Where the Donations Go
Barbara L. Stone Foundation
The first ever distribution from Bet My Life has gone to a Chemistry Teacher in Tanzania. He is getting his Masters' in Chemistry, but in order to do so, had to come up with a little more dough. Hamissi appealed to us. As our mission statement goes, we strive to better ourselves and each other, as well as the community; though we'd be thrilled to be able to help our friend in Tanzania strictly on account of his own education and intellectual pursuits, Bet My Life demands more. We asked Hamissi just how he planned to help others and his community, as a stipulation for our help. His response was quite simple. In Tanzania, everyone must pass the National Exam in order to continue in school from a young age. In Dar Es Salaam, this is not an impossible request, but in a small town outside Kilimanjaro, where no one has had a chemistry teacher for years, it's no wonder why kids aren't passing the National Exam. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess what happens in the lives of children who don't carry on to school as teenagers, does it? Hamissi has received our help and we're anxious to check in on his on-going progress as a student and teacher in his hometown. Stay tuned for more on Hamissi, and, as always, let us know if you know someone who can make the most of a Bet My Life stipend!
Eric L. Markowitz Foundation
You might not believe how hard it is to off-load a thousand bucks, but we have had a very hard time identifying a potential beneficiary for technical reasons. Taking a new angle, we are going to partner with a brand new charity (which still doesn't have an official, legal name - that's how new they are), to help wounded soldiers and their families. The VA only covers so much, and it's nowhere near enough for anyone with more than a flesh wound or a couple of broken bones. Has anyone heard of Team Hoyt? The new charity we're teaming up with has a similar spin, and last year's beneficiary was Sgt. Eddie Ryan, a former Marine who was - literally - shot twice through the head and survived. He still survives, and his rehab is going well, thanks to the modest donations of thousands of fellow humans. We look forward to a chance to work with this charity, and raise money for another wounded soldier and his or her family.