The Affero Blog

Affangelists Come Alive – “I’M IN” & Gas Station Orchestration

By Beau Miller in Articles

Hey everyone.  I know it probably seems like forever (or about 15 minutes depending on how much you like me), but I’m back and ready to blog!  In my last few posts I profiled different Affero members from across the country, and in this post I’d like to tell you about all of the awesome people and bands we met at the Alive Festival a couple weeks ago.  So, if you’re a music fan or just like a really great story, please read on.

Alive was The Affero Project’s first festival!  Throughout the week we got to hang out in the heat and rain with so many unbelievably cool people.  We had a booth in the vendor tent and had tons of passionate volunteers who were kind enough to help us share the Affero story with thousands of people.  I can’t tell you how great it was to connect with so many people with hearts for justice!  Person after person told us how excited they were about Affero and how eager they were to learn more about the movement.  Words cannot describe what all of the positive affirmation meant to us, and I just want to take this opportunity to thank each and every person who stopped by our booth and chatted with us.  I wish I could thank you all by name, but that would take a lifetime and even worse, many of you displayed some bad penmanship on the sign up sheet, haha.  At the risk of making some of you mad, I’d like to send out a special thank you to my friend Willy Cleary.  He’s an old classmate of mine, and is now the host of AlternaFISH Radio on 95.5 The Fish.  When Willy learned about what we were doing, he was gracious enough to invite me into the AlternaFISH van for an interview.  If you didn’t hear the interview on the radio, you can see the video here.  Thanks Willy, we really appreciate it!

John Cooper from Skillet.

And then there were the artists…Throughout the week we got the chance to see so many great musicians put on some killer shows.  Even cooler is the fact that many of them were generous enough to take some time and learn about what Affero is all about.  So, I’d like to give a special thanks to: Skillet, Abandon, TobyMac, B.Reith, Brandon Heath, Shine Bright Baby and Needtobreathe.  Not only do you make great music, but you’re great people too.  Thanks for walking the walk and listening to us rant about the revolutionary community that’s changing the world.  Sorry, but I just couldn’t resist the use of our shameless plug one more time.

Before I sign off I’d like to tell you two quick stories from Alive that mean a whole lot to me.  To give you a little context, I must start by telling you that we launched our “I’M IN” campaign at Alive.  At its core, the campaign is all about people standing united and declaring “I’M IN” in the fight against global injustice and extreme poverty.  We’ve made on video for the campaign already that stars tons of cool artists.  If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out here. In order to make the launch even more legit, our super talented visual graffangelist, Josh Mitchell, designed some sweet t-shirts, buttons and postcards for everyone at Alive.  With this being said, we had been hoping all week that one of the artists would wear one of our shirts on stage.  Well, the finalnight of the festival rolled around and we still hadn’t been able to get any of our shirts to artists before they played.  Fortunately for Affero, our friend Mike Coates is friends with Dave Wyatt – a Grammy award winning producer and TobyMac’s band leader.  Dave was kind enough to hang out with us before he took the stage, and I was happy to give him a shirt.  Well, as Dave was playing alongside Toby, we had to pack up our booth.  In order to get out before the masses, our van had to head out toward the very end of the killer TobyMac show.  If it wasn’t cool enough to just hang out with Dave, imagine how excited I was when I got a text from Mike telling me that when the band came back for an encore, Dave had changed into his “I’M IN” shirt.  That says a lot about Dave.  I don’t know too many people who would have had the presence of mind and taken the initiative to do that.  Thank you so much Dave (and Mike), you guys rock.

