If you’ve been following along, you might know that I’ve decided to donate a portion of the proceeds from my store to a different charity each month. My original goal is to do this for a year, but I hope to be able to continue it even past that!!

This month, my heart has been breaking over the Middle East refugee crisis. I have a 17-month-old daughter and I cannot imaging the terror of having to make the decision to continue to live in a worn-torn town, or picking up my family, leaving behind everything I know, and risking everything at the chance to live in safety. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), there are currently over 12.2 million people in need of assistance, (5.6 million of which are children).

So this month, I will be donating to an international organization to provide emergency housing, food, and medical attention to the refugees fleeing in the Middle East. If you’re in a position to help, I encourage you to do so, either through donating on your own to a charity of your choice or purchasing any item in my store. I’ll automatically donate 10% at the end of the month.

 

Have you ever had a thought that you first write off as crazy, but that it just keeps popping into your head and nagging you over and over again? So each time, you try to think of a million reasons why you shouldn’t do it, but the more you think about it, know that you should? Well, this is that for me.

In 2012, I opened my tiny little store on a mostly unknown website called TeachersPayTeachers selling activities and resources I had used in my school social work practice. My main purpose in doing so was to try to make life easier for social work, counselors, and special ed. teachers by giving them access to things I had made for my own practice. I honestly expected to sell maybe 1 item a month.

Fast forward 3 years and in a true “Little Engine that Could” type of story and I would have never imagined that I would sell over 17,000 games, activities, and lessons to people all over the country. Thinking about it truly makes my head spin.

Which brings me to today. I’m so thankful for everything TeachersPayTeachers has been able to provide to my family, from improving and efficiencizing (is that even a word?) the way I plan and work with students, to the amazing people I’ve met, and the extra income to allow my husband to stay home part-time with our 17-month old daughter. I truly believe we were each put on this Earth not to just exist, but to make a difference in the lives of others in whatever way we can.

So, beginning this month, I will be donating a portion of the proceeds from my store to a different charity each month. My original goal is to do this for a year, but I hope to be able to continue it even past that!! Thoughts such as “but you have a daughter to support,” and “what if your car really dies this time?” keep popping into my head, but I’m determined to not let them linger.

This month, it’s childhood cancer awareness month, so I wanted to donate to a childhood cancer charity. I don’t want to give the name because I didn’t ask them first, but I promise they’re a good one!! To date, they have raised more than $100 million and funded over 500 research projects towards the goal of putting an end to childhood cancer. They also fund nursing and psychosocial grants to improve the quality of life and care of children with cancer and their families. It’s pretty awesome!

So if you’re a school counselor, social worker, SLP, or special ed. teacher-type, I encourage you to help me support a great cause. You don’t have to type in a fancy code or anything. Just purchase any item in my store and I’ll automatically donate at the end of the month. And if you’re a TpT seller, I challenge you to join me in giving back!