When I finally got back to the store I was totally flustered. I grabbed a cart and tried to calm down. As I moved up and down the plentiful aisles the warmth of the store helped to quiet me down. About 10 aisles in I happened upon an old man. He was obviously homeless and was carrying a basket around with him, picking up a can here and there to read the label and appear as if he was shopping. I gave him a smile as I walked by to grab a can of tomato paste. He smiled back. While I was still in the aisle the manager of the store came over and escorted the old man out of the store. I know this is probably a policy of the store, but I was horrified. He wasn’t hurting anyone and it was only 17 degrees outside. 

I wanted to do something, anything. I completely abandoned my cart full of grocery and ran outside to find the old man. I was going to drive him to a shelter, give him 10 bucks, just do something to make a difference in his day. But somehow he had already disappeared into the cold, dark night. 

I returned to my cart, feeling sort of hopeless. I’m not sure why this had hit me so hard. I understand the store needing to keep shoppers comfortable and perhaps the presence of a homeless man wouldn’t jive with this. But I just couldn’t wrap my head around this one. As I reached my cart I burst into tears. I’m sure I looked ridiculous but I couldn’t get his small smile out of my mind. I finished my shopping and left the store, hoping that maybe I would see the man on my way home. 

While I cried the entire five miles to my house a wonderful thing happened. I made up my mind to do something about how I felt. As part of Project 7, I get to do quite a bit of volunteer work. But, I could always do more – and I’ve decided to do just that. Last night I registered to be a weekly volunteer at one of the local homeless shelters. My hope is someday that man will walk through the door and I will get to finally make something right for him. 

Inspiration comes when you least expect it. I was just going to the store to get a few things and came back with motivation to do something good in this world. Not sure what the store charged for that… but I got it for free. Go out and make a difference… and then do it again.

Imagine walking into a restaurant. It seems to be any other chic, LA downtown restaurant. The focus is on organic, delicious fare. But, look closer and you will find it is so much more. Printed on the menu below the lists of sumptuous burritos and classic tacos are the stories of the women that make the restaurant run:

• Shayna is now lead server and graduated from computer school.
• Alisha has her daughter back and is attending culinary school in the fall. 
• Stephanie is interning at Border Grill restaurant and boxing.

Welcome to Homegirl Café – a restaurant dedicated to improving the lives of former and at-risk gang members. Patricia Zarate created the restaurant as a way to give back to her community. For these at-risk women, the skills that Zarate teaches can mean the difference between life and death… a new future, a much brighter one. Zarate provides these women with hope, and the patrons of the restaurant with a delicious meal. 

This concept is so similar to Project 7’s mantra of not asking you to buy more stuff… just change which stuff you buy. By providing a restaurant that is so much more than a restaurant, Zarate allows her patrons to make a difference simply by eating a few delicious tacos, something yours truly does as often as I can. 

There are a number of restaurants that do this sort of thing:
• FareStart – Seattle
FareStart trains Seattle homeless to be restaurant workers and provides meals to Head Start and shelters
• Plates Café – Sacramento
Trains homeless mothers to be restaurant workers
• Crossroads Café – San Francisco
Trains homeless and at-risk youth in the hospitality industry

We applaud these restaurant for modeling their businesses to give back. We would love to hear from our P7 community about other restaurants like this. In fact, we will start a nationwide list so the next time you get a hankering to head out for a meal you do more than just add to your waistline… make a change in someone’s future.

So, what’s different? When you buy a Project 7 product, each product/cause does a specific thing so you know exactly the good you’ve done. No waiting for the vote, no waiting to find out what each finalist will do. Real good, in real time.

So, (yes, three “so’s” in a row) why did we switch it up? While the vote was great and we had over 40,000 votes cast, we received some feedback from you, the consumers about wanting to have tangible good done sooner. And when you speak, we listen.

So, (and a fourth one!) how does it work? Through the relationships we have built with a number of non-profits throughout the world, we will continue to fund projects in seven areas of need. The seven areas of need and the good that each cause-related product does are as follows:
• Feed the Hungry – Provides seven meals in American communities
• Heal the Sick – Provides medicine for a person suffering from Malaria
• Hope for Peace – Provides a day of counseling for a child of war
• House the Homeless – Provides shelter, food, education and health care for a day for an orphan
• Quench the Thirsty – Provides clean water for a human in need for 1 year
• Save the Earth – Plants 10 fruit trees back into the Earth
• Teach them Well – Provides a week of schooling for a child in Africa

So, (and a fifth one for fun) let’s say you bought a bio-bottle of Feed the Hungry water, a pack of Hope for Peace gum and a Save the Earth T-shirt. You would know that you just planted 10 fruit trees, given a child of war much needed counseling and fed seven hungry people in our own country.

