving meal this year. But we can change that by providing meals for many of these families. As we go shopping for our Thanksgiving meals this month, we are asking that you pick up an extra can of corn, cranberry sauce, etc. Many local grocery stores have a place to donate these items in their store. If your grocery store does not do this, then you can donate these items to a local food bank, soup kitchen, church, etc. that will be providing Thanksgiving meals.

If you are unable to find somewhere in your community providing a meal or you would like to make a difference for families in New York, we are partnering with the New York Dream Center to provide 200 families with an entire Thanksgiving meal on Thanksgiving day. Each full meal will only cost $20 each but you can donate any amount you would like. Checks can be made payable to: The New York Dream Center 108 West 131st. Street Apt. 2 New York, New York 10027. Please include "Holiday Giveaway" in the memo section and let them know that you are a part of The Love Alliance. If you would like to make an online donation for the Thanksgiving meals, you can do so on our website at www.thelovealliance.net/donate.html and please note that it is for “Thanksgiving Meals.”

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Thank you for reading and for your support.

Halloween has already proven to be a great time to educate people about Fair Trade through Reverse Trick or Treating.  We had several TLA Groups participate last year.  However we realize that many of you did not sign up in time and most of our supporters do not go and/or are too old for trick or treating. So we came up with a way to get everyone involved.  Halloween provides an amazing opportunity to educate mass amounts of people who are coming directly to our front doors.  Parents will be bringing their children to our houses for trick or treating.  We can give their children a fair trade option candy and pass along the Halloween themed flyers to their parents.  Not only will we provide them with some reading material while they are lugging their kids door to door, but they will also be able to exponentially spread the word.  If you happen to be one of those parents who are bringing your kids trick or treating and are not planning on reverse trick or treating this might be a great resource for you and your child to give something back to those who are giving them candy.

Click on the links below to download the file(s).  Both are PDF files with the first file having all the information on just one page and the more eco-friendly second file is split up into 4 flyers per page that you will need to cut.  For the second file, page 1 is the front and page 2 is the back.  Be sure to print front and back so all of the correct information is printed on each flyer.  If you have any technical questions simply email info@thelovealliance.net

Fair Trade Halloween Flyer

 
Fair Trade Halloween Flyer (4 flyers per page)

THE LOVE ALLIANCE NEWSLETTER #28

October 5, 2009

The weather is getting colder and the leaves are starting to change.  Fall is here!

LAST MONTH - HAPPENINGS

Last month was a very busy month for us as we temporarily moved from the space coast of Florida up to New York City.  We will be spending the fall in New York City and we are excited to get more people in the Northeast connected to what we are doing.  We are hoping to get more involved in the city and work along side other organizations and places like the New York Dream Center.  

Even though our summer tour has been over, we were still busy with festivals in September.  Our amazing intern Candice along with our friend Justin set up a booth at Revelation Generation Festival in New Jersey at the beginning of the month.  This was our first year at RevGen and it was our first event in New Jersey.  The team was able to spread the word about The Love Alliance and the issues we represent to an entirely new group of people.

David traveled to Awakening Festival in Leesburg, VA, at the end of the month.  Two fantastic volunteers including Carolyn who is a student in the DC area and Owen Jones who is the TLA Alexandria, VA Group Leader joined him.  This was our first year at this festival as well and our first event in Virginia.  Even though it rained all day it was still a great event and we were able to hand out a lot of fliers and talk with countless people.  

LAST MONTH - ACTION PROJECT

Last month was our 3rd Annual Love Alliance Fall Cleaning.  Historically, this has been one of our most successful action projects.  By cleaning your house and getting rid of items you no longer use, you are making a huge impact on someone else’s life.  We are still receiving totals from our groups as to how much they collected.  If you participated in last month’s project and weighed everything you gave away, please email us at Action@thelovealliance.net and let us know.  

