26 Apr
An Update from our Ambassadors at Virginia Tech and University of Florida
We hope everyone had a great weekend and had a chance to pack up some t-shirts to ship out this week. Don’t forget, the t-shirts don’t have to be brand new; just good condition. Here’s an update from our two ambassadors helping from college campuses:
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I came back from class one day and there was a box of shirts on my floor with a note on top of it that read: “Koop! I forgot my dollar but I’ll bring it by later!” I knew my friends were awesome (of course), but that was unbeatable. I realized at that time that the Virginia Tech students and community weren’t going to just let 1MillionShirts brush by. After all, every person I’ve talked to has admitted to having at least one shirt in their closet that they don’t want or wear.
I’ve coordinated a with a sorority and they have agreed to put a box in their house with a sign on it, along with sending an email to the listserv of girls. I’m looking forward to talking with more sororities and fraternities come Fall. This week I’ll be taking the collecting even deeper by focusing on the dorms. My hopes is to encourage students to look over their shirts as they pack up for summer and pick out which shirts they know they don’t need or want. Look for the Facebook invite going out later this week… and remember you can always drop shirts off at my room with your $1 bill!
- Bryan
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So as it turns out, college students like to do more than sleep in, play drinking games and Facebook stalk. They like to support great causes, too! When I signed on to this project, I did so because I wanted to make a real difference in people’s lives. I like to think 1MillionShirts is helping the world as a whole, but my motivation comes from imagining the impact that these shirts will make on one million individual lives across Africa.
As I began spreading the word about 1MillionShirts across UF’s campus, I found that my friends (and strangers) shared my passion for improving the lives of those less fortunate. Once I started telling people about the cause last week, I feel like I blinked and I had over 600 shirts!
I am incredibly proud and grateful for the support that this cause has already inspired, and I encourage other colleges across the country to start coordinating donations as well. Because let’s be honest…it sure beats going to class!
- Caroline
Comments
Caroline, you have over 600 shirts now, how are you paying to ship those shirts to CO? Are you having someone sponsor the shipping costs to have it go to CO?
Checkout http://michaelkeizer.com/humourless/2010/the-unkindest-cut-why-gifts-in-kind-are-often-a-bad-idea/
For a little info on why sending old clothes to Africa is probably a pretty bad idea.
Although your intentions are evidently good, sending these shirts to Africa is a really, really bad idea.
There are a lot of comments and useful suggestions by people who work in international development for a living aggregated at this site: http://aidwatchers.com/2010/04/a-suggestion-for-the-1millionshirts-guys/ on how this concept is flawed and what could be done to improve it.
I hope you don’t take this personally but rather take these criticisms to heart and modify your efforts.
Although your intentions are evidently good, sending these shirts to Africa is a really, really bad idea.
There are a lot of comments and useful suggestions by people who work in international development for a living aggregated at this site: http://aidwatchers.com/2010/04/a-suggestion-for-the-1millionshirts-guys/ on how this concept is flawed and what could be done to improve it.
I hope you don’t take this personally but rather take these criticisms to heart and modify your efforts.
Brad, to answer your question,local businesses and individuals are getting involved to help with shipping.
Bula and Alex, thank you for taking the time to share your opinions, and I appreciate the perspectives that you both have offered.
As a South African I would like to urge you to reconsider this initiative. There are plenty of things we need, t-shirts are not one of them. If you really intend to make a difference in peoples lives, please listen to the constructive criticism you have been receiving.
Bryan, Caroline, while I admire that both of you want to do something to help people with less opportunities than yourselves, a far better use for the t-shirts, or indeed any other used clothing, would be to organise a charity clothes swap event or to establish a second hand clothes shop on campus with the profits being donated to a reputable charity.
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really appreciate YOU — thanks a lot!
would be to organise a charity clothes swap event or to establish a second hand clothes shop on campus with the profits being donated to a reputable charity.
would be to organise a charity clothes swap event or to establish a second hand clothes shop on campus with the profits being donated to a reputable charity.
why cannt see my comments?
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