About Us

Matthew Emerzian and Kelly Bozza, co-authors and co-founders, wrote Every Monday Matters: 52 Ways to Make a Difference to communicate that it is the plain, simple, ordinary individual, either acting alone or together with others, who can change the world. Every Monday Matters (EMM) promotes the fact that people have the power. People matter. Like voting in an election, every vote counts. Eat Healthy, Choose Canvas Bags, Thank A Firefighter, Exercise, Meditate/Pray, Support A Global Cause, Donate Clothes – every Monday people can make a difference in their life and the lives of those around them. No matter how big or small the actions, they matter. And not only do people have the power to make change, they have a social responsibility to do so. Not out of guilt, but out of an appreciation for every living thing in the world. Together, we will make a difference in the world and raise the collective consciousness, thereby creating a legacy worth participating in…one Monday at a time. There is nothing more fulfilling.

A Year Later

The book was released in January 2008 by Thomas Nelson and has organically sold roughly 100,000 copies; but, more significantly, it has launched a movement – a collective action of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. People are starting EMM Clubs with friends, family members, and classmates, creating MySpace and Facebook Groups, getting active in our YOU MATTER campaigns, getting their churches, schools, and companies involved, and eagerly sharing their personal stories and journeys with EMM via our website…the central hub for the movement.

We continue to engage people through our brand new YOU MATTER K-12 School Curriculum, our YOU MATTER Corporate Social-Responsibility Program, new viral videos, a weekly newsletter, new YOU MATTER campaigns, a weekly newspaper column (posted on Huffington Post and promoted to over 400 newspapers nationally), EMM Charitable Foundation Events, and more.

Get our book.
Get involved.

You Matter.

Comments

5 Responses to “About Us”

1. Sharon Bort says:

   May 9, 2010 at 5:07 pm

   I just read your book for the first time and I thought it was wonderful. It’s the kind of book everyone should read. One thing stuck out to me though. On Monday 8, help the hungry, you suggest purchasing and handing out fast-food gift cards to homeless people. But on Monday 28, no fast food, you talk about all the negatives of eating such unhealthy foods. I understand that fast food is cheaper, but I don’t know why there should be different standards for the homeless/hungry. There are alternatives like giving them a grocery store gift card. Obviously the book has already been published, but it’s something to consider.

   Thanks for listening,
   Sharon
2. Jenna Smith says:

   August 15, 2010 at 9:30 am

   I have been newly introduced to EMM and am amazed at how many people are recognizing our world’s problems and are willing to take a stand to fix them!! This truly is a wonderful concept!! With EMM it’s just going to be a matter of time until this becomes a national movement!!

   Sharon- I too have read the book and agree that it is absolutely wonderful. In regards to your concerns about Monday 8 & 28 contradicting themselves here’s my personal thoughts on the subject… With a gift card to fast food, there are many options that fast food chains have created for people to eat and choose from that are healthy. Taco Bell has a light menu with grilled steak soft tacos etc., McDonalds has there wraps and salads, In n Out has there Protein Burgers (no bun, just lettuce wrapped around hamburger patties)…and the list goes on!! With fast food gift cards they do still have the option to go with eating healthy but with anything in life the decision is solely up to them whether they order healthy or unhealthy. This same concept is also applied for giving them a gift card for the grocery store. There are MANY unhealthy things they have to choose from in a grocery store and if they attempted to go with buying something healthy, such as items to make a sandwich…I highly doubt they will take the time to buy a loaf of bread, lunch meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, condiments, and all the other things one might put on a sandwich opposed to just purchasing a sandwich from a fast food chain. One last problem I found with the grocery store gift card, is that all grocery stores have food and safety precautions that need to be met. You must be wearing shoes, shirt, etc to enter a grocery store and beings they are homeless I’m guessing that an individual that is homeless is not going to meet the grocery store criteria. Just food for thought, I hope this has helped
3. Teresa Rowan says:

   February 7, 2011 at 9:12 pm

   I was fortunate to see Toni speak at the Service Learning Conference in San Diego today. She was awesome and inspiring! The story beind the book and the philosophy touched me. My first grade students and I have recently planned and begun a project that parallels Every Monday Matters, and I am excited to share your story with them and to continue to make sure that they know that they MATTER and to encourage them to make others feel the same. I’m a big fan of all that you stand for, and so proud to be a part of a movement that can make this world a better place to be.
4. KRISTA says:

   March 5, 2011 at 11:02 am

   hi, u went to my school like on Wensday and it is Collegeville school.you guys are awesome and thankyou so much for coming to our school it will be in the news paper because my teacher asked for some of our students to write a paragraph about what happened.thanks again for the millitary,wrist bands,doll,and most of all the banner.
5. viviana says:

   May 26, 2011 at 7:05 pm

   hey, you went to a pal conference and told us all about you and your book……….also the wrist bands are really cool……………….thanks for coming to this meeting