Reece's Rainbow

Grab This Button
.

I've blogged here before about American Express' Members Project, but now I want to share with you my favorite project on their list of nominations. It's called Reece's Rainbow (on the American Express site it's referred to as "Save an orphan with Down Syndrome").

.

The primary goals of Reece's Rainbow are:

• To raise awareness regarding the plight of children with Down syndrome in foreign orphanages and their availability to be adopted
• To raise adoption grant donations for each of our waiting children
• To seek new adoptive families for orphans with Down syndrome internationally
• To provide adoptive families with additional fundraising opportunities.
• To fund humanitarian aid opportunities and improve the quality of life of our children waiting to be adopted
• To fund educational and therapeutic opportunities for orphaned children with Down syndrome living in foreign orphanages
• To fund and facilitate the development of new Down syndrome birth parent support groups in foreign countries, thereby decreasing the number of children placed in orphanages
• To enact social change abroad about children with Down syndrome and other special needs through the testimony of adoption

Take a few minutes to go over to the American Express Member's Project Website (click on the button above, or go here and search for "Reece"). You don't have to have an American Express card to vote, and these few clicks and two minutes of your time could save the lives of children with special needs who are waiting to be adopted. I voted, I hope you will, too. Hurry, voting ends on September 1st!

.

~*~*~ May you always remember to dance in the rain, and may you have plenty of ladybugs beside you! ~*~*~

.

Blessings,

Kat

The Member's Project

I've been an American Express cardmember for close to 10 years, and I truly never leave home without it. Regardless of your preference for card companies, American Express' Members Project is worth checking out.

For the 2nd year in a row, American Express is conducting a "Members Project." This initiative allows cardmembers to submit ideas for ways to bring positive change to the world, and the winning ideas will receive a total of $2.5 million to bring the ideas to fruition. The winning project will receive $1.5 million, second place will receive $500,000, third place will receive $300,000 and two runner-up projects will receive $100,00 each.

Last year's winning project was “Children's Safe Drinking Water.” American Express provided UNICEF $2 million to make it happen. UNICEF has used that money to promote household water treatment and safe storage options in countries including Angola, Guinea, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Tanzania.

Only cardmembers can submit ideas and vote, but even if you're not a cardmember, all you need is an email address to post messages on the Members Project Discussion Board, nominate your favorite projects, or reach out to friends and family who are Cardmembers and encourage them to submit projects and vote.

Do you have a great idea, something that could make the world a better place? If you're a cardmember, get ready to submit your idea! If you're not, find someone who is, or apply to become a cardmember yourself.

Here's the timeline:

July 22 -Aug 19: Members can submit their ideas at www.MembersProject.com
Aug 20 - Sept 8: Start discussing the submissions and begin campaigning for your favorites!
Sept 9: Top 25 projects are announced and voting begins
Sept 30: Top 5 projects are announced and final voting begins
Oct 14: Winners are announced and American Express provides $2.5 million!

For more details on Member's Project, visit www.MembersProject.com.

To learn more about the benefits of membership or to apply for a card, visit www.AmericanExpress.com.

They'll provide the cash, we'll provide the ideas and the buzz. And in the process, we'll all help to make the world a better place.

~*~*~ May you always remember to dance in the rain, and may you have plenty of ladybugs beside you! ~*~*~

Blessings,
Kat