A Birthday Charity Event

Yep. Today is the big 3-8. Mr.W and I are celebrating with friends and family tonight... very low-key, which seems just right this year. And I am reminded of how so very, very blessed I am with good health, a great family, a supportive network of friends here in my hometown, online, and spread around the globe (many on the African continent). It is this feeling of abundance that brings with it a certain feeling of responsibility toward the less fortunate.

Last year I did a small charity drive here at Mrs.W's Kitchen for my birthday; the tradition continues this year.



Nothing But Nets is a favorite of mine. Not only do they provide free bed nets to prevent malaria, they also partner with the Measles Initiative. The Measles initiative is a collaboration among the American Red Cross, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the UN Foundation, the World Health Organization, and UNICEF. Since it's inception in 2001, there has been an increase in focus on providing a package of child health interventions, including Vitamin A, de-worming medicines, the oral polio vaccine and insecticide-treated bed nets.

The value of bed nets (only $10 US each) to prevent malaria deaths cannot be matched--net distribution draws parents with their children to vaccination campaigns. It's a whole-health approach to saving the world, one child at a time.

Sending Nets = Saving Lives

If you're interested in donating to this very worthy charity--as a birthday gift to me or simply a head-start on your 2009 tax-deductible charitable contributions--click here. To read more about Nothing But Nets, visit their website here. More information on the Measles Initiative can be reviewed here. If you do decide to make a donation, please leave me a comment below or send me an email to let me know so I can properly thank you.