ThirstTees

Hi everyone! Do you remember back in November when I shared Kristin's work in India with all of you? And in that post I said-

Outside of this bubble we live in, there is so much more going on in the world. It's easy to get caught up in your daily life and forget this- I know I am guilty of often having a one-track "me me me" mindset, and not looking or thinking outside of where I very comfortably sit. But one of my biggest goals for this next year (and now) is to make a difference, and that's where this blog comes in.

Since then it's been on my heart to continue posting about awesome groups doing great work, and today I'm here to share my friend Kyle and his organization with all of you. There are so many charities and organizations out there, and it's often hard to know where to invest your time, energy, and even money. That's why I love that I am able to use this platform to share the work of people I know, and spread the word about the causes they are working for. Like I mentioned above, today we are hearing from my friend Kyle. He's going to tell you all about his philanthropic organization, and if you're so inclined, feel free to visit their website, check out their work, and even share about ThirstTees via your own blog or twitter.  As always, thank you all so much for reading! I'll hand it over to Kyle now...

I have recently been blessed with the opportunity to start a philanthropic clothing line called ThirstTees (www.thirsttees.com). Every tee purchased provides one person with 25 year of clean water. We are able to do this through a partnership with a non-profit called Thirst Relief International (thirstfelief.org), that builds wells and water purifiers in Africa and South America.

The origin of ThirstTees began with a trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil I took while still in college. I had the opportunity to work with a group of kids living in the favelas (slums). I had seen the pictures and heard the stories about the hardships of different parts of the world, but it never really hits you until you see it with your own eyes. While I was down there, we visited the homes of numerous families and listened to the stories of what they faced each day. They essentially live in shacks made of any materials they can find. Their electricity is stolen from the city and the sewage system consisted of PVC pipes leading to an open river flowing through town (it's hard to forget the smell). However, the mothers were focusing their stories on the concerns of how to keep their 10 and 11 year old children away from prostitution and drugs. How could that already be a concern in a child's life? It was shocking. The problem was the parents didn't have the time to keep their children away from these issues because they were struggling to simply provide food and water for them. It quickly puts the issues of an American lifestyle in perspective. I knew that I wanted to do something to help- and you can check out the full Founders Story if you'd like to learn more about that.

After returning home, I finished school and ended up traveling to New Zealand with my brother for eight months. While we were there, we researched how to start a business between cleaning toilets and making beds to pay for our accommodation. I also began to research more about the water crisis. The more I learned, the more I realized clean water was a HUGE issues that leads to numerous problems around the world.

- Every 19 seconds a child dies from a water related illness.

- Disease from unsafe drinking water kills more people then all forms of violence combined, including war.

- More people on this earth have cell phones then access to a toilet. (More facts here)

All of the time and effort spent on finding clean water is time missed in school, taking care of a family or earning an income. Water is where it starts. Our world has made incredible leaps forward in our capabilities, but through our progress, we have left too many people behind.

At ThirstTees, we believe that a life of joy and fulfillment comes down to giving to others. Focusing on others needs before your own. I do not claim to be an expert on this. I actually struggle with this daily and that is why I wanted to create something where I could devote my life to focusing on others. My goal was to make it simple and easy for my friends and family to help someone across the world that they will never see or meet. We are all connected. What happens on the other side of the world impacts how our businesses operate and the choices our government makes, which then trickles down to our individual lives. Until we start to see the world as one connected unit, we will stay on the same path that many people are not happy with. However, as soon as we take our eyes off of ourselves and put them on others, change will follow.

We would love it if you would join our movement to end thirst, because no one should be thirsty (ThirstTee). Check out our blog, follow us on twitter, like us on facebook, circle us on Google+, and most importantly, purchase a tee and change the next 25 years of a person's life.

Thoughts On Change

I don't know what it is, but lately I've been in the most introspective, analytical mood ever.  Maybe it's because Henry just turned one in November, maybe it's because these are the last months before I hit the big 3-0, who knows...but I've been thinking a lot about the past few years and everything I've learned. 2011 was such a year of growth- obviously having a child is a huge part of that- but I think it goes beyond just becoming a Mom.

The other night before bed I spent an hour or so reading back through the archives here.  Even though this blog is only a few years old, reading some of my earlier entries made me laugh (and cringe). I sounded so naive, so idealistic...and I think this past year has really carried me into a place of reality, with myself and with others. I think for a long time I was still figuring out who I was- and really, do we ever know? As expected I'm still learning something new everyday, but I definitely know the kind of person I want to be- and more than anything that person is positive, loving, and kind in all situations. It's simple really- I want to be my best self, and I want to surround myself with positive people who are also working towards the same.