We are really excited about the P7 2.0 and hope you are too. Keep an eye out for the new packaging that’s coming out. Also, we will be making some changes to our website – including a “good tracker” where you can keep track of the products you by and the good they do to see the impact you make. So stay tuned and let us know what you think!

That was how it was supposed to go. But, it didn’t happen. Emergency struck and Tyler had to have surgery. Don’t worry, he’s fine (we are so thankful). But, his doctor wouldn’t clear him to fly. This is pretty much the only thing that would have kept him from going, In fact, I’m pretty sure he was trying to figure out how to drive there on time and under the influences of pain killers. But, in the long run it was decided that I would fill in for Tyler and go on the last leg of the tour. 

Now, I could go on and on about my television appearance (which I was super nervous for… and managed to say ah and um even thought I’m not supposed to, if your curious click here), the strange man that bought my dinner for no reason and how amazing the concert was (which it was, the three artists were stellar) but, the thing that hit me the most happened the last day we were there. The 7 Cities Tour was created to promote volunteering and giving back and this past Saturday about 200 perfect strangers, and I, did just that. 

The volunteer event was at two Minneapolis Feed My Starving Children locations. For those that don’t know, Feed My Starving Children sends nutritious meals to over 70 countries. They rely on volunteers and donations to support their wonderful efforts with 96% of each dollar donated going toward these meals. Thanks to being at Project 7, I’ve learned so much about the needs facing our world. I’ve seen both wonderful and horrible things and for the most part, nothing gets to me anymore. Not to say that I’m desensitized, but I’ve seen so much, that I’ve grown accustomed to seeing tough things. However, this was not the case on Saturday.

I got there early, arriving by myself as the other Project 7 team members were coming from a different part of town. I signed my name, got my obligatory hair net and took a seat with a group of perfect strangers. To kick off the volunteering day, one of the FMSC volunteer leaders gave a small introduction into what we were going to be doing. He was witty, warm and wonderful, some of my favorite “W” words. During his presentation, he showed us a three minute video about what they do. Now, I make this type of video as part of my job. I knew what they were going to show me, but I just wasn’t prepared. I was sitting there, eating my Caribou pumpkin bread, which is delicious by the way, watching the visuals of starving, truly starving, children. The one that really got to me was a little boy, 14 months of age, who only weighed 7 lbs. His sad, broken little body couldn’t support his seemingly overly large head. As I stared at this little boy and listened to George, the FMSC volunteer coordinator, talk about children eating pebbles to fill the painful void in their stomachs, I began to cry. I don’t know what hit me so hard. I’ve seen starving children before, heard tales of hunger, but this really hit me. And this wouldn’t be the last time that day I was hit.

After the video (and many tissues for me and a couple of other people), we were ushered into the packing room which turned out to be a joyful experience. I was surrounded by loving, giving people who were there to make a difference. As we packaged up life saving meals, I decided to find out what motivated them to come spend part of their Saturday packing food for perfect strangers they would more than likely never meet. So, I posed these simple questions: Why are you here today? Why did you come?

The answers astounded me and were the second time I was hit (and subsequently cried).
• One woman had just turned 60 and it was her way of changing her life for the better. It was her first time ever volunteering and she was hooked.   
• One woman was there with her 10 year old daughter. She was there because her daughter had volunteered the week before and had absolutely loved it. It was the daughter who had motivated her mother.
• One gentleman was there because he wanted to support his sister who was turning over a new leaf in life after a messy divorce.

Their answers were all different and all heartfelt, and to be honest, I didn’t care why they were there. I enjoyed every minute of their hair netted company. And whether or not I ever see those people again we shared something special. Bettering the lives of innocent children. And just when I thought I couldn’t get hit again I was wrong. 

After the volunteering shift was over, I stood in front of 100 perfect strangers and thanked them and encouraged them to not let this be the first or last time they made a difference in the lives of a stranger. After my short speech, one of the women who had been at my station came up to me and said “I didn’t tell you the whole story when you asked me why I volunteered today. It is the fifth anniversary of me being sober. When I decided to get sober, I promised to use bettering my own life to better the lives of others. I volunteer at least once a month and I just wanted you to know.” For the third time that day I burst into tears. This woman’s honesty and gift to both herself and others seriously hit me hard. 

I stayed for a second shift and managed not to cry again… but it was hard. What I learned that day is that no matter how much you know there is always room to learn more about the world, the people in it and most importantly, ourselves. I learned that I am not alone in my goal to make positive changes. I learned you can’t control everything, like emergency surgeries. And finally, I learned that the more you give the more you get. I might have already known that one… but I was reminded of it last Saturday. Thank you again to all of those people that made my day so amazing.

