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Meet Circle of Care, Our Latest Charity Spotlight

Did you know that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month? Our latest Giving Program donation recipient is Circle of Care, an organization that supports families coping with childhood cancer. We teared up reading their origin story and were amazed by their generosity—it was founded in 2003 by moms who met during their own children’s battle with pediatric cancer.

We hope our interview with Circle of Care President Liz Salguero not only highlights this wonderful organization, but also sheds light on hardships families face when navigating a child’s illness, including isolation, financial stress, and even PTSD.

What was the impetus for Circle of Care?

“Through all the laughter and tears during the years of treatment our children endured, we knew we had to give back.”

Circle of Care was founded in 2003 by moms who met during their children’s own battle with pediatric cancer. We looked to each other for support, information, and a sense of belonging. 

We shared our stories and tips for how to cope.

We began with Bags of Love, our day-of-diagnosis care package, and have since expanded to offer five programs throughout Connecticut.  We provide the kind of care to newly diagnosed families that only another parent who has been through this experience can give.”

How do you impact the community?

When a child is diagnosed with cancer, the news is devastating and everything changes in an instant. Immediate hospitalization is often required, far from home, family and friends with no time to pack or plan. Most initial stays are weeks long. It seems there are more questions than available answers.

Faced with the unimaginable, families commonly feel afraid, guilty, angry, powerless yet still hopeful. Sudden immersion into hospital life and learning a whole new vocabulary while keeping up with blood counts, protocols, the merits of clinical trials, necessary scans, impending surgeries and side effects of radiation and chemotherapy drugs is overwhelming.

Our mission is simple.

Until no family has to hear the words, ‘your child has cancer,’ Circle of Care will be there to support, guide, and provide inspiration to move forward—wherever the journey leads. Over the past 16 years we have helped more than 2,800 families, through our Bags of Love, Art from the Heart Room Makeovers, and over $1.4 million in financial assistance. We provide personal emotional and financial support to these families, so they know they are not alone on this journey.”

What might families coping with childhood cancer need or want?

Loss of work is the biggest challenge these families face. During the first year of treatment, one parent has to stop working to care for their child. This loss of income coupled with increasingly higher medical deductibles and co-pays put families at financial risk. We work to ensure no family has to choose between paying their doctor and putting food on the table.

Isolation is the second biggest challenge. Treatment is long and hard and often children are immune-compromised, so they are cut off from family and friends and can’t attend school or regular activities.

Can you provide a story of a lasting impact your organization had?

Megan and Steven’s only daughter, Cassidy, was diagnosed with ALL in October of 2015. Cassidy was just three years old. Discovering that your child has cancer is bad enough, but when the family realized that her life-saving treatment could bankrupt them, they were faced with an even more startling reality.  Just four months after Cassidy was diagnosed, they came to Circle of Care for assistance with their mortgage, as they had already gone through most of their savings.

Here, Megan shares her experience.

In her own words…

“When presented with devastating, life-changing news, that your child has cancer, the last thing you expect to worry about is the financial impact (especially when you think you have a high-end, “Cadillac” insurance plan).  We heard about the hidden costs that come with a cancer diagnosis and treatment, but never expected them to have such an impact on our family’s ability to maintain our financial security. When our daughter was diagnosed, we spent eleven days in the hospital. Around day 5, we thought to ask the doctors about insurance, and they assured us that all treatment and medicines would be ‘covered.’ 

When we can home from the hospital, we came home to a $650 bill for our hospital stay (our co-pay), which was our first indicator that our ‘covered’ treatment was going to be an additional hardship. As we entered into various treatment phases, we were faced with bills greater than $2,000 a month, depending on the treatments necessary. 

While we have a good income, we are paying a mortgage and many large student loans. We don’t have much in our savings. Because of our income level, we found that we did not qualify for many of the co-pay assistance programs or any kind of supplemental insurance programs for our daughter that would lessen the financial burden.

All of this adds an unnecessary level of anxiety to an already overwhelming situation. The last thing you want to focus on is how we are going to pay our medical bills on top of our regular monthly expenses. 

