#item191

Item #191 - Many pet shelters are facing decreased adoptions and donations due to the economic downturn and COVID, but we can help. Remotely contact your local pet shelter and coordinate to get the photo and story of their most at-risk animal. Write a hard-hitting "Washington Pawst" article as though you interviewed this incarcerated friend. Post it publicly on your social media along with their picture and adoption details. Submit an image of your story and photo along with a link to your post. (Keep tabs on the pet and let us know if they get adopted!)

Item #191 - Each year, GISH participants work to “Change A Life” by making a profound difference in the lives of people and communities facing extraordinary hardship. Since 2011, Gishers have helped a wounded US veteran rebuild his life, provided life-saving resources for Syrian refugees, given hundreds of at-risk students of a South African dance school a way to transcend poverty, and provided over 150 Rwandan female genocide survivors a co-op farm/marketplace in their quest to become self-sufficient and provide for their families. This year, in partnership with our friend Giles Duley, a renowned photographer who travels the world documenting stories from the victims of war, we are launching, our most ambitious Change A Life yet: one that will help save and improve the lives of countless children and adults in Laos.

GISH 2019 Item 191: [IMAGE] CHANGE A LIFE. Each year, Gishers come together to “Change A Life”, making a profound difference in the lives of people or communities facing extraordinary hardship. As most Gishers know by now, unexploded bombs are a significant problem in certain areas of Laos. Since the Vietnam war, over 20,000 people have been injured or killed – over 8,000 of those being children. These explosives lie dormant in fields and some rural areas. Often, a farmer will accidentally strike one, or a child will think it’s a ball and pick it up. One such boy, Kayeng, was injured after his cousins lit a fire to stay warm, You can learn more about his story here. This year, GISH is teaming up with Random Acts (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit) and our GISH Ambassador, photographer Giles Duley, to help change the lives of Laotian children and families in what is our most ambitious Change A Life to date in two ways: 1. With your help, we’re going to continue clearing unexploded bombs from farmlands. Your support has already helped make hundreds of acres safe already for the children and families of Laos. 2. Our bigger initiative will help fund the manufacture of much-needed prosthetics for countless Laotian children and adults missing limbs. You’ll help provide limbs and arms for children so they can walk to school and play, and farmers so they can provide for themselves and their families. From the funds raised, we hope to improve the lives of thousands in Laos for years to come. Visit the Crowdrise page here! CHANGE A LIFE DONATIONS ARE 100% TAX DEDUCTIBLE, AND 100% OF THE DONATIONS GOES TO THE THIS EFFORT (for countries other than the U.S., deductions are contingent on your laws). Your GISH Item: Using the link above, create a Fundraising page for your team, and get family, friends, and others to donate. Since this is GISH and there’s always an extra twist to everything we do, here’s the deal: we also want you to get OTHERS to donate to your Crowdrise page. We know you don’t need “points” as an incentive to help these families, but since it is part of the Hunt, we want to maximize the power of these points to help. Get at least 10 donations from friends, family, individuals or businesses NOT on your team. You and your team members are welcome to donate to your campaign, but that is not a requirement for points- the Item requirement is to get at least 10 people to make a cumulative total of least 10 donations from donors who are NOT on your team. There is no minimum to donate for GISH purposes, but Crowdrise does require a minimum $10 donation be collected, and let’s all please encourage others to be generous so we can make a profound impact. SUBMIT a screenshot of your team’s page with a minimum of 10 donations on it. (To initially create a fundraising team, click the FUNDRAISE FOR THIS CAMPAIGN button.) If for any reason your team is unable to (or chooses not to) join this Crowdrise campaign, you may still get points for this Item by collecting goods or volunteering at least two hours of your time with any relief organization providing relief to anyone directly impacted by acts of war– refugees, disabled veterans, etc. SUBMIT PROOF YOU HAVE DONE THIS. If your team is in the top 10% of number of donations or dollar amount, you’ll receive double points for this Item, so get in on this. We need to raise $150,000 at minimum. We know it’s a lofty goal – but we believe in you, Gishers. Let’s do this!

Team Gishtastrophe’s link:  https://www.crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign/gishtastrophe

You didn’t think we were going to let all those oranges go to waste, did you? Wall Drugs has signs announcing Wall Drugs locations hundreds of miles before you get to the store, so drivers get to anticipate the goodness coming. Place signs along 5 miles of road leading up to an orange juice stand that speaks hyperbolically of the life-changing rejuvenation of the coming refreshment with a countdown of the miles. You must have a sign at least every quarter of a mile along the path. If this is insurmountable to you, at the very least, host a freshly-squeezed orange juice party in your backyard for all of your neighbors. You won’t get points for that, but you’ll use the juice and make some friends