THIS MONTH - HAPPENINGS

The Love Alliance is sponsoring our good friends Straylight Run’s Fall Tour called the “The Mile After Mile Tour.”  The tour starts October 7th in Aurora, Illinois, and will end November 8th in NYC.  The supporting bands on the first leg of the tour include Lydia, Anarbor, and Camera Can’t Lie and the bands on the second leg include The Dangerous Summer, Mansions, Moving Mountains, Brian Bonz and Dave Melillo.  For more information and to see if the tour will hit your town check out Straylight Run’s website at www.straylightrun.com .

It is always great when we get updates from our Love Alliance groups.  This past month we heard from Eli Figueroa, TLA Trinity, FL Group Leader.  This is what he had to say, “To this date, we've raised over $8,000 since becoming a group and have donated $4,000 to Compassion International.  We have collected hundreds and hundreds of clothing items that we have donated to various homeless shelters and personally passed out to the streets (our TLA outreach team).  We bought $2,000 worth of pre-stuffed backpacks through Somebody Cares Tampa Bay and threw a huge back to school bash and blessed many underprivileged students with school supplies. The remaining money, we used to buy food and supplies for various organizations who take care of the homeless in Pinellas, Pasco, and Hillsborough County.”  Very encouraging to hear and to know that such a small group of people had such a huge impact on their community and other communities worldwide.  If you would like to make a difference in your community and beyond and would like to start a Love Alliance Group please fill out a group application on our website here.

We want to hear from you about what topics you want to get involved with and more specifically what type of Action Projects you would like to see from The Love Alliance.  Two of our most successful projects were ideas from supporters, Raising Money for Mosquito Nets in July ’08 and our School Supplies Drive in August of ’08 and ’09.  What ideas do you have?  Please email us at action@thelovealliance.net and maybe you will see your idea as an Action Project in the coming months.  

THIS MONTH - ACTION PROJECT

If you have been with The Love Alliance for more than a year than you would know that October is Fair Trade Month.  Therefore we are once again focusing on Fair Trade.  This month we are asking you to educate as many people about Fair Trade as possible.  You can do this a lot of different ways.  First off, we have posted a blog entry on our website that talks about all things fair trade, you can increase your knowledge about fair trade and share the blog with others.  Click here to read it.  

Being online gives us the ability to educate mass amounts of people quickly and with little effort.  Post updates on your Facebook/Twitter/Myspace.  Here are some examples:

October is Fair Trade Month.  Learn more here: http://bit.ly/3wnWN

I don’t take slavery in my coffee. http://bit.ly/3wnWN

I take my chocolate slave-free. http://bit.ly/3wnWN

If you are posting on Twitter, use the hashtag #fairtrade to help Fair Trade become a trending topic and encourage your friends to Repost.  

Tell your friends, family and co-workers about Fair Trade.  Encourage them to look for fair trade alternatives this month. 

Educate the general public.  Buy “Remember the Poor” and “Remember the Enslaved” products in our webstore and tell people about Fair Trade when asked.  You can also buy “Remember the Poor” and “Remember the Enslaved” flyer cards in our webstore to hand out. 

IE. Fair trade allows for us, the consumer, to purchase a product that treats those who produce it a fair wage as they work in safe conditions.
__________________________________________________________________________

WHAT IS FAIR TRADE & WHY SHOULD I CARE?

October is Fair Trade month.  The Love Alliance Action Project for this month is to educate ourselves and others about fair trade.  This is a concise explanation of what fair trade is and why you should care about it.

There is a “fair trade” movement that calls for products that are made by non-exploited workers. This fair trade movement promotes the payment of a fair price as well as maintaining social and environmental standards.  Buying fair trade ensures we are not buying an item that has been produced by an individual like a small Honduran child in unsafe conditions for pennies a week. (We at The Love Alliance have committed to only carrying fair trade items in our webstore.)

To fully understand what fair trade is and why stores offering fair trade items is so important, you have to also understand the modern day slavery crisis.  Today over 27 million people worldwide are living as slaves. This is more than double the number of slaves deported in the 400-year transatlantic slave trade to the Americas. Many individuals forced into slave labor are producing products we use on a daily basis, such as chocolate, coffee and clothing. 

