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Day it Forward – March 2016

We believe that every individual has the ability to make a difference in our world, and we want to give our readers a chance to bring attention to a cause that is important to them.

At the start of the month, we will ask you to submit a one-paragraph essay on a charity of your choice. We want to know what the charity is about, what it means to you, and anything else you think is important for us to know.

Your submissions will be reviewed by bestselling author Sylvia Day and she will select one to personally contribute to for the month. Your charity will also be featured in the following month’s installment of Day it Forward to bring more awareness to its cause and allow for readers of Beyond Words to donate as well.

 

united way geneseeThe charity chosen for the month of March is the United Way of Genesee Flint Water Fund. The United Way of Genesee County has set up this fund for the purchase of filters, bottled water, emergency support services and prevention efforts. 100% of the fund is used for these projects and no Administrative Fee is assessed. The UWGC has sourced more than 11,000 filters systems and 5,000 replacement filters, ongoing sources of bottled water to the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan and also supports a dedicated driver for daily distribution.

Sylvia will be donating $1,500 to the United Way of Genesee Flint Water Fund. You can donate, too, here. You can also find other ways to help here.

 

pure madiThis month, we also spotlight PureMadi, an organization that is working to provide sustainable solutions to global water problems, including the development of a sustainable, ceramic water filter factory in South Africa. The filters have been shown to significantly improve the health outcomes of human populations using them relative to groups who only drink untreated water.

Sylvia will be donating $1,000 to PureMadi. You can donate, too, here. You can also find other ways to help in global water problems here.

To have your charity considered for April’s installment of Day it Forward, please email your submissions to editorial@beyondwords.life with “April Day it Forward” in the subject line by March 25, 2016.

Thousands in Flint Need Water, and You Can Help

Less than 90 miles west of southern Lake Huron is Michigan’s seventh largest city, Flint, about 70 miles northwest of Detroit. A diverse city with a complicated history, Flint is home to more than 100,000 men, women and children, about 40 percent of whom are living below the poverty line. Many Flintstones, a playful self-embraced demonym for Flint’s residents, continue to struggle due to the decades-long deindustrialization following the automotive industry’s crash. General Motors was founded in Flint — and the city’s economy relied on it for the better part of the 20th century.

Flint michigan

Flint has since been continuously combatting climbing crime rates, crippling debt and unemployment; but the sense of community remains strong. Residents continue to work hard in hopes of rebuilding the area, demonstrated by dozens of family-owned businesses, organizations and farmers markets downtown.

Flint michigan

The city is home to the historic Capitol Theatre, built in 1928, which is in the process of being redeveloped and reopened to the public thanks to a local non-profit reinvestment group. The area continues to be a hub for local artists and young people.

Flint capitol theater

A 78-mile river, The Flint, amply named, runs northeast directly through the city. The Flint River, a long-time recipient of nearby industrial runoff and dumping, is notoriously known to some as the “filthy Flint,” as well as a variety of other tongue-in-cheek nicknames. Flint River water is known to contain extremely high levels of chlorides, making it 19 times more corrosive to lead pipes than the Huron River, where most of Southeast Michigan gets its water.

“We steer clear of the river, and always have,” Damon Brown, 49, of Flint, says. “My kids don’t swim in it or play near it. In a city like this where there’s so little oversight, you have to be aware of the potential dangers.”

flint river

In 2014, when the city announced plans to save money by cutting off treated water from Lake Huron and switching to Flint River water, Brown was flabbergasted. After litigation challenges during a difficult budget crisis for both the city and the State of Michigan, residents began to see their water darken, almost overnight.

“My daughter comes out into the living room after taking a bath before bed and says, ‘The water looks dirty,’” Brown says. “So I called a few neighbors who said their water looked fine, so I kind of dismissed it until it became clear there was something more going on.”

Flint River

Soon, residents began visiting nearby medical centers in droves, citing abdominal pain, headaches and in some cases, seizures. Schools began to see more behavioral problems in their students as well.

“My little girl began vomiting one night,” Brown says. “So I took her to the ER, only to have them tell me they’ve had a few kids come in lately and they think some kind of bug is going around.”

Flint treatment plant

As it turns out, that “bug” was months of systemic lead poisoning from Flint’s drinking water. A research project by Virginia Tech researchers last summer found some samples contained lead levels high enough to meet the EPA’s definition of “toxic waste.”

In children, lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities, brain damage, behavioral issues and decreased muscle and bone growth, according to Kenneth Claiborne, a practicing pediatrician in Royal Oak, Michigan.

“The fact that these children were exposed to lead at all, not the least bit over the course of years, is highly disturbing,” he says. “What’s worse is they still don’t have access to clean water.”