I've had so many long discussions with Hank about the intricacies of personality; about how we have these things ingrained in us that are so difficult to change. Possible, yes. But often very hard. As far as me, I have things I am always working on. Take a positive attitude for example: some days it comes naturally, but other days it's a decision, and some days I don't really even want to expend the energy to get there. Is that weird? It's like I know I'm in a bad mood and it's a simple fix, but I just continue to go along in my negativity rather than change. I'll be fully aware of it but yet do nothing to shift it. It's interesting to me, to be totally self-aware but yet still not be able to change exactly when you'd like to. I know change comes gradually through repeated effort to get there, but it's still interesting to think about how amazing the human mind is, both in its willingness to change and stubbornness not to.

What works for me is looking at life on a day by day basis. I'm a huge big-picture thinker and I'm always dreaming of the future, but when I know I need to work on something it's important for me to stay grounded and focused on the now. Cutting out sugar was hard in the beginning, but I took it day by day and all of a sudden I find myself finishing up a month of sugar-free living, and I feel proud of this accomplishment. So right now I'm just taking each day for what it is, a chance to be the best person, wife, and mother I can be; a daily chance to achieve small goals that eventually work into the bigger picture. I know that if yesterday I found myself in a negative place, today I can change my attitude and be kinder to myself and those around me. I know that if I get into a disagreement, if I didn't make good food choices, if I was more lazy than productive, then right now I can do it differently. And doing this day after day, making small decisions to be better, leads to positivity being a part of the majority of your days. Then weeks. Then months...

Most of all I'm trying to be kinder to myself. I'm a perfectionist by nature but I'm learning that nothing will ever work out to be exactly how I planned or pictured. And that's okay. I'm not a fortune-teller, so any firm expectation I have in my mind will never be met, because it's impossible to see what lies ahead. All I can do is keep working on little things everyday, accepting myself, and moving positively forward. It's exciting really, seeing changes, and totally satisfying to take a step back and know that you are in fact accomplishing goals you've set out for yourself, no matter how long it takes.

So with that said, is there anything you find yourself working on, on a daily basis? Do you have anything about yourself you want or need to change but have a hard time doing so? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for reading. xoxo

Asha Guwahati: an update from Kristin

My friend Kristin sent me a great update on her work in India to share with all of you here. If you'd like to read the original post or find out how to donate, visit my post from Thanksgiving.  I firmly believe I have the best readers ever, and to know how much we all contributed makes my heart swell. Thank you, thank you. Here's Kristin- and be sure to follow along on her journey via her blog too!:

Hi lovely readers! It is almost impossible to believe but it has been two months since Danielle shared the story of Asha Guwahati right here on Sometimes Sweet. I knew that her readers were awesome, but the outpouring and support that I have received from you all is more than I ever imagined possible. to put it in perspective, you guys have donated enough money to make 6,000 meals. That is right, six thousand!!!! There are no words I can even say to describe how incredible that is. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that this would stretch around the world as it already has. The amount of support we have received has recently allowed me to expand what we can offer to these kids, and it definitely has me dreaming big. Every penny (or rupee!) that we have received still goes one hundred percent to the children, either through meals or street girls days.

Every week, I head to the same slum with some of my friends and coworkers, though it is the same location it feels different week by week. Things are changing before our very eyes. The slum children are reaching out to one another, helping to pass out meals and doing it with huge smiles on their faces. They hold our hands and guide us through their homes, right down by the tracks as the trains barrel by. One local girl has started inviting me over every Sunday to spend time with her family. Just today we danced, sang, played and laughed and when I went home I couldn't help but cry. I knew when starting this that I was letting them in my heart, but now they have completely let me in theirs. Asha Guwahati continues to provide these meals every week but more importantly, it has become a dependable source of love, happiness and support in a place that rarely (if ever) saw those things.



On behalf of the children of Lakhtokia, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for supporting me and these children though we have never met. As one of the slum girls, Anjuna, sat next to me a few weeks ago and asked if she could help to give out the meals, the purpose of all of this lit up in her. We have the incredible responsibility to be the living example of self-less giving and compassionate love to the children in our lives. Our smallest of actions impacts them in the biggest of ways and has the potential to change them forever. Thank you so much for providing such incredible inspiration to continue to serve the children here.

With Love,
Kristin