Giving back to the community and to the world around us is a topic often discussed in our house. It is something I believe in and have wanted to instill in Principessa, hoping that she internalizes the importance of helping others. We have made giving back part of our Hanukkah tradition, and part of our family tradition by modeling good deeds and making them part of our family’s day to day life. Although Prinicpessa gives unselfishly, I have heard her remark on several occasions about the fact that we keep giving to the same places over and over.
So I was thrilled to be able to learn about Members Unite, an interactive site that finds impacting projects around the world, that we can be a part of for as little as $5/month, with 100% of our contributions going directly to the funded projects. The site is a “collaborative action network” where the members suggest, discuss, debate, and ultimately pick the project to receive the monthly collective contribution. As a basic member you can endorse proposed projects, whereas premium members have an active role in deciding where the collective funding will be used. Each month there is a four week cycle that introduces new projects, narrowing it down from nine to six to three with engaging debate, culminating in a winning project being funded.
I sat down with Principessa to look over the Members Unite site and the nine projects that are being considered for this month’s funding. We read through each one, and looked at where each project would take place on a map. Reading through each project was a teachable moment for Principessa to understand why each idea was important and who it might impact. It was fascinating to watch her listen and process the information. Her reactions were immediate and provided insight into the mind of a seven year old trying to make sense of how to do good.
A Seven Year Old’s Perspective
Principessa had strong reactions to four of the nine projects. In her own words…
Give Infants a Lease on Life: “Babies are just babies. They are brand new. They need to eat a lot so they can grow.”
Take Education on the Road: “Homes are one of three things that people need. Since they don’t have a home they need help to learn to do more stuff.”
Empower At-Risk Women with Fresh Food: “We need to eat healthy or we won’t survive because stuff that is not healthy can’t make your heart beat so well. And if your heart doesn’t beat, then you can’t survive.”
Help Plant 5,000 Trees: “We need oxygen more than anything else because oxygen gives us air and air is more important than food.”
When asked what she thought about having nine choices to pick from, Principessa responded, “It a good idea to do all these good deeds because people need these things a lot. Having choices to do good is better than just having one thing.”
Using our Voice for Good
I have spent the better part of this year advocating for sustainable efforts that promote self sufficiency in Haiti. It is something I believe in, in large part because I saw first hand the impact that grass roots efforts have on the lives of the people in Haiti. Having this site, this space to discuss projects with Principessa, will go a long way to helping develop her own understanding and passion for grass roots efforts.
What will you do this week, this month, this year, to give back?
For a limited time, Members Unite is offering my community a 50% off discount on the annual membership fee of $25! Use code “WELOVEMOMS” when you sign up!
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About Members Unite
“Members Unite is a simple, interactive, fun way to fund amazing projects. We find the most interesting, impactful, meaningful projects and then let our members figure out which ones get funded. This is possible because the projects are funded through member contributions. And the members ultimately control the outcome each month. We’re all in this together. There’s a saying we love… One person giving $20 is a drop in the ocean. One thousand people giving $20 brings clean water to a village for a lifetime. Members Unite helps us all do more than we could do on our own.”
For as little as $5 a month, you’ll be able to take an active role in deciding which projects get funding, and how much funding they get. And 100% of your monthly contribution will go toward the winning projects.
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Principessa sounds like a very smart girl already! Thank you for checking out Members Unite and we hope you come back and check the progress of your favorite projects!