If that isn’t enough for you, get a load of this.  Alive is held at a park out in the boonies.  After driving about 15 minutes from the festival, you’ll reach a gas station.  Pretty much the last stop where you’d see anyone from Alive, before the almost 90 minute drive to my house.  So, I actually got Mike’s text about Dave when I was getting some gas.  When I went inside to buy a Mountain Dew for the road I was greeted with what seemed to be 1000 people from Alive.  The line was so long that I decided to call Lucas (who was on his way home from Uganda) to tell him the news.  I called and he didn’t answer, so I left a voice mail about how Dave wore our shirt on stage.  After that, I told him that I was also able to get some “I’M IN” shirts to the guys from Needtobreathe, but was unable to share our story because everything was so hectic.  Alive went perfectly for Affero, but I was really bummed because I knew that we missed our opportunity to connect with Needtobreathe.  We all love their music, and I really thought they’d love Affero…

But here’s the cool part…When I hung up with Lucas there was a nice young guy next to me in line that asked what my shirt was all about.  Because the line was so long I got to tell him the complete Affero story – start to finish.  We had a cool conversation and he was really receptive.  I ended the conversation by asking if he’d been at Alive, and if so, how did he like it.  He said, “yeah, I was there.  We played.  It was a great time.”  Of course you know my next question – “oh cool, what band do you play in?”  His response: “Needtobreathe.  I’m Toby, the new keyboard player.  Just joined the band a few months ago.”  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  The keyboardist from the one band I was bummed we didn’t get to share with was standing next to me in the gas station – the last possible place we could have connected before I was on my way home for good!  This is why I don’t believe in coincidences.  This was clearly orchestrated by God.  So that’s the story.  Toby said he’d check out Affero and even found an “I’M IN” shirt for himself on the tour bus.  We’re hoping that after he gets to dive deeper and share our story with the band, we’ll be able to do the next “I’M IN” video with the one and only Needtobreathe!  I feel so blessed to have connected with him, Dave and all of the other extraordinary people at Alive.  What a perfect name for the festival.  Those four days of rain and heat were no match for all the living we were doing.  Affero is Alive and well, and this excites me.  Until next time…
Peace,

Beau

An Unlikely Affangelist Throws a Party

By Beau Miller in News

I’d like to tell you about a very special friend of mine named Ziggy. He’s super cool, makes the funniest faces and noises, and the girls think he’s very handsome.  I love Ziggy and he loves The Affero Project.  Oh, I should probably also mention that Ziggy is only a year old.  I haven’t done any scientific research on this, but I would assume that this makes Ziggy our youngest Affangelist.  At this stage of my post, I must also warn you not to underestimate the power of a one-year-old boy.  If the Super Bowl has taught us anything, it’s taught us this.  Just look at those little kids in the E*TRADE commercials – they’re getting stuff done!  OK, so Ziggy may not golf yet, but I can tell you that in addition to grabbing faces and laughing, he’s doing some serious ground work for Affero.

Ziggy’s dad, Joshua is one of my closest friends, and his mom, Stacy, is like the older sister I never had.  This is code for “she beats me up, makes fun of me, then tells me she loves me and buys me French bread pizzas.”  The point is, I love Josh and Stacy a ton and they are family to me.  Along with Zig and his beautifully brilliant sister Hannah.  But you’ll have to wait for another day to hear about them.  This post is about Zig and his awesome, Affero-themed birthday party!  Last Saturday a bunch of our friends got together at the park to celebrate Zig’s first birthday.  Unfortunately, I was gone shooting a TV commercial, but I heard all about it.  All of my friends told me it was epic, and that was expected because, well…  Ziggy is epic.  There were tons of families hanging out, having a blast and enjoying community.  And of course there was prince Ziggy, the master of ceremonies and the guest of honor.  And this is where Affero comes in…

When it comes to little kids’ birthday parties, what the heck are you supposed to get them?  I mean, come on, how many copies of “The Giving Tree” can a kid possibly need?  And if that’s not enough, let’s face it, by age one, a super cool dude like Ziggy probably has every article of clothing in Gymboree’s last ten collections.  So, Josh and Stacy, being the revolutionaries they are, decided that instead of getting more stuff for Ziggy, maybe Ziggy could be a catalyst for Affero.  Totally awesome!  Their invites simply stated that instead of bringing gifts, they’d love it if their guests would take the time to check out Affero and join the movement.  It was that simple.  They believe in Affero, and knew that Zig’s party would be a great opportunity to share the joy of community giving.  And it worked out beautifully.  People got the invite and joined Affero, and others left the party committed to going home and doing the same.  Others asked questions, some put money for Affero in cards, and Josh even did an interpretive dance with Ziggy about what Affero means to them.  This is a lie, but it would have been super funny.

