Dollars for Change - Making a Difference

Dollars to Date:

$15,025

Last Update: 08-Aug-08

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before beginning to improve the world.”- Anne Frank

How much is your money worth to you? Here in the U.S., one dollar means buying a can of soda; but for ONE BILLION other people around the world, that one dollar means they can survive just one more day…

In October of 2006, America’s population reached 300 million. With a number that high, just imagine what could be done if everyone contributed together…

I am not asking you to sign up for anything; and I am not asking for all your money. I’m asking that you do without that can of soda just once. I’m asking that you find a small piece of your life where you can save just one dollar, and put it to better use. Prove to your kids, your siblings, anyone you have ever told, that one person really can make a difference; that a little does go a long way. You don’t have to be a millionaire to change the world, as long as we all work together.

Take a few moments to digest the statistics you see below. If they raise your eyebrows and give you a little more perspective on what it takes to make a difference in the world, then please join the challenge to prove that together, we can make a difference.

Mail your dollar bill to the address on our contacts page, tell everyone you know to do the same, and watch the savings account grow every time you visit this website. If you would like, send your name and comments or suggestions along with your dollar.

After the first year, all the money will be donated to children in Kurland; a small township in South Africa. It has a population of around 4,500 people, with a 45% unemployment rate. The incidence of HIV/AIDS is about 35%. The local preschool, or “crèche”, was built to cater to fifty children. It currently enrolls around ninety kids with only two permanent staff members. The lack of cultural, sport and recreational facilities in Kurland also results in the youth being caught up in such problems as crime, alcohol and drug abuse, under consensual-age sex, pregnancy and single parenthood.

The children of Kurland in the pictures you see changed my life for the better; now I would like to help change theirs.

In future years, we hope to diversify the areas in which the money is donated to, but for now, we are starting off one at a time, just like you.

Be a part of something bigger. Send a dollar... make a change.

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"The biggest risk we face of all, is inaction. We are not spectators to a world coming apart at the seems. If we mobilize our skills and our incomes and our wealth; even to a modest extent, we can help shift the world onto a path that is one of shared prosperity; that is one of environmental sustainability. In the end, the choice is ours."
- Jeffrey Sachs,
"The World in Balance"