Every year during the holiday season, new gift ideas for friends and family are a real challenge—often one packed with pressure. For all the meaningful gifts exchanged each year, there are also piles of panic purchases and superfluous spending. They say it’s the thought that counts, but recent economic hardship proves that gifts for the sake of gift-giving aren’t as helpful or as useful as we would like. When we ground ourselves in the reason for the season, there is a way to bring your family closer by raising money for those who need immediate help.
One family, one fundraiser, hundreds of lives
Last year, an ASEA employee did just that by inviting her family to join her in donating an amount that, matched dollar-for-dollar by ASEA, would provide a freshwater well for people in Cambodia. They ended up giving enough to build several wells and aid hundreds of people. Now, it’s a family tradition.
With the Huebsch family as a blueprint, employees at ASEA Corporate are now taking on the challenge to help those in need by hosting fundraisers with their own families. Thanks to our wonderful network of charitable partners, your fundraiser can help people in Cambodia, Bangladesh, Guatemala and more! Here are just three examples of how a timely donation can alleviate suffering and change lives.
Clean water well: $375 US $187.50 US with ASEA match
Fresh, clean water is easily taken for granted. Where not readily available, however, families must take on long daily or weekly treks to collect water or often use the contaminated water available. Both options put family members at increased risk for harm and illness. At least 17 million women and girls collect water every day, which increases their risk of sexual assault and dropping out of school. Contaminated water sources lead to illness and disease for many families, forcing them to incur medical debts they cannot pay, further pushing them to starvation.
In Cambodia, a freshwater well with partner Vision Cambodia costs $375 US and benefits over 50 people. Women are safer, men are healthier and able to work, and children are able to attend school rather than walking several miles a day to obtain water for their families. Many families use the freshwater well to grow gardens for their families or to start selling food to bring in extra income or start a business.
Trafficking rescue and education: $500 US $250 US with ASEA match
In Bangladesh, Advancing Life is helping child brides escape exploitative relationships and receive aid, including a safe place to live and a path to an education. Bangladesh has one of the largest and most concentrated populations of girls in poverty in the world, with more than 30 million girls under the age of 18 vulnerable to abuse.
Advancing Life uses donor funds to help partner Speak Up for the Poor maintain safe apartments, pay staff salaries, and fund education to help young women provide for themselves and their families safely. When you donate $400, you will be helping two young women in Bangladesh receive medical aftercare for a month after they are rescued. This will give them physical, mental, and emotional care to heal, educate themselves, and overcome trauma so they can thrive.
Sponsor a student in Guatemala: $480 US $240 US with ASEA match
In places like Ecuador and Guatemala, over 80% of the population lives at the poverty line, with one in three unable to read and only one in ten ever graduating from high school. The Advancing Life Foundation funds a vocational school for Ecuadorians to receive tech certification and help them get jobs that provide for their families. In Guatemala, the foundation has funded a computer lab and reading program for school children; 95% of students who go through the program will continue their education and become employed.
It costs $480 to sponsor a student in Guatemala and help them receive an education for six months.
How your family can change lives this holiday season
According to a recent study, as many families struggle with the rising cost of living, nearly 93% of Americans are donating to help others in need. Due to recent economic challenges, those donations are set to increase 17% this year. Giving Tuesday is a golden opportunity for people to unite in donating to charity. Each donation will be matched by ASEA, unleashing the power of radical generosity. Whether it’s some of your time, money, or the power of your voice, everyone has something to contribute toward building a better world for everyone.