The financial assistance from Circle of Care allowed us to put our focus where it needed to be, on our daughter’s treatment and healing. In addition to the financial support, we were contacted very early on by Liz Salguero, offering the insight and emotional support of someone who has been in our situation. The fact that Circle of Care board members have been through this and reach out to families had the most lasting impact.  Because of this, Circle of Care offered a level of support that no other organization was able to provide.

It is really hard for people to ask for help. Asking friends and family for money is difficult and embarrassing.  We never, ever pictured ourselves in that situation (even after our diagnosis).

“Responsible people with good jobs, good insurance, and good financial standing can be wiped out financially when faced with a cancer diagnosis.”

The emotional support and connection to the community are just as important (if not more) as the financial support. The bag that we received in the hospital from Circle of Care following our diagnosis was, and continues to be, an incredible and invaluable resource as we navigate this journey to recovery.

Before Cassidy was diagnosed, we didn’t appreciate the significant hidden costs that come with this life-changing diagnosis. The fact that there are people who are willing to give to strangers heartens and humbles us and welcome us into a community of care that we are grateful to be a part of and look forward to giving back to.”

How can more people help your organization?

Follow us on social media and share our story with your circle. You never know who might need our help in the future. Consider making a gift to Circle of Care–fundraising is increasingly difficult and without funds we are unable to meet the needs of these families.

How can people help families coping with pediatric cancer?

Be present. Listen, let them talk and share their hopes and fears and keep in touch. Don’t ask them what they need because they can’t tell you. Mow the lawn, bring dinner, offer to car-pool with the siblings for after school activities.

What does the typical day at Circle of Care look like for
volunteers?

We have so many different volunteer opportunities, that it is hard to answer. We have a very active volunteer board of directors and four different standing volunteer committees that support the two part-time staff that we have. We have seven Art from the Heart Teams who do room makeovers for us twice a year and many volunteers who help out at events.

Anything you would like to add?

We are so grateful for the support of Brown Paper Tickets and the opportunity to share our story. No child should get cancer and certainly no family should have to face this alone.

Good Causes >

How Families First Changed One Life Forever

Not everyone has family or friends to turn to when times get rough. That’s why community service organizations are essential—they are the “village” for people to lean on when dealing with tough times.

Families First, our latest Giving Program donation recipient strengthens communities with individual and family mental health counseling, support groups, education and training, 24-hr crisis/suicide intervention hotline, and many other services.

How Families First changed one life:

Amy’s mother was first her abuser, selling her for sex at age five. Her mother kept all the money that the young girl was forced to earn throughout her childhood. At 18, she was forced into the emotional and physical control of other abusers – pimps. Restrained by physical chains and never allowed to move about the community independently, Amy was forced to perform sex acts, beaten, and starved until last November; she had just turned 50 years old.

Circumstances allowed her escape from her tormentors and she learned about Families First’s services. She was connected to a survivor advocate who enrolled her in multiple services.

Families First provided immediate support by getting her a place to stay and helping with some basic expenses. She received a case manager and began counseling programs to develop a safety plan, becoming aware of ‘red flag’ situations in relationships, and learned to process her trauma and emotions.

Now, less than a year after escaping her abusers, Amy says, “I’m learning to deal with what was inside, because I’ve kept that inside for a long time … It’s getting a lot better. It gets a little raw from time to time just opening up and everything, but … it just feels really good to be in a safe environment; I’ve never had this before.”

Despite years of abuse, Amy still has a heart full of gratitude. “This is just a really nice place, it helps people that are in a bad situation and they start making you feel sufficient and just learn to rebuild your life. Families First basically just saved my life from a path of destruction; I’m learning to make a better life for myself. I was never taught that.”

Amy said eventually she would like to help others who’ve experienced sex trafficking through Families First’s volunteer opportunities of mentorship and facilitating support groups. “If you can just help one person, that’s one person who is saved. And places like this need support where they can keep doing the good deeds that they do.”

She has a long road ahead to learn to live independently. She still walks around in a disguise so that she won’t be recognized by acquaintances of her former life.

“I just want to keep living a healthy life, and just having a happier life, and take the tools that I’ve learned and not be ashamed of where I come from…and just keep smiling because nothing’s promised for tomorrow – so you just got to keep making every day a better day.”