I’ve been going through a lot in life, which I won’t bore you with the details, but let’s just say a few tears have been shed and my big girl pants needed to come out of the closet. As a result of some of these things, I have made the decision to sell my wonderful home. I will miss it, but it has to be done. In order to do this I have to get it into fightin’ shape. It is an older home and when a series of storms ripped through our area a few months ago I had some major roof issues that caused severe wall damage in a number of rooms. I have since had the walls repaired but, due to financial constraints, decided to paint the walls myself. Every night for the last month I have left work, donned my painting uniform and grabbed a roller or brush. On occasion my dog has decided to help me getting his ears or a paw in the paint bucket… actually not helpful at all. Well, after several weeks of painting I started to lose steam. It seemed like the unending pile of laundry that just won’t get smaller no matter what you do. My sell date looms closer and I’ve started to feel overwhelmed. There was no way that little ol’ me could get it all done. Enter help.

Without being asked and totally as a surprise to me a girlfriend of mine took it upon herself to organize a painting brigade. Some of the people didn’t even know me, but once my girlfriend shared my story and what I was looking at, they jumped at the chance to spend their Sunday helping out a stranger. The brigade showed up and painted from noon to 5 pm. It was amazing what a few extra hands accomplished. I’m still painting, have only trim and edging left to do, but this group of people helped me find the strength to finish.

Now, I know this is an example of comfortable complaining. I am not going hungry, I have a roof over my head and I have my health (I also have one paint covered dog). But, this is an example of people seeing a need and stepping in to help – unsolicited and without even knowing the recipient. I am amazed by their generosity and grateful for their gift. So, I challenge you dear readers, find one person that you know needs help and do it. It doesn’t matter what it is, help one person this week. Make a difference in someone’s life.

Do it and then tell us how you helped.

Allow me to introduce Merrie Harris and Jay Valentine. Ad executive Harris loaned Valentine her credit card when the homeless man asked her for change and she had none. Much to the the surprise of the astonished onlookers, Valentine took the card, bought a handful of things like deodorant and bodywash (the total came to $25) and promptly returned the card to Harris.

Read the full story here – This is a great example of someone helping out another human being – just because. And that human being being helped proving that they are worthy – just because.

So the question is, would you loan a homeless person your credit card?

At Project 7, we are exposed to numerous nonprofits and the good they are doing in the world. This week was no exception. I’d like to introduce you to Harvesters Reaching the Nations (HRN) and Mama Lilly.

We listened to their story, amazed by what we heard. 10 years ago, Mama Lilly and her husband sold everything they had to move to Sudan and start an orphanage to better the lives of hundreds of children. Just a few facts about Sudan:
• It is called the Land of Death
• 1/5 children die of preventable diseases before the age of 5
• 1/9 women die from childbirth

Imagine if you had no mother and no one to care for you, and you were only five. Imagine having no one to tuck you in at night, no one to comfort you when you were scared or provide a meal when you were hungry. These facts are bleak, but thanks to people like Mama Lilly there is hope. Currently HRN serves almost 700 children each day. 170 children live at HRN and 500 additional children come daily from the village of Yei to get schooling. HRN employees 77 indigenous staff between the two orphanages. In addition, they are about to break ground on a much needed maternity clinic that will eventually serve as a hospital.

The difference Mama Lilly and husband Dennis are making just goes to show  how important each of us is. 10 years ago, these two people decided to change someone else’s life… and now they are mother and father to hundreds of Sudanese children. So, while it may be belated, we would like to wish Mama Lilly a Happy Mothers Day and thank her and Dennis for all that they do.

(FROM FORSAKEN) Right here in the United States an estimated 2.8 million children are homeless.

Nearly half of them are under the age of 6 years old

Many of them physically and sexually abused

Hundreds of thousands of them are forced into the horrific world of child sex trafficking

It is estimated that nearly half a million children are sold for sex right here in the United States EVERY single year

“About a year ago I walked into the first youth homeless shelter I had ever seen in my life. I was stunned to see a shelter filled with children that had no place to call home. Some with parents some without. I later discovered that millions and millions of children across the country were homeless. It’s a problem that’s literally spinning out of control.

I realized that I had to do something. Someone needed to stand up and help these kids. By ignoring these helpless children we just continue to perpetuate the problem. We’ve truly created a Forsaken Generation.” – Sean Wrench, founder Forsaken Generation

In the last 2 years the number of homeless children have DOUBLED.
Child and Youth Homelessness in America has become a NATIONAL CRISIS.
Many of these kids actually sleep on the streets because they aren’t fortunate enough to find nearby shelter.

Because we choose to ignore them, these homeless children are dying every…single…day. Will you be their voice?

How can you help?

