Birthday Donation Post - Heifer International
In case you weren't aware, Kris's birthday is coming up this Monday, June 21st. We thought it would be nice if, as a birthday gift, Kris fans could get together and make a charitable donation in his name. The plan is to raise at least $500 for the charity Heifer International to purchase a cow for a family in need. If you're interested in donating, you can give to the team's donation page here. (More in-depth information on how to donate below.)
Update: Based on early donations, we're changing the goal to $1000 for two cows! Double the pleasure, double the fun.
Update 2: In less than 12 hours, we've nearly quadrupled the original goal amount with $1835, so we're once again increasing the goal amount to $5000. Thank you to everyone who's contributing!
Update 3: And now, 15 hours later, you've raised $4305 and we're increasing the goal amount to $12,500 (or enough for 25 cows).
What is Heifer International?
In a nutshell, Heifer aims to give families in need aid in the form of livestock and training.
"Heifer’s mission is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and care for the earth.
By giving families a hand-up, not just a hand-out, we empower them to turn lives of hunger and poverty into self-reliance and hope.
With gifts of livestock and training, we help families improve their nutrition and generate income in sustainable ways. We refer to the animals as “living loans” because in exchange for their livestock and training, families agree to give one of its animal’s offspring to another family in need. It’s called Passing on the Gift - a cornerstone of our mission that creates an ever-expanding network of hope and peace."
You can learn more about their mission statement, past projects and other aspects at their website.
Why Heifer International?
Because donating a cow in Kris's name is both helpful and absurdly awesome. In case you wanted more convincing (but really, if the cow didn't sell you, nothing will), Kris's recent trip to Rwanda this spring was partially affiliated with Heifer International. In addition to the work he did for Bridge2Rwanda and TOMS shoes, he also visited families participating in Heifer projects. So it's a good cause that Kris is familiar with. Plus, it's donating a cow! Kris loves cows.
How do I donate?
First, go to "Alright With Moo's" donation page. If you would like to donate to the project anonymously, you can simply click "Give To This Team" and fill out the information with however much you would like to donate. Otherwise, you can opt to "Join This Team" and your name will appear on the team's donation page alongside your donation amount. The deadline to donate is tentatively Sunday, June 20th at midnight EDT.
If the $12,500 goal to donate 25 cows is exceeded, we'll donate the rest in the form of other livestock (depending on the amount).
Also, in case anyone is worried about their money not ending up where it should or want to know more about where the money goes, Heifer International has also contacted us about this, and this was their message:
Dear [redacted],
Thank you for your email to Heifer International. In regards to your enquiry, it is so fantastic to hear of the generous response by Kris Allen fans. We so appreciate you creating a team for this effort to celebrate his birthday as the mission of Heifer International could not be accomplished without such displayed generosity. All donations placed through the Team Heifer site are automatically designated towards our general fund. This ensures that they will be used where they are most needed within our projects and throughout the world. This could provide animals for families, the training needed to prepare them for the animals, and any other resources needed to ensure that the needs of each project are being met. Please find attached our animal and country list that will give some insight as to what animals will benefit certain parts of the world. You may also find more information on various featured projects that could be affected by your gifts on our website at the following link:
http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.3538797/?msource=TH1E100005
I hope this helps, and please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of further assistance.
Kind regards, Amy Davis
Donor Services Representative
Heifer International
If you have any questions tweet us at @krinja_signal.