Brown Paper Tickets is honored to include Families First in our Giving Program. You can support Families First by making a monetary donation or volunteering at their Indianapolis-area facility.

Photo provided by Families First.

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Giving Program Spotlight: What Makes SoHumane So Special

Brown Paper Tickets has a ginormous heart for animals (just check out our Instagram for a peek inside our fur-friendly offices). That’s why we’re wagging our tails in excitement to announce SoHumane as our latest Giving Program recipient.

Read on for a personal account of what makes SoHumane so special.

This month’s organization really touched my heart. SoHumane is an all-volunteer organization that serves companion animals. SoHumane adopts animals from other shelters and saves them from euthanasia through their Saving Train program.

A few years ago I had the cutest little dog named Sammy, pictured here. He was a Pomeranian—one of those small, poof pups with the pointy ears.

Sammy was the smallest member of our family. Everyone loved him. We had him for ten years when he was suddenly diagnosed with cancer and an enlarged heart. The vet suggested we put him to sleep because those conditions were not treatable. The day we put him to sleep was the hardest. We cried for weeks.

To this day, I haven’t gotten another pet.

Now imagine an animal being put to sleep simply because there is no space. 

SoHumane provides quality care for dogs and cats, including shelter and adoption services for displaced pets. They also strive to reduce the pet overpopulation through spay and neutering programs.

SoHumane’s Programs

The Saving Train Program attempts to rescue animals that have been marked for death at public shelters. According to SoHumane, the animals they attempt to rescue are healthy, adoptable animals that have been overlooked and have run out of time at overcrowded public facilities. Learn more about the Saving Train.

Senior Pets – As you can imagine, senior animals are the first ones to be marked for death at public shelters, especially if the shelter is packed with younger pets. Most people tend to adopt the younger ones. SoHumane believes that every pet—no matter their age—deserves a chance.

Medical Needs – They take care of treatable medical conditions so that the animal’s adoption chances increase. 

Make a monetary contribution, choose a donation item from their wish list or give your time.

I am so thankful for organizations like SoHumane for saving one animal at a time. Suggest a charitable organization for our next donation here.

Good Causes >

Get to Know Partners for Rural Health, an Incredible Organization

Monthly DonationThis month, Brown Paper Tickets picked Partners for Rural Health in the Dominican Republic for our donation gift.

Partners for Rural Health is an incredible organization, established in 1995 by the University of Southern Maine, College of Nursing and Health Professions.

Twice a year, they send out healthcare professionals and other volunteers to 15 mountain villages to provide healthcare to over 2,000 people in homes, schoolrooms, and churches. Not only do they administer healthcare, they also offer basic education in nutrition, disease prevention, dental health, and hygiene, including a certificate-training program for community health promoters.

As someone from the Dominican Republic, I really appreciate what this organization does for my country’s people. The work they do is tough – it brings to mind my own volunteer experience for a different organization. We labored tirelessly for three days to bring basic medical care to the people in Bayaguana, DR. I can’t believe Partners for Rural Health does a similar thing twice a year—it deserves immense gratitude and respect.

With our help, they can continue to assist those in need in the Dominican Republic.

While other similar programs rarely return to the same location, Partners for Rural Health has a sustained program in place that provides consistent access and continuity of care to the people in the villages. They are making a considerable difference in the long-term health and quality of life for the thousands that depend on their return.

Their return depends on us.

Get Involved with Partners for Rural Health

Volunteer. Doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, dentists, interpreters, Peace Corps, pharmacists, physical therapists, clinic greeters, and intake staff comprise their volunteer group. That said, neither a medical background nor Spanish-speaking one is necessary. There are many other ways that volunteers can contribute.

Join Partners for Rural Health on one of their trips.

Donate. Your donations are tax deductible and used to purchase medical supplies, equipment, administrative and transportation costs. Partners for Rural Health doesn’t have paid personnel; everyone, including the Board of Directors donates time. All of their donations come from individuals, companies and fundraising events.

