Submitted by New Phoeobe House Association
New Phoebe House Association has joined #GivingTuesday, a first of its kind effort that harnesses the collective power of a unique blend of partners—charities, families, businesses and individuals—to transform how people think about, talk about, and participate in the giving season. Coinciding with the Thanksgiving Holiday and the kickoff of the holiday shopping season, #GivingTuesday inspires people to take collaborative action to improve their local communities, give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they support, and help create a better world. Taking place December 2, 2014 – the Tuesday after Thanksgiving – #GivingTuesday will harness the power of social media to create a national moment around the holidays dedicated to giving, similar to how Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become days that are, today, synonymous with holiday shopping.
New Phoebe House has been helping mothers affected by chemical dependence recover, reunify with their children, and re-house since 2002. The program is located in a Victorian home with a capacity for up to 15 mothers and 10 children. December of 2013 was the first time New Phoebe House participated in #GivingTuesday, with the hope of raising $600 for their total kitchen remodel (just under 1% of the total cost). After surpassing their 2013 #GivingTuesday goal by nearly 30%, New Phoebe House hopes to rally support this year to replace the children’s outdoor playset, which provides hours of entertainment and healthy play for the 30+ children under the age of seven that reside in the house annually – a fundraising goal of $2,000.
“The play yard at New Phoebe House is an outdoor center of bonding activities for mothers and their children. The area is used daily, come rain or shine,” explains Naomi Villano, Executive Director at New Phoebe House. “Help us replace our aging playset, equipping us for another 10 years of family play.”
“#GivingTuesday is a counter narrative to Black Friday and Cyber Monday because it reminds us that the spirit of the holiday giving season should be about community and not just consumerism,” said Kathy Calvin, CEO of the United Nations Foundation. “The most meaningful gift we can give our children, loved ones, friends, and neighbors is the commitment to work together to help build a better world.” Those who are interested in supporting New Phoebe House’s #GivingTuesday initiative can visit www.newphoebehouse.org/#!givingtuesday (please note the exclamation point after the hashtag).