So, that’s the story of Ziggy’s amazing first birthday.  Even though he’s just a year old, I will always remember the stories of his party and how a world-changing Affero event centered around a little boy who still spits milk down his shirt and shrieks like a Terradactyl.  There is no doubt in my mind that Ziggy is going to be a revolutionary someday, and I am so thankful for Joshua, Stacy and Hannah for the roles they are playing now, and the roles they will continue to play as his life goes on.  Let’s face it, Ziggy did the majority of planning and work on the Affero birthday bash, but to his parents and sister, he wanted me to tell you, “thanks for the assist!”  Ziggy, you are the man.  I love you so much and I am so excited to see how you are going to change the world.  As proof of my appreciation, please accept the autographed copy of “The Giving Tree” and the brown and orange Gymboree onsie with puppy dogs on it, that will be delivered to your house sometime today.  Until next week my friends, keep on living…

Peace,
Beau

A Random Facebook Message

By Beau Miller in News

Hey everyone, I hope all of you are doing well, and I apologize for the delay in getting this posted. Almost twelve hours late to be exact. Well, if blogging is anything like showing up to parties, this just means I’m super cool. I wish this were the case, but the truth is, I am filled with joy thanks to this post, while simultaneously dreading the fact that I’ve got to write it. I know this sounds rather contradictory, so I guess I’ll just have to start at the beginning.

I spent this past weekend on Lake Erie with my family. We had a great time – laughing, lounging and catching up with old friends. I even got a chance to get some important work done while sitting on the porch and listening to the waves crash less than ten feet away from me. The porch made for a sweet office until the tornado sirens went off, but that’s a whole different story. Anyway, I’m working on my computer when all of the sudden I see that I’ve got a new Facebook message. As someone who got about two pieces of mail throughout my entire childhood, a new Facebook message is like Christmas morning to me. Pathetic? Maybe. The truth? You bet. So I open it up and see that it’s from a really cool looking girl with funky red hair and sweet, artsy glasses named Taryn. Even cooler than her hair and glasses was the message she sent. Here it is:

“Hi Beau,
I don’t mean to randomly add you, though that’s what I’m totally doing. Ha! But, I saw the Affero Project [I’M IN] video you posted on Aaron’s page. Watched it, loved it, and now I’m a donor! I am so passionate about social justice and it’s so nice to see that other people are too! Anyway, I hope you’re having the best day ever!”

What an awesome message! I knew right then and there that I had to call Taryn and write something about her for the blog this week. So I did. We talked and then we ended up talking more, and it was cool, and it got even cooler, and she was sweet and got even sweeter, and she told some stories, and then they got funnier and more awesome. And this, my friends, is why I am dreading this post. I’ve got so much cool stuff to share, and I’ve only got about 1000 words to do it. Taryn has so much life to squeeze into a thousand words, but I’m going to do my best. Here’s the highlight reel from our conversation…