Photo from Partners for Rural Health

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A Celebration of Giving – #GivingTuesday

Giving Tuesday

It is valuable to ourselves and our communities to learn to be giving, not just with our money, but also with our time. I am a firm believer that you reap what you sow and am fortunate to work for a company that encourages its employees to give back. This year I’ve joined the Brown Paper Tickets Not-Just-For-Profit Team, where I facilitate company donations and group volunteering. Additionally, I use our company sponsored Paid Time-On hours to volunteer in my community. I am excited to share with you one of the newest Thanksgiving traditions that has gained popularity over the past few holiday seasons.

Giving Tuesday is a movement that was started by a team at the Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact (https://www.92y.org/innovation), a cultural center in New York City in 2012. It is celebrated the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and is a socially responsible addition to the popular shopping days like Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. This movement celebrates and supports giving and philanthropy to events throughout the year.

According to GivingTuesday.Org, Giving Tuesday has been bringing people together around the values of service and giving back—#GivingTuesday connects diverse groups of individuals, communities, and organizations around the world for one common purpose: to celebrate and encourage giving.

Here are my 3 steps to getting started this Giving Tuesday and holiday season:

1. Heart Check

Why are you giving/volunteering? What are your motivations to do so? I believe there are motives behind everything we do. I always like to keep my self-grounded and make the most impact there is a need. When looking to do some volunteer work or donate I ask myself, ‘am I doing this because I want something in return?’ or, ‘am I sincerely looking out for the well being of others?’. Wherever you feel called to volunteer or donate this holiday season, check in with yourself, and share what you can. If you find a cause that speaks to your heart, you will likely stay involved and make a direct impact.

2. Research

Look for opportunities to serve your community or places to give. Whether you love helping people, animals or the environment, find a good cause that speaks to you and needs help. Feel free to get creative as well! I remember one Thanksgiving my family made sandwiches, bought a large tub of hot coffee and some donuts, then drove around and shared them with some of the homeless people in our neighborhood. On another occasion, some of my friends and I set some time aside on a Christmas morning and distributed “lunch bags” to the needy in the Far Rockaway community in Queens, NY.
*Disclaimer: A food permit is needed to handle food. Please look up any restrictions in your local area.

3. Have Fun

Whatever you decide to do make sure that you enjoy every second of it. Know that whether you are donating money or volunteering you are making a difference. I think it is important to not get wrapped up in our own lives and fail to see the need around us. We might not be able to change the world but we can make a difference in our communities.

Infusing the practice of giving and being open to receiving can bring joy and affect every aspect of our lives. I have learned from both sides of this practice. Several years ago, my family benefited from the giving. Here is my account:

Ever since I moved to the United States, I have lived with my paternal grandmother. When I was 15 years old, she and my aunt got together and bought their first home. Oh, the excitement! However, years passed and they never paid a water bill. I am not sure why but they never got a water bill, it just never arrived and no one ever realized.

One day, the homes that did not pay their water bill were published in a Mayor NYC Newspaper and there was our address. The embarrassment!

Of course, my grandmother freaked out and made payment arrangements with the company right away. After several months of making payments towards the amount due, we stopped getting the monthly payment slips. Grandma asked me to call the water company on her behalf and inquire about it. I remember this like it was yesterday, it was during my lunch break at my previous job, my jaw dropped when I heard the agent say,

“I am sorry ma’am but you currently do not owe any money, which is why you haven’t received a bill from us.”

“No! That cannot be right. We owe close to $10,000 and I know for a fact that payment for the complete amount has not been made,” I responded.

The agent placed me on hold to investigate, then came back on the line and told me that not only was the balance paid, but we had extra funds to cover the bill for a few more months. To this date and we are still not sure how this bill was paid, but one thing is for certain we reaped what we have sown for so many years. Over the years many similar things have happened to us, this is the story with the most financial impact thus far.

It is worth to mention that since this my family has become a giving family, not only with finances but also with time. Giving has been something that we have done in our house on a weekly basis; because of this example I’ve learned to be a giving person, and hope to pass on these traits to my daughter. My purpose is that through these lines my passion to help those who cannot help themselves be transmitted to those around me, and yes that includes you too!

Happy Thanksgiving, Giving Tuesday, and Holiday Season!

