After Black Friday and Cyber Monday comes today: Giving Tuesday. What’s it all about? It’s a movement to encourage donations to charitable organizations that are making a difference.
Today, I’m donating to More Than Me. Founded by American Katie Meyler, a New Jersey native who’s spent the past 12 years living and working in Liberia, More Than Me aims to get girls off the streets and into school, vastly improving their chances for success in life. The school began making a difference. Until Ebola showed up. Now, Katie and More Than Me are fighting on the ground, daily, to rid Liberia and its citizens of Ebola with a strategic plan that’s working to lower the number of new Ebola cases each day. In the meantime, the schools are shut down.
More Than Me believes every girl has the right to choose what life she wants to lead. To meet this vision, we provide girls from the West Point slum in Liberia education, health and social services to transform the trajectory of their own lives.”
More Than Me not only needs donations to continue to fight Ebola and save lives. They also need continuing financial help to get the schools back open which is key to the long-term viability of Liberia.
On Giving Tuesday, December 2nd, Microsoft is MATCHING donations up to $500 at 100%. That means $500 = $1000 #forthegirls that day. All sizes of donations are welcomed and encouraged and you can make your donation right here!
Why am I donating to More Than Me?
Katie and the people of Liberia first came to my attention in October after I read a Mashable article featuring Katie’s stark, honest, and even hopeful Instagram photos of life in Liberia in the time of Ebola.
While viewing these photos, my heart sank and soared all at the same time. Tears ran down my face as I looked into the eyes of children, some sick, some orphaned by parents who’ve died from Ebola. And I saw the unselfish work taking place in a community, by that same community, where hope and help is desperately needed.
Being a bystander to suffering is not an option.”
– More Than Me
Prior to learning about More Than Me and seeing Katie’s photos, I was terrified of Ebola. Part of that was lack of education on my part about the virus and how it spreads. But the other part of my fear was downright selfish. I didn’t want Ebola to take my family, my life, my hope. But that’s what it’s doing to thousands of people today in West Africa.
Katie’s courage to work in the heart of these hot zones helped my unfounded fears drop away. There are human beings suffering from this disease right now. Entire families have been decimated. Children have been orphaned. Schools are closed. At the end of the day, Ebola is not “their problem.” It is OUR problem. Ebola is a human problem. As long as Ebola steals life and hope and happiness from some, it steals it from all.
That’s when I realized I was obligated to help. I can’t go to Liberia to volunteer. But I can donate to help those who are on the ground, stomping out Ebola. It’s true, by helping West Africans stop Ebola we prevent further infections across the world. By helping them, we’re also helping ourselves, but we’re also helping these children. We’re helping these parents. We’re helping our fellow human beings end the horrific suffering they’ve endured from this disease.
This #GivingTuesday, consider donating to More Than Me and the amazing and hopeful work they’re doing in Liberia.
To learn more about More Than Me, please visit my Flipboard Magazine dedicated to this incredible, life-saving, hope-giving organization.
I love that #GivingTuesday is giving us all an opportunity to learn more about all the great organizations out there doing wonderful things! Thanks for letting me know about this one! Such wonderful work being done here!!