In 2010, 34.3% of households included children under the age of 18, according to U.S. census data. It is estimated between 6,000 and 12,000 children have sustained injuries as a result of the crisis. While local politicians are playing the blame game, justifiably trying to hold those responsible accountable, including Michigan’s governor, Rick Snyder, and local emergency managers, Flintstones are in need of more immediate relief.

flint michigan

President Obama declared a state of emergency last month, promising $80 million in federal aid to build the river’s infrastructure, but the trickle down effect is taking much longer than is defensible, according to Alysia Harris, 34, of Flint.

“There’s a lot of political talk and talk about racial inequality. (Flint is majority African American.) But at the end of the day we need water, now. I have a toddler who is staying with her grandmother in another county so she’s not exposed to unnecessary poison. I want my kid back,” Harris says.

It’s estimated that residents could be waiting months to access clean, safe drinking water in their homes and community.

“Some of the politicians are telling us two months before it gets sorted out because there’s so much confusion, but I’d be surprised if it’s that quick,” Harris said.

Darren Willis, a local volunteer with the Prince of Peace Baptist Church, says members have distributed more than 10,000 bottles of water alone in recent months.

flint church

“There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight,” he says. “We’ll keep giving out water four hours a day as long as it’s needed.”

For those who don’t live within driving distance of Flint, there are several options to help provide immediate relief to those in need:

  • The United Way of Genesee County has set up emergency support services for Flint. “The UWGC has sourced more than 11,000 filters systems and 5,000 replacement filters, ongoing sources of bottled water to the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan and also supports a dedicated driver for daily distribution,” according to its website.

  • Flint Community Schools: Call the district’s finance office at 810-767-6030 about cash donations, so that students can continue to learn safely.

  • Catholic Charities of Genesee County: For information on making cash or bottled water donations to aid soup kitchens and warming centers, call 810-785-6911.

Day it Forward – December 2015

We believe that every individual has the ability to make a difference in our world, and we want to give our readers a chance to bring attention to a cause that is important to them.

Every month, we will ask you to submit a one-paragraph essay on a charity of your choice. We want to know what the charity is about, why it is important to you, and anything else you think is important for us to know.

Your submissions will be reviewed by bestselling author Sylvia Day and she will select one to personally contribute to for the month. Your charity will also be featured in the following month’s installment of Day it Forward to bring more awareness to its cause and allow for readers of Beyond Words to donate as well.

The submission chosen for the month of December comes from Shabnam Farhadi:312545b

In late 2013, my mother was diagnosed with stage IIB breast cancer. The doctors told us that it had metastasized which meant we were in for a long, hard battle. Luckily, our local branch of the Susan G. Komen in Southwest Florida, came prepared to help.  They gave us educational seminars, emotional support, and recommendations to different local doctors. In addition, they gave us a gift bag full of goodies that made the process easier to handle (pillow for chemo chairs, a cap for when all her hair fell out, a pill box for the thousands of medications they forced into her, etc.) They helped to prepare us for a battle we weren’t too knowledgeable about…My mother is approaching her two-year survivorship in May of 2016. I attribute a great deal of her strength to bringing us here. But I can’t say that the foundation had no part in it. The Susan G. Komen foundation in Southwest Florida was a blessing and the people who volunteer there are heroes.

 

Sylvia will be donating $1,000 to Susan G. Komen Southwest Florida. You can donate, too, here.

 

full_1404405744.pngThis month, we will also spotlight the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, an organization committed to finding a cure for breast cancer. They provide funding for cancer research worldwide to fuel advances in tumor biology, genetics, prevention, treatment, metastasis and survivorship.


Sylvia will be donating $1,500 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. You can donate, too, here.

 

To have your charity considered for January’s installment of Day it Forward, please email your submissions to editorial@beyondwords.life with “January Day it Forward” in the subject line by December 25, 2015.

Day it Forward – November 2015

We believe that every individual has the ability to make a difference in our world, and we want to give our readers a chance to bring attention to a cause that is important to them.

Every month, we will ask you to submit a one-paragraph essay on a charity of your choice. We want to know what the charity is about, why it is important to you, and anything else you think is important for us to know.

Your submissions will be reviewed by bestselling author Sylvia Day and she will select one to personally contribute to for the month. Your charity will also be featured in the following month’s installment of Day it Forward to bring more awareness to its cause and allow for readers of Beyond Words to donate as well.