Good Causes >

Charity of the Month: The Beatitude House

BeatitudeHouse Scholarship RecipientEach month, Brown Paper Tickets donates 5% of profits to a charity submitted through our charity donation page. See our previous donation recipients.

Ursuline Sister Margaret Scheetz was so inspired by the film God Bless the Child that she opened the Beatitude House. The film tells the tale of a mother and daughter caught in poverty and homelessness. The mother is forced to face a tough decision to give up her daughter so that she can have a better life.

The nonprofit and nondenominational organization understands that a healthy family is essential for the community. The Beatitude House provides an array of programs to improve people’s lives. Primarily, educational opportunities and homes while the mother obtains an education and works towards employment.

To be eligible, the recipient must be considered homeless according to HUD. Additionally, The Beatitude House offers programs of “Fostering Better Families” where mothers are taught how to interact in a constructive, nurturing way with their children through activities.

Words from a Beatitude House Graduate

Sarah Ludwick, 2005 Beatitude House graduate, will be awarded the 2017 Karen R. Murphy Beatitude House Scholarship. This scholarship was created in memory of Karen R. Murphy, a thirty-year teacher and guidance counselor. The scholarship recognizes the achievement of a woman who has completed the Beatitude House Program.

“Beatitude House is an amazing program,” said Ludwick. At the age of fifteen Ludwick found herself with little self-value and on a road of poor decision-making. Three years later, she met a man who claimed he loved her. “I believed him through five years of alcoholism and emotional abuse until he finally left me alone with our two young boys and no ability to make it financially.”

In the process of being evicted from her house, Ludwick, thought she and her children were on their way to a homeless shelter, but a social worker from Help Me Grow intervened and told Ludwick about Beatitude House. “Walking into our furnished apartment, I was overwhelmed by the welcome I felt and seeing the stuffed animals on the bed that was made-up for my children,” she said.

Ludwick began meeting with a caseworker who taught her financial literacy, as well as a child advocate. “These experiences showed me that I was capable of more than mediocrity,” she added.

Gaining self-value and a wealth of life skills from Beatitude House, she decided to go back to college. “I see how I’ve grown as a person since that time, and I’ve decided not to settle for anything less,” she said. Ludwick is pursuing a degree in social work so she can help others make a better life. “I see gifts in other people that they don’t see, and I want to show them how to use those gifts to help themselves,” she added.

Ludwick hopes to graduate with a B.A. in Social Work in 2019.

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May Charity Pick: Homeless Prenatal Program

homeless prenatal program

Every month, Brown Paper Tickets donates at least 5% of profits to a charity from a pool of online charity submissions. See last month’s selection.

I’m thrilled to announce our May charity: The Homeless Prenatal Program.  This San Francisco-based organization partners with families to break the cycle of childhood poverty.

As a new mother, I cannot help but to put myself in the shoes of the expectant mothers and mothers the Homeless Prenatal Program assists. Every mother wants to provide their children with a safe environment, one where they do not lack basic needs. For single mothers and mothers with financial challenges, this universal want is made more difficult.

Founded in 1989, Homeless Prenatal Program offers an array of services/programs to the community, including:

• Prenatal and parenting support
• Housing
• Family economic success program
• Community technology center
• Stabilizing families
• Community health worker training

These services and programs educate families about health during pregnancy, effective parenting, education and/or monetary assistance with housing, financial education and others. The community has access to the technology center where they are taught how to use a computer and can create email accounts and resumes, as well as search the web.

As stated on their website, the Homeless Prenatal Program believes that “building a strong foundation of stable support for families requires addressing issues related to mental health, domestic violence, and substance abuse in our clients’ lives, in addition to basic emergency needs and childcare.”

The Homeless Prenatal Program also has a 14-month paid training program that prepares women for employment in career fields for a path to financial security. They also often give jobs to those who benefit from their services and programs.

Here’s how to get involved with their fantastic mission:

• Donate
• Sponsor an event
• Check out their “in kind donation wishlist” to make a gift that will benefit one of these families.
• If you’re in the San Francisco area, sign up to volunteer.

