Thankful…

• Nov
  25
• 
• 0

With the holiday approaching quickly, we would like to take the time to be thankful. We at Project 7 are thankful for... - the support of our friends and family over the last year as this "dream" was brought to life - consumers for embracing the concept and solidifying that capitalism and socialism can go hand in hand - meatloaf and Mac and Cheese - big business for seeing the potential a small start up could have, and for buying into that potential - great partners like Caribou Coffee, Whole Foods, Books-a-million, Java City, Sprouts, The Fresh Market, Market Street, Dell and countless other small mom and pops throughout the country - "Paper Airplanes" for being such a great video theme song - the fact that we get to giving away $105K in February to seven deserving non-profits and then getting the chance to do it all over again the next year with hopefully even more funds - love - positive thoughts and prayers - people believing that they can make a difference, even as only one person - the great stories that we have heard since starting this journey - our service men and women - the opportunity to do something meaningful and positive... for work! - all of the experiences we have had and the ones we will soon have - tradeshow drive crews... keepin' it real in the P7 van - a seven year old girl telling us what Project 7 is about, hearing the story of an 8 year old boy who has planted over 5,000 trees to save the earth and realizing that our youth is learning how to help early on There is so much more. But we ask, what are you thankful for?

Today we solute the unsung hero… the toilet.

• Nov
  19
• 
• 0

Today is World Toilet Day. I know it sounds funny, but it isn't. World Toilet Day has been orgnanized to bring attention to importance of sanitation. Currently 2.5 billion people, half the world's population, don't have access to toilets or proper sanitation. Even in the world's wealthiest nations, people still have sanitation problems, destroying our waterways. What are the ramifications of this problem? Well, they are staggering. 1. 1.8 million deaths, mostly children, are attributed to improper sanitation. (1) 2. Diarrheal diseases caused by improper sanitation kills five times as many children in the developing world as HIV/AIDS (2) 3. The majority of the illness in the world is caused by fecal matter (3) 4. Poor sanitation is the biggest cause of infection in the world (3) 5. This one is horrifying - One gram of feces can contain 10 million viruses, one million bacteria, 1,000 parasite cysts and 100 parasite eggs (4) If that isn't enough to make you appreciate your toilet, I don't know what is. So, what can we do to make a difference? A few simple things: 1. Keep bathrooms clean - both public and private. Seems simple enough right? 2. Get people much needed access to safe water - The world Toilet Organization reports that  U.S. EPA estimates the amount of untreated sewage entering the environment is large enough to fill both the Empire state building and Madison Square Garden (5)... remember how many illness causing items were found in one gram of fecal matter. That is downright frightening. 3. Public Restrooms need to be created and maintained in developing countries - this will help provide these people with both a more sanitary environment as well as the dignity they deserve. So, be thankful for your toilet today. It very well could be the difference between life and death. To find out more visit the World Toilet Day site. (1) UNICEF. http://www.unicef.org/wash/index_23606.html (2) UNICEF/WHO. 2008. Progress on Drinking Water and Sanitation: Special Focus on Sanitation. (3) Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC). 2008. A Guide to Investigating One of the Biggest Scandals of the Last 50 Years. (4) UNICEF. http://www.unicef.org/india/wes_4648.htm (5) NRDC. http://www.nrdc.org/water/pollution/sewage.asp