There are fair trade alternatives for all of the above-mentioned items.  When we buy fair trade items we are doing two things.  We are firstly placing less of a demand for products that are produced through forced labor.  We are secondly aiding in fighting world poverty. As individuals are paid sufficiently for their work they are then able to provide appropriately for their families.  When we participate in a hard days work we expect to be paid adequately.  Buying fair trade allows for people around the world to receive the same fair treatment we expect for ourselves. 

We have all seen the pictures on T.V. of the skin and bones children in Guatemala or Africa.  We have all felt overwhelmed by these images with the feeling that there was nothing we can do.  But that simply is not the case.  We live in a supply and demand society.  We all buy items every day, clothing, food etc.  Each time we purchase something in the store we are either positively or negatively effecting this situation.  Our purchases either demand products from workers that are enslaved, abused or paid a wage that is impossible to live off of or our purchases demand products from workers that are treated well and paid a fair wage that is comparable to the hard work they provide.  As we choose to buy fair trade alternatives when available and as we ask our stores to carry fair trade alternatives we are essentially ensuring that children like those in the pictures on T.V. will have a brighter future, as their families will be better equip to provide for them.  

Let’s join together and make a difference as a group and buy/request fair trade alternatives and educate those around us on the importance of fair trade.
__________________________________________________________________________

WHAT CAN I DO?

1. Start buying fair trade items and requesting them wherever they are not available.
Currently there are Fair Trade alternatives to these items:

Cocoa (Chocolate), Coffee, Sugar, Tea, Herbs & Spices, Grains, Wine & Spirits, Soy Beans, Cotton, Clothes, Jewelry, Olives/Olive Oil, Nuts, Honey, Fresh Flowers & Plants, Fruits & Vegetables, Sports Balls

2. Begin having conversations with those around you about fair trade and its  importance.

3. Post this link on your Facebook, Myspace or Twitter (#fairtrade) with catchy slogans like:
   
    October is Fair Trade Month.  Learn more here: http://bit.ly/3wnWN
    I don’t take slavery in my coffee. http://bit.ly/3wnWN
    I take my chocolate slave-free. http://bit.ly/3wnWN

4. Read more about this month's project by going to the Action section of our website or click here.

5. Read more about fair trade or where you can buy fair trade alternatives: 
     - www.transfairusa.org
     - www.tenthousandvillages.com
     - www.globalexchange.org
     - www.sweatfree.org
     - www.coopamerica.org
     - www.sweatshopwatch.org
     - www.maketradefair.com
     - www.fairtrademonth.org

6. Read more about modern day slavery and world poverty by clicking here.  

7. Buy “Remember the Poor” and “Remember the Enslaved” products in our webstore and tell people about Fair Trade when asked.  You can also buy “Remember the Poor” and “Remember the Enslaved” flyer cards in our webstore to hand out.

(The Trailblazer Times ) A new social justice awareness group has arrived at MidAmerica Nazarene University. The Love Alliance is a national non-profit organization with a chapter on the MNU campus that strives to bring awareness about social justice issues to the local community. Each month the group focuses on an issue, attempts to educate students about the issue, and offer everyone a chance to take action.

Many people are becoming more aware of issues relating to social justice. The Love Alliance is an organization that seeks to bring awareness and resources about these issues to groups around the country. According to their Web site, the Love Alliance aims to take social justice beyond a trend by working to integrate justice into who an individual is rather than something he or she is involved with for a short time.

The Love Alliance strongly asserts that each individual has the innate ability to use their gifts and resources to substantially impact injustice in the world.

Eager to make a difference, the Love Alliance group on campus began their efforts in September as they sought to remember the poor and homeless. The month ended with a benefit concert for the homeless. Future topics they plan to focus on include sex trafficking, cure of cancer, and helping the poor both locally and in third world countries.

According to Mike Davis, ASG Vice President for Spiritual Life, the focus this year is to start as many outreach ministries as possible.