 

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Are Derby Fundraisers Worth Your Time? How to Find Out

Fundraising-BakeSale-ROII’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: “The moment you sell your first ticket, you are no longer a club; you are a business.” Because leagues are volunteer organizations, it’s easy to lose focus on business responsibilities.

Don’t confuse business with boring. I promise this post on fundraising will not put you to sleep, but will help you measure league activities in a way so that you get more sleep.

Fundraising ROI

If you are not familiar with the term “Return on Investment (ROI),” add it to your basic business vocabulary.

If your league buys an old school bus for $2,000 that brings a bar crowd who spends $3,000 in tickets and merch that season, your ROI is 50% for that time period. In other words, you’ve covered your investment and made 50% more.

Let’s not get bogged down by the oil changes and the one flat tire you replace (someone always brings too much reality into my perfect-world examples). ROI is an easy way to measure the efficiency of money spent and “bang for your buck” scenarios.

True ROI measures money performance, plain and simple. It’s profit divided by your investment to create a percentage. The percentage helps determine where your money is having its greatest impact. You should use it to measure everything from the performance of individual merch pieces to your venue options vs. derby ticket sales.

The one important factor basic ROI doesn’t measure: your time.

Using Person Hours to Determine ROI

In derby, time is the greatest investment. In a paid business, you can factor time into an investment by including the wages of those contribute to work that goes into a project. In derby, you invest hours of volunteer time.

What if you measured the success of your fundraising efforts based on return for the number of person-hours invested. Of course, the idea here is to make more with less, right? Here’s an example:

Car washes. Fun? Sure. Worth your time? That depends. You hold a car wash on a beautiful, sunny Saturday for six hours. You staff the car wash so that there are always six people helping, or 36 hours volunteered. On a great day, I’d estimate a car wash would make $400 in six hours. Your volunteers’ efforts generate nearly $11 for every person hour or $67 per person for the entire day.

Was that worth everyone’s time? That is something you need to decide. This is the simple formula; it doesn’t include the time volunteers spent getting to and from the wash, supplies needed (subtracted from your money made), nor bad weather.

But now, at least you have a measure.

Get Creative

Each of you only has so many hours to give. Determine the most efficient use of time so that you work only on fundraisers that raise funds.

As fun as they may be for some, garage and bake sales take a lot of time and generate little funds. Is it a good use of your league members’ time considering you also need them to practice and assist in bout production? Probably not, unless your league attracts PR or exposure.

Think about it, if you take four volunteers to work the game crowd for a 50/50 raffle, as opposed to just buying tickets at the merch booth, that four hours of total volunteer time will produce hundreds of dollars. Would you rather put four hours into the raffle or 50 hours into organizing and manning a garage sale that produces less money? If 50/50 raffles are not legal in your state or part of the world, consider a public appearance where volunteers also sell tickets to your next game and some merchandise.

Don’t limit fundraising to the ideas your members can come up with. In Madison, where I live, the local soccer club raises money by selling concessions at the arena, helping distribute sales flyers and coupons at a department store, and gift wrapping presents during the holidays at a mall.

These activities are structured, so you don’t have to plan nor do preparatory work, they pay an hourly wage, and once you have your foot in the door, they can recur every year. Plus, your league will gain community exposure—have them wear league shirts or boutfits.

Time is money when it comes to fundraising, but time is also part of balancing life in derby and outside of the sport. Remember, roller derby is not a hobby, it is a lifestyle. Your league members need time to maintain friendships, time with family and “me time.” The smarter you are about using your time can mean making more money with less fundraising and volunteer time.

Then you’ll enjoy more financial stability and the flexibility to shift time back to members or do something else more productive for the league.

Comment below and share your fundraising tricks. We’d love to hear them.

Roller Derby >

Raising Funds for Freedom Project Seattle

FPSlogo2016In honor of GiveBIG Tuesday, here’s an outstanding example of Paid Time-On. If you’re unaware, each one of our employees gets 40 hours a year of paid time to volunteer at causes they choose. It is one of our most-loved perks and a finalist for GeekWire‘s Perk of the Year in 2014.

“Paid Time-On is an amazing benefit,” says Peace, Doer Team Manager “I sit on the board for an understaffed nonprofit and they often need us to pitch in work hours. I never thought an employer would reward me for my volunteer service.”