We can connect you with a Youth Homeless Shelter in your area
- Volunteer your time
- Organize a clothing/food drive
- Play with the children

Sign our online petition!
- Click on the change.org logo on forsakengeneration.com to sign it!

Write a letter to your state representative
- Find samples on forsakengeneration.com

Raise Awareness
- Invite Sean Wrench, founder of Forsaken Generation to come speak at your
school, church, business or community organization.

Join or start a Forsaken Generation Street Team
- Act locally to be a part of ending child homelessness
- Raise awareness for youth homelessness and child sex trafficking
- Organize fundraisers for Forsaken Generation

Follow us online!
Web: forsakengeneration.com
Twitter: @forsakengen
Facebook: facebook.com/forsakengeneration
YouTube: youtube.com/forsakengeneration1

“I interned with a police department in victims’ assistance and discovered a passion for domestic violence victims,” Mary explained.

After referring victims to organizations like Mosaic, she took a job as a case manager working with mostly refugees and immigrants who were victims of domestic violence or human trafficking. Mosaic Family Services is a nonprofit community-based organization that provides services free of charge to refugees and immigrants who are victims of human trafficking and domestic violence in North Texas. The mission of Mosaic Family Services is to support, educate, and empower individuals and families of the communities we serve. After nearly three years with Mosaic, the most difficult part for Mary is watching victims who choose to return to their abusive situations.

“I understand the reasons why women may tend to go back to their homes to some extent, but I worry about their safety,” Mary said. “I worry if before they decide to leave from our shelter or agency that they are fully aware and well informed with ample information and know all their options should they need to get out again.”

On the other end of the spectrum, Mary is encouraged when she sees clients who walked in with submissive postures and fear in their eyes transformed into someone standing proud, speaking with assurance and walking with confidence.

“You can literally notice the difference just looking at them – it’s often that significant of a change,” Mary said.

According to Mosaic Family Services, the organization’s mission is to support, educate and empower individuals and families of the community they serve. The organization was started in 1993 by Dr. Walter Nguyen who saw a need specifically for services for refugee and immigrant victims.

“We aim to educate them, to make them self-sufficient and to help them know what is available to them – whether that is services with the police, legal services, ESL classes, court hearings, a safe house such as our shelter, transitional housing, counseling, food stamps, Medicaid or knowledge about public transportation,” said Mary. “Many of the clients we serve are unaware about the services available to them and are undocumented. They’re afraid or brainwashed into thinking that if they go to the police for help then they will be deported, which is not the case. The police and organizations such as ours are here to help victims.”

Mosaic assists clients from diverse backgrounds who speak one or more of the 29 languages Mosaic serves. They serve human trafficking clients – both male and female – from all over the world, including Mexico, India, Sri Lanka, and Korea.

“They are lured here under false pretenses, lied to, abused and often brainwashed into thinking they are stuck in their situation without hope of freedom,” Mary said. “There are so many victims out there who don’t know who to go to or that help is available. I wish we could get a hold of each one of them and help them.”

In response the constant debate about assisting illegal immigrants in the United States, Mary responds, “Victims are victims and should be helped.”

Author’s note: While most of the stories and pictures of Mary’s direct work with clients have to remain unsaid and unseen for victims’ safety, the key thing I experienced from speaking with her is that these men and women aren’t stories on a blog or faces on posters at a church, they are real, un-famous, walking among us, and most importantly – they are hurting and need help.

The day before our volunteer event we had the chance to visit a few Caribou Coffee locations. The Project 7 team got to meet and greet the employees as well as tell the story of Project 7 to any customers who would listen. We were excited by the warm reception that is so synonymous with the South. It was a busy day but necessary to get everyone as excited about volunteering as we were.

The morning of the 25th we rolled out with the managers of the local Caribous for a two part volunteering event. We would be visiting both the Atlanta Community Food Bank and City of Refuge. Both organizations do a ton for the Atlanta Community and we were honored to serve them.

We had a good group at City of Refuge – about 14 people. It was a wonderful mix of people from Atlanta that heard about if from different sources. We toured the facility and served lunch. We all enjoyed learning what City of Refuge was doing in their community.

At Atlanta Community Food Bank, we had 22 in our group. We all worked together to sort and pack salvage food goods. We packed 6,551 lbs of food & fed 4,367 families! So inspiring and easy to do.

To end the day, we put on a concert at one of the local Caribou Coffees and invited all of the volunteers and the community to attend. The artist was the very talented Micah Dalton and the atmosphere was very relaxed and intimate. It had been raining, but the rain held off during the concert so we were able to have it outside. The perfect end to a great day.

The next stop on our tour will be Charlotte, NC. Stay tuned for more details. We hope to make it even bigger and better. To learn more visit www.ChangeTheScore.com.