The next topic the Love Alliance is planning to address is fair trade. Their plan to bring awareness and educate the students about fair trade includes a round table discussion and a seminar on Oct. 30 at 10:00 am. The seminar will discuss why fair trade is important.

The Love Alliance is partnering with 10,000 Villages, a shop that sells fair trade merchandise, and at the end of the seminar they will hand out fair trade chocolate bars and encourage students to participate in "reverse Trick-or-Treating." The idea is that groups of students will go around on Halloween giving out fair trade candy and informing people why fair trade is important.

According to Davis, having a social justice group on campus is important. He chose to partner with the Love Alliance because they offer a wide variety of resources and they are free to use.

"We can raise $50 or $100 as students. If we can give it to a larger company, they can take those resources and make a bigger difference," Davis said.

The Love Alliance is always looking for people to become involved. They want as many students as possible to participate in the various activities. They hope that the people not only become more educated about the topics, but also participate in the events to make a difference.

Junior Jacob Nelson, who has been involved with the group, is excited about this year because more people are involved.

"It's cool to see people who wouldn't think about these things becoming educated," Nelson said.

If you are interested in learning more about the group or finding a way help, contact Mike Davis at msdavis2@mnu.edu. (Sears, Bethany)

Original Article Located at: http://media.www.trailblazertimes.com/media/storage/paper1266/news/2009/10/08/News/Social.Justice.Group.Raises.Awareness.Gives.Opportunity.For.Action-3796620.shtml

Our summer tour is over and fall is being ushered in.  We had an amazing time this summer and once again welcome to everyone new to The Love Alliance community.  We are excited to be home and to start focusing on some bigger things.

LAST MONTH

HAPPENINGS
We finished our summer tour this past month while in the northeast.  We recapped our time at Soulfest in New Hampshire and Kingdom Bound in New York in our last newsletter, but looking back it was overwhelming at the response that we had at these festivals.  These were two of our busiest and most successful festivals of the summer.  It is encouraging to meet so many people who are already educated and actively involved in the social justice issues we represent. 

After Kingdom Bound we had a week off in NYC and then made our way to Purple Door.  Purple Door has always been one of our favorite festivals and this marked our third year there.  This year we were able to share a sponsorship with our good friends at Stand True.  If you were there you probably saw our banner on main stage and may have seen us on main stage throwing out some shirts.  Overall it was a great weekend.

To quickly recap the summer, the success was overwhelming.  In the end we traveled to 11 different music festivals, handed out over 60,000 flyer cards, received 18 group applications, and talked to countless people.  It was encouraging to see people from last summer and hear how our cards and resources are being used.  So many people told us that they have kept our cards and they are either on their wall, refrigerator, in a book or their Bible.  We even had several people tell us that they had framed them.  We also heard from individuals who had used the facts from the cards and our website as a resource for different school projects and papers.  It was also great to meet so many new people.  We were privileged to be a part of opening so many eyes to these issues by just handing them a card or talking for a few minutes.  We were amazed at how many people are still unaware about what is going on in the world and in our own communities.  Our new "Remember The Homeless" card went over great and we had so many request for "Remember the Homeless" merchandise which will hopefully be coming soon.  Thank you so much to our amazing interns, Candice and Brian, and everyone else who volunteered at the booth, handed out stickers, etc.  Thank you to Vitamin Water for sponsoring the second leg of our tour, your drinks hydrated our tour team as well as other vendors and dehydrated patrons.  All in all, we had a great summer and are already making plans for next year. 

We encourage you to read our intern Candice's thoughts on this summer.  Check out her blog post on our website here: Summer Tour Recap.

ACTION PROJECT
Last month we felt like we needed to revive last year's Action Project due to the worldwide recession.  This project proved to be more needed this year than any time in the recent past.  We collected and gave school supplies to schools so that they could distribute them to children who could not afford the supplies.  It was great to hear from individuals and groups that participated in this project and to even hear about students collecting supplies for other students in their school or area.   

