Its Giving Tuesday and we want to do our part. David and I are donating 10% of this week’s “Workflow” sales to our favorite charity, Room to Read. Help us to help them! Get your copy of our comprehensive workflow guide and make a difference in someone’s life!
What is your favorite charity? How are you making a difference this this holiday season?
Winter Sunrise
Winter is fully upon us, and life has been 100% getting in the way of shooting. I am actually planning, weather permitting, to finally get out and shoot today. Forecast?…more snow photos are in your future. haha
In the meantime, I’ve spent my time editing my photos from Peru, trying to finish up that folder so I can make some use of the images I shot. At the moment, my plan is to submit them for publication….so you can’t see most of them yet. haha But trust me, they are awesome.
I’ve also spent some time “house keeping”, so to speak. I’ve had a lot of little things to do, and no time to do them. One of those many things was making a donation to CARE.org….YOUR donation, in fact. For those of you who spent a little time shopping in my store…well, clap yourselves on the back. You did a great thing. Not only did you get something purty to hang on your wall (or an awesome mug to drink out of, or a card for your friends…etc) but you made a difference in someone’s life.
Karma points, in da bank!
So, many thanks to all of you for helping me make the goal of a donation to the Philippines a reality. I could not possibly have done so without your support. You Rock!
For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, you can read up on the project here. Also, if you haven’t already done so, please follow me on my FB page, where you can timely updates on the things happening with SSP….the movin’ and the shakin’.
xoxo
Shannon
Wild and Free
“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” -Henry David Thoreau
That quote by Thoreau really struck me. It was an eloquent reminder to be a “smart shopper” and to invest in the things that matter. Sometimes, taking a break to appreciate the beautiful chaos of nature is the most therapeutic thing we can do. Find time for the things that make you happy. Appreciate, be grateful, smile, laugh and love. ❤
FUNDRAISER UPDATE
As you all know, I’m running a fundraiser for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan. (50% of profits from sales through December 15, go here: www.zazzle.com/skalahan) Turns out, zazzle is also running a deal through 11/21 (sorry, I know, not much notice)…use the code HOLIDAYCOUNT for up to 60% off! And I’m pretty sure it is on the production end, not mine, so the donation to the Filipinos will be the same!
Gray’s Beach – Infinity
Typhoon Haiyan left much of the Philippines in ruins. The death toll estimates are staggering, and the numbers are astronomical.
What numbers?
According to CARE.ORG:
11.3 million people affected
673,000 people displaced
300,000 of those people are without shelter
No electricity, no water, no food
Often, when it’s not in our backyard, it’s hard to empathize with someone else’s tragedy. It’s easy to turn a blind eye, to say it’s not my problem. There is always a tragedy. There is always someone who needs our money. What about us, we’re struggling too, invest in the US. And besides, the holidays are here. I need to budget for presents, and turkeys and such.
Believe me, I helped run a non-profit, I know the drill.
I remember a few years back when we got hit with “Snow-Tober”, as we liked to call it. Much of New England was out of power for a week, and it was difficult. We were cold, many people were cranky, AND WE STILL HAD OUR HOMES. We still had food, we still had water, and if you were lucky, you still had gas for your car, places you could shower, places you could warm up.
The victims of this typhoon have only destruction.
When I saw the photos, it affected me. I asked myself what I could do to help. Like everyone else, I live paycheck to paycheck and due to a few personal emergencies lately, my savings is depleted. But one of my all time favorite quotes…well…paraphrases (research it, it’s a good passage) is: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Yesterday, I stumbled upon www.photocircle.net, which is a printer out of Germany and Hengki Koentjoro’s pledge to donate 50% of his profits from photo sales to CARE.ORG, which would in turn help the victims of the typhoon. I immediately went to the website to buy a print. Turns out international shipping is over $100, which I couldn’t afford, and if I could, would rather donate it as a lump sum to relief organizations.
Next, I sent off a few emails to see if there were American alternatives for this project. BUST!
So finally, I decided to see if I could make some of this happen myself. Last night I spent some time updating my site, and I WILL DONATE 50% of my profits on every sale through my online store between now and December 15th. Specifically, I posted several new prints, which can be upgraded to canvas and/or framed. Just hit the “customize it” button. According to PhotoCircle.net, it takes about$130 to give emergency relief to a family for a month. That is my goal. At least $130.
The money will go to www.care.org/emergencies/typhoon-haiyan. I chose CARE.ORG over the Red Cross, only because the margin was slightly better…less cost per dollar to fundraise. To see those numbers, go here: www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3568
Furthermore, I’ve asked other artists and small businesses to do the same! If you need to buy presents for the holidays, but want to help, you don’t have to choose. You can do both! So far, my friends at Where to Willie Photography, Print Therapy, Fat Frog Photography, Jeremy Fulton Photography and Unbridled Bead Design have agreed to also donate a portion of their profits to relief efforts.
If you are an artist or small business owner and want to help, just let me know and I will add you to the list and put your link on my site. You can contact me at seespotsphoto@yahoo.com
For those of you who would rather just donate directly to relief efforts, I urge you to do so! This isn’t about us as small businesses. This is about helping our fellow humans. Find a charity you are comfortable working with, and give. I guarantee you will change someone’s life, and in the process, change your own.
PLEASE SHARE THIS POST. WITH YOUR HELP, WE CAN BE THE CHANGE. SPREAD THE WORD, LET’S GET THE PHILIPPINES THE HELP IT NEEDS!
The turkey is gone, the holiday cheer is here!
I have always been a strong believer in good karma and helping my those who can’t help themselves. Since 2002, I have donated my time to Second Chance Ranch Equine Rescue www.scrrescue.org, and one of the ways I do that is by helping with their annual fundraiser calendar.
This past weekend, I spent some time driving around to some local horse farms. Some of the horses featured in the interior of the calendar are animals that have been helped by SCR.
Just in time for Cyber Monday! Happy shopping, and more importantly…Happy Holiday Season! www.cafepress.com/screquinerescue.143136888
Looking for other bloggers, book reviewers (if you can read, you're in!) and photographers who want to join forces to save the world! (Or something like that.)
SeeingSpotsPhoto.com 