December 15, 2010; Source: Huffington Post | Carlo Garcia decided this spring that he would donate to a different nonprofit every day and then he would write about it on his blog Living Philanthropic to spread the word. He is a terrific writer! Garcia, 28, isn’t anywhere near a billionaire—he is the Lead Client Services rep for Ticketweb.com, an online ticketing company. He came up with the idea for his blog while volunteering for the Mary-Archie Theater Company, a nonprofit. He said it made him realize how hard it was for nonprofits of all kinds to make ends meet.
Says Garcia, “With the financial landscape the way it is, with federal money becoming less and less available, many of these smaller charitable organizations are relying more and more on the private donation . . . That means we as individuals have the power to team up and make a difference. A woman named Jodi sent me this quote from Desmond Tutu, ‘Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.’ It speaks to my mission so well, it has become a mantra for me.”
His donations may not be large but they are thoughtful. Here is Thursday’s post—or day 238 for Garcia’s campaign:
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Day 238: Aid for Aidan—Today’s give goes to a cool little dude who is battling Leukemia. A recommendation came from Brenda R. on the Living Philanthropic Facebook page, so I thought I would check it out and I found an awesome kid with a knack for drawing monsters. His aunt began selling the drawings on etsy to help the family pay for the medical bills and loss of wage expenses incurred since September 2010, when Aidan was diagnosed. So, today’s give goes to Aid for Aidan, I look forward to hanging up your gnarly ‘Wolf Man No. 2’ drawing in my office. Aidan is no ordinary 5-year-old boy, in fact he is quite extraordinary. What sets him apart from most kids is his love for all things scary. He loves monsters, clowns, drawing, and dressing up. He does not wait for Halloween to roll around to have an excuse to wear a costume. And you better believe while in costume he will break character for nothing. Another thing that makes Aidan different than most children is that on September 13, 2010 he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). He was strong and pulled through his first round of chemo all while teasing his nurses and vistors (sic). Although this was a small victory Aidan, unfortunately, must go through 2 to 3 more years of chemo treatments and everything that goes along with that. Amount Donated: $5 (plus bought this cool Monster drawing for $12!) To support Aid for Aidan, go to: http://aidforaidan.wordpress.com or buy one of his awesome monster drawings go to: http://aidansmonsters.etsy.com.
Garcia’s own inspiration? His mother who, as he was growing up on the South Side of Chicago, showed him “that we are capable of doing great things with very little.”—Ruth McCambridge
