Party with a Purpose
FACTS
- Every week in the U.S. there are:
- 5,890,775 birthdays
- 41,154 weddings
- 82,788 births
- Birthdays are the #1 reason people celebrate.
- There are millions of other gift-giving/receiving occasions every year, such as bat and bar mitzvahs, graduations, funerals, retirements, and debutante balls.
- Every year, nearly 140 million people purchase and/or receive a gift card with an average value of $59.
- $832 is the average amount spent annually on holiday gifts.
TAKE ACTION TODAY
- Select a charity, cause, or purpose you wish to support. Or, support the Every Monday Matters Foundation.
- Decide which holiday or occasion for which you would like your friends and family to make a donation instead of giving you a gift.
- Send a free email invitation.
- Provide your friends and family with the proper charity information to make their giving easier— website, phone number, or address.
- If there is not a specific reason for having a party, make one up. Simply have guests bring a food dish or beverage along with money for your charity of choice or for someone in need.
YOU MATTER
If everyone gives up their birthday gifts this year, $3 billion dollars or more can be donated to worthy causes or needy people. Friends and family donating money in your name can be much more rewarding than getting material gifts. Giving is a lot more gratifying than receiving, no matter the occasion.
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Keep open the dialog and the options for those who may not have access to the arts. Create opportunities for expression in your community.
On Saturday April 4th, 2009, my family and friends gathered to celebrate a milestone birthday with me. I wanted to create something different for my 30th birthday and after reading Every Monday Matters, I knew I wanted to throw a Party with a Purpose – Casa De Amor. Instead of birthday presents, I wanted to raise $2,400, the cost to build a house for a family in Tijuana.
When guests arrived at the party, one of the first things they saw was our information booth. We printed out pictures from some of our past Amor trips and used them and some Amor brochures to decorate the walls. The Casa De Amor brochures educated our guests and gave them something to take home.
We used a picture from one of our past trips to serve as a gauge of our progress. Every half hour we would update the fundraising gauge and as people donated we’d encourage them to sign their names.
At the end of the party, we had exceeded the goal of raising enough to build one house. And, within a few weeks of the party, people that were unable to attend the party contributed, bringing our total to $3,745.
More importantly, we were able to educate and inform dozens of people about the amazing things Amor Ministries is doing to help end poverty in the name of Jesus.
Because of the generosity of friends and family, I’m able to remember my 30th birthday with the gift of a home to a family that needed one. Working with Amor Ministries, today, two months later, the Arreta Rodriguez family of six moved into their new home. They’ve moved from a one-room house with a floor in poor condition and walls made of used lumber to a home with a solid foundation, secure walls, and a sturdy roof; they even have a front door and keys to their very own home! They have electricity, drinkable water, access to propane, a stove…and, a new beginning.