Comfort Food to Comfort Families

• Nov
  17
• 
• 2

Yesterday, the Project 7 team visited the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas, a temporary home-away-from-home for the families of seriously ill or injured children receiving treatment in a Dallas area hospital.Without this wonderful facility, many families wouldn't be able to be near their loved ones as they journey through such hard times. Our task was to create a delicious meal for 35 residents... and create we did. We won't go into too much detail, but needless to say, the prep work done the night before was the stuff that comedic movies are written about. Exploding sauces, too many cooks in the kitchen and of course abundant laughter were our recipe for success. And after all was said and done, we ventured forth toward the Ronald McDonald house armed with 9 pounds of homemade meatloaf, 6 pounds of mac and cheese deliciousness, gigantic bowls of nutritious salad and multiple loaves of buttery garlic bread - the P7 team was ready to bring a little down-home comfort food to the families staying at the Ronald McDonald house. Everyone helped to put out a sumptuous spread but some highlighted Project 7 members were Josh Davis for his dedication to basting the meatloaves every 15 minutes and Chris Clark for his surgeon-like prowess in cutting said meatloaf when the time came. It is amazing what a difference a good meal can be in the lives of people going through hard times. Our director of volunteer and non-profit relations, Ashley Upham, chatted with one of the temporary residents over lunch. His sentiment is heart warming and confirms the difference that Ronald McDonald house is making in so many poeples' lives. "He was so thankful there was a place to stay with his daughter while she was in treatment. Having to eat out for every meal and pay for a hotel room would have been daunting on top of the medical expenses," recounted Upham. "The house offers a glimpse of home, with laundry facilities, kitchens, living rooms, a library, and a large game room. His face lit up as he told how his daughter’s friends loaded up in a van and came to visit her. They piled into the game room and watched movies, played games, and thoroughly lifted her spirits! He was definitely glad to have a home away from home." And that was what it was all about. We thank the Ronald McDonald house for all that they do and for letting us be part of it.

Eye Opener Friday Message

• Nov
  13
• 
• 0

As I sit here writing this morning, in my warm office, after eating my delicious breakfast, knowing that the worst thing I have to do today is go to the dentist, I wanted to remind all of us how lucky we truly are... below are the words of actual victims, suffers, inspirational leaders and those affected by the seven causes we are looking to make a positive change in. Remember these faceless millions today... I know I will. In fact, don't just remember them, do something to make a difference... Make a donation to your favorite non-profit Go sign up to volunteer at a homeless shelter or food pantry Educate yourself about an one of these issues and then tell someone else about it to There are a thousand things you can do. The first step is always the toughest, we challenge you to take it. Feed the Hungry: Single mother of three, Kenya - "I wish that there was a day where my children didn't cry themselves to sleep because their bellies ached from hunger." Help Those in Need: Victim of human trafficking, Croatia - "I was sold for 3,500 euros [$4,400]. I was beaten, raped, forced against my will. They would put out cigarette butts on me and cut me with razors" Heal the Sick: Aids Orphan, location unknown - "My sister is six years old. There are no grown-ups living with us. I need a bathroom tap and clothes and shoes. And water also, inside the house. But especially, somebody to tuck me and my sister in at night." Hope for Peace: A 16-year-old girl after demobilization from an armed group, Sudan - ""I feel so bad about the things that I did. It disturbs me so much that I inflicted death on other people. When I go home I must do some traditional rites because I have killed. I must perform these rites and cleanse myself. I still dream about the boy from my village that I killed. I see him in my dreams, and he is talking to me, saying I killed him for nothing, and I am crying." Build the Future: Bono - "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Give a woman microcredit, she, her husband, her children and her extended family will eat for a lifetime." House the Homeless: Homeless Woman, San Francisco - "We aren't all lazy, drug addicts. I lost my husband to cancer last year. I had quit my job to take care of him. His hospital bills were so large that I lost everything, the house, everything. I've been living on the streets ever since. All I ask is for a little kindness, not money, when you see me on the street. I will get out of this, somehow, someway. " Save the Earth: Victim of climate change, India - "The changing climate is causing us to starve. When there is no rain our crops die. When there is too much rain our crops die. The sea has come into our village and there is no place for us to go. we suffer."

How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes! – Maya Angelou

• Nov
  11
• 
• 0

"It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you." - author unknown Everyday at Project 7, we learn more and more about the injustices of the world. As we continue to learn about these inequities, we are reminded again what a great thing freedom is. On this day, November 11, 2009, we wish to express our undying gratitude to the brave men and women of our armed forces. Regardless of your feelings toward the current military activity, we owe our thanks to the hundreds of thousands of people who have and will commit their energies to protecting the freedoms we have come to expect and love. So, it is with pure joy that we wish our active and retired military a HAPPY VETERANS DAY. Want to do more than just hand out good wishes? iParticipate has a great article dedicated to making a difference in the lives of our military. Read the full article here.