• Beau: So Taryn, tell me about yourself…
• Taryn: I don’t know what to say.
• Beau: Anything. Let’s hear the whole Taryn story. I’ve got time.
• Taryn: Well, I’m 22-years-old, I live in Phoenix and I work for Feed My Starving Children. Best job in the world!
• Beau: Sweet, tell me about it. What do you do?
• Taryn: Feed My Starving Children was started in 1987 when our founder went to Honduras and experienced all of the wonderful people who desperately needed food and water. He came back, called General Mills and Cargill and started collecting food. Today, we package fortified rice meals with volunteers that cost 19 cents each, and we send them out across the globe. We packaged 3 million meals in 2003 and we are estimating that we’ll do 127 million meals this year!
• Beau: Wow! That’s incredible. What a blessing you are to others. Tell me some more about yourself…
• Taryn: I’m studying nursing. Really love it. I think I might want to go back to Africa someday and help sick people there.
• Beau: Back to Africa?!?! Let’s hear about the first time.
• Taryn: I traveled with a music ministry called Youth Encounter for two years playing drums. The first year we traveled the east coast of the U.S., the second we went to Uganda and Tanzania. It was the best time! I miss it. I miss the amazing kids.
• Beau: This is so cool. So you’ve been to Africa with a music ministry, you’re serving the hungry right now and your heart is in medical missions. No wonder you joined The Affero Project! Tell me how it all comes together. You obviously find lots of joy in serving others.
• Taryn: Yes! I do. It bums me out when people think that there have to be specified times and places for serving and being charitable. I think that 24 hours a day, 7 days a week is a good time to be charitable.
• Beau: Haha, me too! Will you share a little about your dreams for the future?
• Taryn: Dreams… Well, if God says to stay in the U.S. I’d love to work in the ER with trauma patients, but I’d really love to live in Africa too. One of my biggest passions is working with women. I’ve met so many wonderful women living in oppressive cultures who don’t feel beautiful or significant. I want tell all of them how beautiful and precious they are. Just because God made them and loves them!
• Beau: This is beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing. How about your church?
• Taryn: I go to a non-denominational Christian churched in Tempe called Praxis. I love it there. They preach the gospel and live it out. That’s what matters…and 92% of our members are under 26, so that’s cool too.
• Beau: Sounds like a great place. Hopefully I can visit someday. Do you like music?
• Taryn: Yes, I love it. Listening to The Civil Wars a lot lately. You’ve got to check them out. They rock.
• Beau: I certainly will. I feel like I could talk to you forever, but it’s getting late and I have family members screaming at me about how much time I spend on the phone and how they want me to play cards, so I’m going to have to wrap this exploration into awesomeness up. (Note – “exploration into awesomeness” is even lamer when you type it out!) But before we go, tell me something crazy about yourself…
• Taryn: Well, I don’t know about crazy. A lot of stuff I do is crazy!
• Beau: How about something embarrassing?
• Taryn: OK. Here’s one for you. I’m a life-long Phoenix Suns fan, and when I was like 6 years old I would lie in bed every night and sing the national anthem before I went to sleep. My dream was to sing it at a Suns game. Long story short, I never thought anyone heard me, until I grew up and my mom let me know how funny and cute it was to hear me sing every night!
• Beau: That’s funny. Did you ever sing at a Suns game?
• Taryn: Nope.
• Beau: There’s still time. I’ll be calling the Phoenix Suns and we’ll see what we can do…
• Taryn: Don’t! Haha.
• Beau: OK, I won’t. But I am going to share it in my blog.
• Taryn: It’s cool.
• Beau: This has been great. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me. I’m filled with joy and really inspired.
• Taryn: Me too. Have a great night Beau. I’m so glad we’re friends.
• Beau: Me too. Talk to you later Taryn.

And that’s the condensed story of Taryn. An extraordinary young woman with a huge heart for Christ, justice, and a beautiful singing voice too. I did my best to keep it short, but we passed 1000 words a long time ago and I’m totally cool with that. Taryn, thanks for being who you were created to be. Every time I talk to people like you and all of our other unbelievable Affero members, I am inspired beyond compare. Keep on rocking and singing your song…you’re so darn interesting I’m sure we’d all love to hear you sing from the phone book. Until next week everybody…

Peace,
Beau

P.S. What made you smile today?

A Random Call and Real Life Glee

By Beau Miller in News

So tonight I decided to do my weekly blog post a little differently. For the past few weeks I’ve profiled members of the Affero community that I know. People that I’ve had the chance to hang out with, do life with or even just enjoy dinner with. Well, fortunately for you and all of Affero’s partner organizations, The Affero Project isn’t just made up of my personal friends, but instead a diverse group of people all across the world. This is one thing that I find really attractive about Affero, and based on my semi-random call to Affero member Micah, he does too.

