mi acción de gracias

Turned on the news today and people are literally getting killed at Black Friday sales... I'm not saying don't buy your family Christmas presents, but maybe we should think about where our priorities are?

Just yesterday the entire country celebrated Thanksgiving. Family and friends gathered, gave thanks for all we have, shared meals, and enjoyed each other's company. Then a few short hours later, everyone loses their shit and people are literally getting shot, stabbed, and pepper sprayed outside of shopping malls.

We have so much to be thankful for, it's ridiculous. Today I wanted to write a blog about some of the things most people don't have in Ecuador that I'm thankful we have in the States. You know, running water, clean water, paved roads, access to healthcare (it's not perfect, but we've got it better than most), education, job opportunities (you think unemployment is bad here...), etc. 

But instead, I think about all these things that make our lives easier; and when I hear about people losing their shit over Christmas shopping, I'd trade it all to be back in Ecuador. I'm not proud of that America.

Don't get me wrong. Ecuador is not without it's problems, and not everyone in the States is a deal-hungry pepper sprayer. But there are times when I think about just how much crap we have, how we can never have enough (as epitomized by this day), and I wonder what all this convenience has done to our priorities. 

Thanksgiving, Christmas, this whole "season" is supposed to be about reflecting on the gifts we already have, being with the people we care about, looking toward a new year, a new beginning, and maybe making a change for the better. 

So what am I thankful for this year? A roof over my head. Clean, running water. A/C when it's hot, and heat when it's cold. A job. Health Insurance. More than enough food. Not having parasites in my intestines. All those things that make life a little easier. But more importantly, I'm thankful for the people in my life--you, my family, my friends, my neighbors, former students, etc. All the convenience in the world can't replace a real, genuine relationship. 

So, as we celebrate the first day of Christmas shopping season, I ask you again to help support Rostro de Cristo and Nuevo Mundo. You don't have to wrestle any soccer moms to buy this gift, and I promise you it will make a difference in Ecuador. 

Below is the link to Rostro de Cristo's giving page, where you can donate with a credit card, debit card, or PayPal. Since Nuevo Mundo doesn't have a US 501(c)3 (it's an Ecuadorian Foundation with no US presence), Rostro has agreed to receive all donations, then pass on half to Nuevo Mundo. All donations are fully tax deductible.

http://www.rostrodecristo.org/give/index.html

On the "Review Your Donation Screen" (after you enter your card info or sign into PayPal), please enter "Mark Perlite" in the "Add special instructions to the seller" field so Rostro can tell me how much we raise at the end of the month.

Or, if you would prefer to make your donation via mail please send a check (with "Mark Perlite" written in the memo) made payable to:

Rostro de Cristo

P.O. Box 920433

Needham, MA 02492

As I mentioned in my appeal, my goal for this month is to raise $5,000: $2,500 for Rostro de Cristo and $2,500 for Nuevo Mundo. A lofty goal, but I email these blogs out to about 100 people, and at $50/person, I think that should get us there (someone check my math, I'm terrible with numbers). Obviously not everyone can give $50, but hopefully some people give more, some people give less, and we can get to that $5,000 goal. If you could at least give $10, it would mean a lot to me--not to mention all the Ecuadorians each of these incredible foundations serve.


Thanks again!

Mark

My Appeal

Today I am asking my family and friends to help support the two foundations that will forever be a part of my life: Fundación Rostro de Cristo and Fundación Nuevo Mundo.

Before we left for Ecuador last year, each volunteer was asked to raise $2,500 to help Rostro de Cristo cover the costs of our programs--food and stipends for volunteers; salaries for our guards and program staff; and, most importantly, daily bread, bananas, and water for the kids at our three After School Programs. I didn't ask for money back then a) because I was already planning a fundraiser for St. Anthony's, and b) I hadn't yet been to Ecuador, so I couldn't really tell you from personal experience what I was raising money for. Sure I knew Rostro was a great foundation, but I felt weird asking people for money when it wasn't even real for me yet.

So, I paid the $2,500 out of my savings, and told myself that after this year, if this is something worth my family and friends' money, then I would ask them for help. And here we are. You've been with me all year. You've seen my pictures. You've read my blogs. I've caught up with a lot of you personally these last two months. I would not be writing you right now if this did not mean something very very special to me.

Rostro de Cristo and Nuevo Mundo are like any other non-profit these days--they badly need money to stay open every day. The seniors I taught last fall were the last seniors to graduate from Nuevo Mundo because the foundation could no longer financially support a full high school--now the school only runs through the 9th grade.

In the past I've held fundraisers--concerts, raffles, t-shirt sales--to support the causes close to my heart. From 2007 - 2010 I worked with dozens of different friends to hold events that raised over $15,000 for St. Anthony's and Doctors Without Borders (after the Haitian Earthquake). Today, though, instead of appealing to your love of raffle prizes, sweet t-shirts, live rock 'n roll, and cheap drinks, I want to appeal to your heart. Yeah, I know that sounds a little corny--and don't worry, I'm not done partying for a good cause--but this time, I just want to focus on the act of giving--nothing in return, just knowing that your small sacrifice will make a huge difference in the lives of my new friends, my new family, in Ecuador.

So I come to you, my friends, my family, and ask you to help support something very personal, very important to me. This month we celebrate Thanksgiving (believe it or not, they know about it in Ecuador too, and call it Acción de Gracias), and it's in this spirit of gratitude that I ask for your help. I will forever be thankful for the experiences these two foundations gave me this past year--I could never repay them for the impact they have had on my life, but I'd like to try.

My goal for this month is to raise $5,000: $2,500 for Rostro de Cristo and $2,500 for Nuevo Mundo. A lofty goal, but I email these blogs out to about 100 people, and at $50/person, I think that should get us there (someone check my math, I'm terrible with numbers). Obviously not everyone can give $50, but hopefully some people give more, some people give less, and we can get to that $5,000 goal. If you could at least give $10, it would mean a lot to me--not to mention all the Ecuadorians each of these incredible foundations serve.

Below is a link to Rostro de Cristo's giving page, where you can donate with a credit card, debit card, or PayPal. Since Nuevo Mundo doesn't have a US 501(c)3 (it's an Ecuadorian Foundation with no US presence), Rostro has agreed to receive all donations, then pass on half to Nuevo Mundo. All donations are fully tax deductible.

http://www.rostrodecristo.org/give/index.html

On the "Review Your Donation Screen" (after you enter your card info or sign into PayPal), please enter "Mark Perlite" in the "Add special instructions to the seller" field so Rostro can tell me how much we raise at the end of the month.

Or, if you would prefer to make your donation via mail please send a check (with "Mark Perlite" written in the memo) made payable to:

Rostro de Cristo

P.O. Box 920433

Needham, MA 02492

Thanks!

Mark