Among my favorite memories as a kid are the frequent trips to our local library with my mom, and I'm especially excited to help our travel blogging community's fundraising drive to build, not just one, but two libraries in Zambia as our fourth annual Passports with Purpose (PwP) project.
My mom helped me pick out a new batch of books at the library every couple of weeks, and I eagerly slipped into the little, wire Bertoia chairs our library's children's room to embark on an adventure with the likes of Curious George or Dr. Seuss while waiting for my mom to pick out a few books of her own to take home.
Those early library trips helped fuel what became a lifetime love of reading and knowledge for me. I love seeing Passports with Purpose working to extend the same opportunity that children like I had to enjoy a local library by supporting Room to Read.
Room to Read is a non-profit 501(c)(3) group with the mission of helping children in developing countries to develop literacy skills, with a special emphasis on helping young women complete their secondary school education. This year, PwP partners with Room to Read to build two libraries in Zambia.
I always check out groups I want to support on the Charity Navigator site, which rates charities based on their accountability and transparency, and I was pleased to see that Room to Read scored a four-star rating and high marks for the group's overhead-to-program ratio. Room to Read's own Web site contains details about their financials as well.
PwP, created by four Seattle-based travel bloggers in 2008 as a quickly organized drive that resulted in raising $7,500 to benefit Heifer International. I supported that drive, as well as one in 2009 that raised $30,000 to build a school in rural Cambodia and the third annual drive in 2010 that raised more than $50,000 to build an entire village in India.
The travel blogging community certainly doesn't think small!
How do we accomplish these grand goals?
Passports with Purpose bloggers ask their readers and friends to donate $10 to enter into a drawing for the prize of their choice from a great list of prizes furnished by bloggers and their sponsors.
Want to enter more than one drawing? No problem! For each $10 donation you make between now and December 16, Passports with Purpose enters you into the drawing for a prize of your choice. Note as you bid for prizes that shipping restrictions, terms, and blackout dates might apply in some cases.
PwP will notify prize winners on December 23, 2010.
All funds raised (minus a small Paypal fee) go to Room to Read.
There are plenty of great drawings to enter as the prize list goes live today, so check it out and help us build those libraries!
© Dominique King 2011 All rights reserved
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