When I was scrolling through Affero’s member list, I intended to pick someone at random, give them a call and hopefully convince them very quickly that I wasn’t a telemarketer. Well, the randomness of my selection went down the drain when the name Micah caught my eye. I gave him a call and he was kind enough to chat with me about his life, his heart and his involvement with Affero. He’s a cool dude, and I’m excited to share a little of his story with all of you. Here are a few pieces of our conversation from last night…

Beau: Hi Micah, this is Beau Miller calling from The Affero Project. I saw your name on our member list and thought you’d be a great person to interview for my weekly blog post. Do you have a few minutes to chat?
Micah: Are you a telemarketer…I’m trying to eat dinner! Bye. (Just kidding. He said he’d love to talk.)
Beau: Great, so where are you from? What are you up to these days?
Micah: Well, I am from western Kentucky. I’m 20-years-old and I’m a math education major at Murray State.
Beau: Math education. Cool. So you must be excited about the education category winning the first month of The Affero Project! All of the money in the pot got sent to the Doulos Discovery School in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic…
Micah: Yeah. That’s really cool! Glad I could be a part of it.
Beau: I too am glad that you were and are a part of what Affero is doing each month. By the way, how did you find out about The Affero Project?
Micah: Well, I met Lucas (Affero’s co-founder) at Beach Reach in Florida over spring break (http://threadsmedia.com/beachreach/). He was leading worship and then shared about Affero. Myself and a few of my friends from Murray State really liked it and decided to join.
Beau: Awesome. So tell me what it is that attracted you to Affero. What do you like best about it?
Micah: Well, as a young Christian man, I really love the idea that I can worship and serve alongside other people all across the world. In addition to friends, family and people at my church, I can join a global group united behind a common goal and purpose. And we can impact the world in great and different ways each month. I’ve been stuck on the bible verse about always giving…shirt…food…whatever is needed. So I knew this is something I wanted to do each month.
Beau: Wow! Perfect answer. I’m going to have to pay you for answers like that.
Micah: Wire transfer is fine. (Just kidding, I made this part up too.)
Beau: This is really cool Micah. I am really glad I got to connect with you.
Micah: Yeah, I’m glad you called. This has been fun.
Beau: Well, before we finish up, tell me a little more about yourself. Plans for the future, dreams, passions…anything crazy?
Micah: Like I said, I am studying math education. I’ve got a heart for working in inner city schools as a teacher or an administrator someday. We’ll see what happens. I’m working as a math tutor now. Oh, and I love sports. Huge Kentucky basketball fan. I love football as well. Played in high school.
Beau: I too love and played football. Glad we’ve got that in common. So, anything crazy about yourself that you don’t mind others knowing?
Micah: Speaking of football, I was the captain of our team my senior year, and also had the lead role in the school musical. A little Glee action. Crazy enough?
Beau: Very cool. You’re a talented guy. Any last thoughts? Want to give a shout out to any friends or family?
Micah: My brother just graduated from seminary and is starting his ministry. My sister is a missionary and journalist in a foreign country. So if you could pray for them, that’d be cool.
Beau: We certainly will. I can now see that you come from a family of people committed to serving others. Love it. I think this is a great place to finish Micah. Thanks so much for being a part of the Affero community. It means a lot to all of us, and your willingness to serve is helping people all across the globe.
Micah: You’re very welcome. It was great talking to you.
Beau: Oh, and before you go Micah…can I ask you one more question?
Micah: Sure.
Beau: Want to buy a set of steak knifes? I’ll give you a great deal. (I didn’t make this up. Hey, can’t blame a guy for trying to make a few bucks!)

So that’s it for today my friends. Micah, we are so glad to have you on board, and we look forward to running this race alongside you.

Peace,

Beau

Famous Photos, Fast Cars & A Friendly Heart

By Beau Miller in News

Affero Member Profile:

I had the pleasure of meeting Georgia Durante on one of my business trips to LA earlier this year. A few us were headed to the west coast to shoot a marketing video and when we were looking for homes to rent we stumbled across a really cool place called The Enchanted Manor. A place which I later learned was owned and operated by Georgia. While we ended up staying in a home closer to where we were shooting, fortunately for me, we still got to meet Georgia. And believe me when I tell you, I had no idea how fascinating our dinner together would be!