The submission chosen for the month of November comes from Dori Walker:

In 2011 at our gender reveal ultrasound for our third child my world changed.  We were informed our daughter was “incompatible with life”.  Those three words broke me.  The days that followed I had a hard time getting out of bed to care for our two boys.  It was inconceivable for me to be happy when it felt like we were just waiting for her to die.  I was too scared to give her a name, it made the situation too real.  My salvation came in the form of Alexandra’s House Perinatal Hospice.  The founder, Patti, helped me find purpose, strength and beauty in the following 6 weeks she survived in my tummy.  That strength allowed us to give her a name, Mathilda Hope.  Patti was there for the decisions that you never plan on making.  She was there for her birth and her memorial service.  Alexandra’s House is a big reason we were strong enough to pursue adoption through foster care; we now have 7 children with one in heaven.  Mathilda Hope inspires us to be better and pay it forward in all we do!

Dori Walker and family

Sylvia will be donating $2,000 to Alexandra’s House. You can donate, too, here.

We also occasionally spotlight other charities submitted by readers each month:

  • Shannon Cutts submitted Mentor Connect, the first global eating disorders mentoring community. Sylvia will be donating $500 to Mentor Connect. You can donate, too, here.

To have your charity considered for December’s installment of Day it Forward, please email your submissions to editorial@beyondwords.life with “December Day it Forward” in the subject line by November 25, 2015.

Day It Forward – October 2015

We believe that every individual has the ability to make a difference in our world, and we want to give our readers a chance to bring attention to a cause that is important to them.

Every month, we will ask you to submit a one-paragraph essay on a charity of your choice. We want to know what the charity is about, why it is important to you, and anything else you think is important for us to know.

Your submissions will be reviewed by bestselling author Sylvia Day and she will select one to personally contribute to for the month. Your charity will also be featured in the following month’s installment of Day it Forward to bring more awareness to its cause and allow for readers of Beyond Words to donate as well.

The submission chosen for the month of October comes from Katie Crossan:

Crohn’s and Colitis UK
I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease when I was 18. I lost all of my friends and quickly closed myself off from the world, choosing to bury myself in books instead. I have been constantly tube fed on and off in the last seven years, I now have a line to my heart keeping me from starving to death, and take a chemotherapy drug everyday. I am hooked up to a machine every night that pumps liquid to my heart. The NACC (National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s Disease) kept me sane. They support people with IBD and have a ‘Young People’s Forum’ where I met other young people who have become life-long friends and I also met the love of my life, my soon to be husband, there. The NACC encourages people to talk to each other, they offer a support line for people with IBD or family of those who suffer. Crohns can be an extremely lonely disease but with the NACC they make you feel less alone and accepted for being different. I have supported this charity with my family since I was 18 partaking in walks to raise money. IBD doesn’t get recognised for being a serious life altering condition.

Sylvia will be donating $1,500 to the National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s disease. You can donate, too, here.

We also occasionally spotlight other worthy charities submitted by readers each month:

To have your charity considered for November’s installment of Day it Forward, please email your submissions to editorial@beyondwords.life with “Day it Forward” in the subject line by October 25, 2015.

Day It Forward – September 2015

We believe that every individual has the ability to make a difference in our world and we want to give our readers a chance to bring attention to a cause that is important to them.

Every month, we will ask you to submit a one-paragraph essay on a charity of your choice. We want to know what the charity is about, why it is important to you, and anything else you think is important for us to know.

Your submissions will be reviewed by bestselling author Sylvia Day, and she will select one to personally contribute to for the month. Your charity will also be featured in the following month’s installment of Day It Forward to bring more awareness to its cause and allow for readers of Beyond Words to donate as well.

Since this is the first month of Day It Forward, just this one time, there will be a little bit of a twist. Here is a submission from the Beyond Words Editor-in-Chief:

The Gentle Barn
The Gentle Barn, based out of Southern California, rescues all kinds of farm animals, including horses, cows, pigs, and even emus and peacocks.

I first heard about the Gentle Barn when a backyard butcher in California was featured on the news for the horrific way he treated his animals. They were kept in unspeakable conditions, emaciated, infected with parasites, sick, and overall terrified with barely a chance to live. It truly broke my heart to see these innocent beings treated in such an unfair manner. When the man was arrested, the Gentle Barn took in many of these animals and nursed them back to health, giving them real hope for happy lives.

The Gentle Barn has a focus on not only healing animals, but the ability for these animals to heal children. Their mission statement is “Teaching People Kindness and Compassion to Animals, Each Other and our Planet.” Every day, children from group homes, mental health care facilities, and schools come to the Gentle Barn to visit with these animals and learn about kindness and compassion through them.

The Gentle Barn has many ways for people to contribute and help them continue their good work; their website lists supplies they need, profiles of animals who can be sponsored by anyone, and ways to visit and become involved firsthand with their cause.

Sylvia will be donating $5000 to the Gentle Barn in the month of September. You can donate, too, here »

To have your charity considered for Day It Forward, please email your submissions to editorial@beyondwords.life with “Day it Forward” in the subject line by September 22, 2015.