THIS MONTH

HAPPENINGS
Even though our summer tour is over, that doesn't mean festivals and events are done.  Our intern Candice Gordon along with our friend Justin Soderberg will be running The Love Alliance booth at Revelation Generation Festival this weekend (Today and Tomorrow, 9/4-9/5) in Frenchtown, NJ.  If you are attending make sure to stop by the booth and tell them hi.  If you are attending and would like to volunteer please email us asap at action@thelovealliance.net or just stop by the booth for further instructions.

We will also have The Love Alliance booth at Awakening Festival in Leesburg, VA, on September 26th.  Again if you will be attending make sure to stop by the booth and/or if you will be attending and would like to volunteer, email us at action@thelovealliance.net
 
We received an amazing response to our new merchandise this summer and have received emails asking when it all would be available on the website.  Now that tour is over, all of our tour exclusive merchandise is available in the webstore.  We have added the White "Educate Yourself. Take Action." t-shirt in crew neck and v-neck; the grey tri-blend Logo Tank Top; Love Alliance Sunglasses; and our brand new "Remember to Act" Zip Up Hoody.  You can visit our webstore and purchase these items now.

ACTION PROJECT
This month we will be holding our 3rd 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 two years. As you compile your stuff to give away, weigh everything that you are donating and let us know your totals. Then we can really visualize the impact we are having and try and beat that total number next year. In the last two years combined, we have seen thousands of pounds donated.  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 two years.  Every town should have a place like this, if not you can donate to nationwide non-profits like Salvation Army and Goodwill.

 

 

This summer was an eye-opener for many as more people became aware of the injustices going on around them.  With that awareness birthed an activation to want to make a difference. After all, that is what The Love Alliance was created for.

One of the most exciting things to see at a festival is someone come up to the booth, unaware of the issues we represent, but leave with the desire to know and do more to counteract these injustices. We had the honor of talking with numerous people, some of whom didn’t even know what “social justice” was. Others who were more informed shared their hearts about certain issues and the ways they were contributing to make a difference in their community.

At Creation East in Pennsylvania, I got to talk to a man who was currently living in a homeless shelter. After a series of bad decisions and unfortunate events he finally found himself getting back on his feet. I watched him as he read our new “Remember the Homeless” information card, with such enthusiasm like someone looking for their name in a newspaper article. He couldn’t wait to bring the card, along with our other information cards back home to inform his friends about the issues The Love Alliance represents. It was humbling to see his excitement. Though he might not have much, he still has the ability to educate others and to make a difference.

This summer we had the privilege to hand out over 60,000 informational fliers like the ones that man took home. The fliers that have “Remember the (Poor, Homeless, Thirsty, Sick or Enslaved)” on the front also have statistics and a few ways to get involved with that particular issue on the back. It was neat to see what cards people picked up first. For each person an issue may speak louder than another. Though normally when one picked up their first card and skimmed the back, they wanted to read what the other cards had to say as well. We are also proud to announce over 10 new groups that have started since our Summer Tour. We now have over 50 groups in 4 different countries participating in our monthly action projects along with coming up with their own ways to get involved with their community. For more ways to get involved with The Love Alliance and the issues we represent visit our website: www.thelovealliance.net.

Something I’ve really taken home from this summer is the ability to make a difference. I opened this up with a bold statement, but a statement gained from people’s inaction. More and more I’m realizing there is a social justice trend in our generation. Most people think you need to send money to a foreign country or to purchase a shirt to make a difference (half the time not even knowing where your money is going). And though sending your money away and purchasing shirts aren’t a bad thing, there are numerous ways you can get involved in your own community to make a difference. Most of the monthly action projects we put in our newsletters a child, an elder and anyone in between can do. August’s action project was collecting school supplies for students who are unable to purchase the items their school requests they need. How is that making a difference? Ultimately you could help a student in your community stay in school and get the education they need, just by collecting simple school supplies for them.  You can make that simple difference in their lives. See, it’s not that hard. Find out how you can be an asset to your community by volunteering and doing your part to make a difference.

Thank you so much for your continued support.

With much hope and excitement for the new season to come,

Candice
www.thelovealliance.net