Light a Fire

As many of you know, in 2013 my lifelong friend and I co-founded a local charity called From Cover to Cover.  How we came to be is really quite simple.  In December of 2012, her family was doing a service project for Christmas (making fleece tie blankets for those in need) and our family was collecting money to purchase books for kids in need.  We learned about each other's service projects through Facebook and one thing lead to another.  5 months later we officially launched From Cover to Cover.

What started out as a little dream for two small-town Iowa girls has snowballed into an unbelievably awesome reality.  To date we have donated over 400 book and blanket sets to sweet kindergarteners in our own communities, as well as thousands of used books for classroom and home libraries.  Our latest project, sponsored Family Literacy Nights, is off and running.

A little spark has fueled a fire.  This project has brought so much joy to my life.  While I've never been blind to the needs of those in my community, I never fully grasped how so many live in such poverty that something as simple as a book is a treasure.  I have learned so much from my conversations with the administrators and teachers at these schools and the interactions I have had with the students and their caregivers.   I feel even more compelled to not only help these children, but to share these stories with my friends (and strangers alike!) in an effort to bring more awareness of this unfortunate problem.

This is a huge component in my Year to Get It Done.  We've come a long way, but we have a long way to go and the desire to get there.

What is my point today?!  Search within yourself and find a cause you are passionate about.  Let a little spark start a fire in you.  You will feel so alive when you do!