To say that Georgia has lived an wildly interesting life would be a total understatement. If I were to tell you that she became “the most photographed woman in the world” in the summer of ’69, as the beautiful “Kodak Girl” in the blue polka dot bikini would you believe me? Well, it’s true. That was her on the thousands of cardboard cut-outs in stores across the globe. And what if I told you that shortly after her very successful modeling career she became Hollywood’s leading female precision stunt driver, a status she held for decades? This is also true. And if this isn’t enough for you, how about the fact that she got her education in driving fast as a getaway driver for the Gambino crime family in New York. This may sound a bit outlandish, so before you call me a liar, let me tell you that you can go ahead and check out her best selling memoir “The Company She Keeps,” where all of this can be substantiated. Surprise, surprise, Georgia is an amazing author too. I don’t know about you, but I think that if this blog post ended right here it would definitely fulfill the criterion of profiling a member of The Affero Project community in an interesting way. But the truth is, this is just the tip of the iceberg with Georgia. I haven’t even got the chance to tell you about how loving, generous and brave she is, and that’s what matters most. Georgia’s heart is really what makes her, well…Georgia.

When I decided that I was going to start blogging about Affero members each week, I checked the member list and wasn’t surprised at all to see that Georgia had joined the movement. I didn’t even have a chance to call and tell her about it, and she had already taken the initiative to read about Affero on Facebook and join the community. No pitch necessary, no clarification needed. When I called her tonight she summed it up really quickly when she said, “Beau, I am always willing to help with a good cause, and this is really something special!” It meant a lot to me to hear her say that, and Georgia, I’d like to say this in return – you are something special. The hospitality and love that I experienced when Georgia invited us into her home for dinner was really beautiful. We felt like family and forged a friendship that will last for many, many years. Beyond that, we got to meet a very special 4-year-old girl named Angela, whom Georgia lovingly adopted as her daughter a few years ago. Knowing Georgia, and what a great mom she is, it came as no shock to learn that her experience with adopting Angela inspired her to take action and give back by serving on the board of Grandparents As Parents, an organization committed to providing programs and services to meet the urgent and ongoing needs of grandparents and other relative caregivers raising at-risk children. This is just who Georgia is. A loving and compassionate person with a real heart for others. As you can imagine, throughout her life Georgia has had multiple brushes with death, and has lived to share her story. And I, for one, am thankful that she did. The way her life has changed, the ways she serves those in need and the stories she’s been able to share have been a blessing to me. There is no question that Georgia has helped to make the world a better place, and I’m proud to call her a friend and a fellow member of The Affero Project.

Peace & Polka Dots,

Beau

P.S. Grandparents As Parents is putting on a cool event at the House of Blues in California this September, so if you are in the area be sure to check out their website for more info.

An Artist, A Writer… A Super Hero Duo

By Beau Miller in News

We all know that The Affero Project is all about community. A community of passionate people with hearts for serving other communities across the globe. So, I figured that it might be good to introduce all of you to some of our amazing Affero community members in my blog each week. The last blog post I wrote profiled our friends Larry and Elizabeth, who set up Affero accounts for their two young kids to teach them about social justice and serving those in need. Super cool, huh? Well, today should be no different, as I’d like to introduce you to two more Affero friends, a husband and wife team named Ashley and Steve…

Ashley and Steve are really fascinating people. They grew up in Ohio and recently journeyed on to Connecticut, where they work/serve at a school for children with social and/or emotional difficulties. Ashley is a very gifted art teacher and photographer who is brimming with patience and compassion, and Steve is currently serving as the world’s greatest, and possibly most surprising physical education teacher. Most surprising? Yes. Steve isn’t exactly what you’d call a “sports guy.” He ‘s an extremely talented creative writer who loves comic books (he insists they’re called graphic novels, but I don’t get it), Zombie movies and social media. But, when he got to Connecticut to finish his degree, he learned that the school needed a physical education teacher and he jumped on board. This is just the kind of people they are. Ready to spring into action and serve others, no matter how crazy the call. I am pleased to tell you that things are going great for them, as they truly feel like they’re fulfilling their purpose in life right now. And Steve, don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone about the time you asked me to send you schematics on how to actually hold a football. Your secret is safe with me; the students will never know.