Peace is on the board for Freedom Project Seattle, a nonprofit that undermines the industrial prison complex by reducing recidivism. Recidivism is the rate at which a previously incarcerated person returns to prisons. Researchers at the University of Washington and Seattle University have not only proven Freedom Project Seattle programs reduce recidivism, they also save Washington State five million dollars a year in taxpayer money.

Peace is using Paid Time-On to run an online fundraising event for Freedom Project Seattle in partnership with the Seattle Foundations’ #GiveBig day. One of their major donors has offered a $30,000 matching grant that Peace will try to galvanize the internet to match. Peace has created her own personal matching grant and our blog readers can join the fun. To participate, just write BPT in the comments of the donation form.

Peace offers, “If I can get 100 of my friends, family and peers to donate to Freedom Project Seattle, I will match their donations up to a thousand dollars. Donate a dollar if that’s what you can afford or $15 to celebrate our 15th anniversary. My goal: I want a hundred new people to begin to know our work.”

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Roller Derby Beirut: Changing Minds, Changing Lives

gotgear_landingpage(square)_under1mbI’m excited to announce that with Brown Paper Tickets’ help, we’ve been able to collect and send merchandise to a burgeoning roller derby league in Lebanon—Roller Derby Beirut (RDB). And now, we have new tools in place to collect more supplies and raise funds so this league can continue.

The funds will be used to purchase new gear for RDB. I’m proud to be a part of this initiative. However, none of it would have been possible without Elisabeth Wolffhechel, aka “LOL” of the A-team out of Copenhagen, Denmark.

I first saw the call to help RDB this past November, while working the WFTDA European Tournament in Malmo, Sweden and then I saw it again at the Women’s World Cup. I tracked Wolffhechel down when I realized I could assist with the project.

Sweet Beginnings

Wolffhechel a university student in Copenhagen, paved the way for RDB, through her work with GAME, a Danish organization that wanted to get involved with the Middle East. Using street sports, GAME teaches kids and young adults about democratic ideas, taking responsibility and equal rights for women.

Watch a video of GAME Finals Beirut 2015 event, and the first roller derby match ever in Lebanon.

As a GAME employee, Elisabeth founded RDB within her body of work. The quest also helped her to return with experience for her master’s thesis. She left for Beirut late January of last year and returned to Denmark in July.

Building a League + Changing Minds

Any time derby breaks social mores where girls and women aren’t accepted as equals, it begs asking about the reaction. There are parts of the world that are not as accepting to girls on skates in a physical game.

As anticipated, RDB didn’t always impress parents as a sport suitable for women. Another hurdle she encountered was that different political factions control different parts of Beirut, making it difficult for some to find transportation to practice. Wolffhechel had to navigate varied social values. It wasn’t just about building a league; it was about changing minds.

The moment some of the young ladies returned home physically sore, they were told to quit. Wolffhechel feels the parents’ naivety of the sport presented more of a challenge than the cultural barriers. Women’s sports, in general, are very under-developed. Insurance is also an issue.

RDB, a Catalyst for Global Change

A university that draws students from all over the world sits in the center of Beirut—many skaters are university students. This adds to the importance of RDB, as when these women graduate, they will hopefully spread derby to new areas of the world.

Practice space wasn’t quite the issue I would have predicted. RDB was able to find practice space under a roof, though not an enclosed building, providing fair protection from the weather on a consistent basis. As far as a playing venue, sports facilities require rent, which is currently unrealistic.

Upon Wolffhechel’s leaving, they had 12 skaters committed to the league. She divided duties before she returned to Denmark and currently, the skaters are self-run.


Get Involvedroller-derby-lebanon

Wolffhechel started something wonderful, but RDB needs a little derby love to keep rolling. Brown Paper Tickets created a donation portal to help keep the league in the game. Donate to the drive. I will buy new gear for the league and Brown Paper Tickets will ship it to Derby Beirut with a love note.

Skates are the hardest to round up—I hope this donation drive will be the answer to getting equipment and skates to league members, who are often exchanging skates even just to practice.

Every little bit helps. Make a donation or spread the word to your pals.

Good Causes >