To bring the message home, I must tell you that when I started working with Affero, Steve and Ashley were two of the first people I called. I was so filled with enthusiasm, as I still am now, that as soon as they answered I started rambling about how cool Affero was, what a revolution it would be, and how many lives could be impacted through the community. Before I even got to the end, or gave them the pitch as to why they should sign up, Steve cut me off and said, “We’re in. Signing up now!” Again, that’s just the kind of people they are. They believe in what Affero is doing, and felt led to pour themselves into the project. Just thinking about that call fills me joy and makes me proud to call them my friends. And that’s not all. Steve and Ashley have also offered to share their tremendous creative gifts with us, and all of you, in the form of blogging and photography for Affero! So, be on the lookout for some sweet blog posts from Steve each week, and some killer photos from Ashley in the future! And there you have it. An artist and a writer, or as I like to call them, a super hero duo for serving others. That’s all for this week. Thanks Asher & Steve-O…Keep living the revolution.

Parents Using Affero Project to Empower Their Children and Teach Compassion

By Beau Miller in News

Hey everyone, here’s a little something that I thought was really cool and wanted to share with all of you.  I have a great friend and fellow member of the Mosaic church community named Larry.  A couple of weeks before Affero launched, I called Larry to tell him all about it.  I must admit, the first reason for my call was that I knew he had some spare change, and secondly, I knew I could strong arm him and threaten him enough to get him to cough it up.  After all, I’m bigger than he is and he would do anything to avoid me tickling him or picking him up and putting him in my pocket.  Just kidding, the real reason I called Larry is because he is a great man with a true servant heart and a burning desire to help those in need.

So, not surprisingly, right after I told Larry about Affero he was on board 100%, and said he’d sign up.  Like the noble, handsome (you’re welcome Larry) and generous man he is, he did sign up – with a total of three separate accounts!  Three accounts!?!?  Yeah, this is the cool part.  Larry decided that it would be one thing for he and his beautiful wife Buffy (in this case I actually mean it) to set up an account and give, but it would be even cooler if they could involve their young kids, Benjamin and Savannah.  So, Larry and Buffy (who are in the running for Affero’s Parents of the Year award), sat down with the kids at the computer and told them all about The Affero Project and what they could do to be a part of changing the world.  They read over the categories, let the kids see what each org needed, and then, after they set up accounts in Benjamin and Savannah’s names, they got to vote for where they wanted their money to go.  They were so excited, and were practically begging Larry to go out in the cool Affero t-shirts I promised them (and have yet to deliver), and tell the world the good news.  How cool is this?  Seriously, what a beautiful vision for connecting with your kids, and in turn, connecting them to their global neighbors in need!  Encouraging a life of giving and compassion from a very young age – sweet!

Often times kids grow up thinking that giving to charity is something for their parents to do.  Their parents will worry about the orphans, widows and the poor for now – and then someday in the future, it will be their turn to learn what social justice is all about and start giving.  But much applause to Larry and Buffy for using their God-given creativity to give their amazing kids a voice in the fight right now.  Just imagine what Benjamin and Savannah will be doing ten years from now.  I can tell you this much, I know they’ll be doing something extraordinary.  So, parents out there, this is a time that it might be good to tear out a page from Larry and Buffy’s parenting playbook.  Affero is all about empowering people, and no matter how young your kids may be, they want to be a part of something bigger.  They want to help.  So consider setting up Affero accounts for them, and just wait to see the joy in their eyes and on their hearts when they get to decide if their dollar is going to be the dollar that is used to dig a well in Africa or for schooling for Dominican kids.  It’s a powerful thing, and we are excited to hear the stories of your little kids, doing big things in our world.

Peace & Love,

Beau