Tag: poetry for a cause

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Poets for Tsunami Relief

I spent the day trying to figure out how to help our friends in Japan, Hawaii, and other areas devastated by today’s earthquake and tsunami(s).

I am just one person, but I realized with the network of talented poets I’ve built over the years, I actually have a lot to offer. Not enough time to publish a book of poems with proceeds to relief – I want to help NOW. After brainstorming with my friends Mark and Brandee on Twitter, I decided I could do something effective, right here on my blog.

Introducing ‘Poets for Tsunami Relief” –a one-week blogzine of poetry by my talented poet pals. I’ll be posting as many poems as I can this week on many different themes. My plan is to offer my audience a variety of excellent poetry in hopes that readers will open their minds and hearts to the poems, and to the cause.

After reading poems in this Poets for Tsunami blogzine, I hope you’ll click on “Donate” button to the right, which leads you directly to the American Red Cross site, where you can choose how you want to donate to help with relief efforts. I didn’t post a link to Canadian Red Cross yet, as most of my readers are American, but I will happily add links to various Red Cross web sites beneath the poetry posts, especially if you ask for them in the comments.

I’m pleased to announce my poet friend in the UK, poet Tony Lewis-Jones, has already submitted a beautiful tanka, which I’ll be posting shortly. Please submit your poems for consideration and a one-line bio to writer@hgrace.com

Thanks for reading Poets for Tsunami Relief.

Please consider a donation to The Red Cross.

In Canada, go to: http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=000043&tid=016

In the UK, go to: http://www.redcross.org.uk/Donate-Now

In the US, click on the red button I’ve added on my sidebar

(red button is on the home page http://atomic-temporary-2589064.wpcomstaging.com), top right.

Cheers
Heather

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Poetry That Can Make a Difference

Some of you may not know that half the proceeds from sales of Where the Butterflies Go are donated to educational projects in the third world. My collection was launched in February, and I was pleasantly surprised to reach my first goal by early March. My first donation was made at that time to Unicef’s Gift of Education Project. This donation paid for a full year of education for a child in need, including their tuition, books, supplies, and part of a teacher’s salary.

I didn’t want to stop there – it is incredibly rewarding to have my poems making a small difference in the world. So when I interviewed Neelima Pratap for a magazine article and learned about the small one- roomed school in Goa, India that she has co-founded with Francis Das, Grace Educational Trust school,  I knew I’d found another worthy, wonderful project that could use my help.

These young children would never have had the opportunity to get even the most basic education -something I have often taken for granted – if it weren’t for the dedication and effort these incredible ladies have put forth.

The fact that the school’s name is my maiden name was purely coincidental…yet an interesting coincidence!

My small $100 donation will help them build desks and chairs for the children, but I am hoping that with continued sales of Where the Butterflies Go, I can donate more towards their goal of building a brand new school for the children. This is where you, dear readers, come in!

I hope that you’ll watch this wonderful clip from an interview with Neelima Pratap which aired on CBC’s The National in early July- I am sure it will move you, and will tell you more about where your dollars are going when you buy Where the Butterflies Go.

Giving Hope -The National, CBC

If you are interested in an autographed copy of my collection, please contact me at writer@hgrace.com or below, and I will arrange payment (I accept money orders but prefer Paypal) to sign and ship a copy to your home. Non-autographed copies are available from my publisher at Lulu.com

Neelima has also informed me that Grace Educational Trust school now has a website at GraceEducationalTrust.com, where you can read articles and updates about the school.

Thanks again to all my kind readers!

Photo: Children at Grace Educational Trust. Photo courtesy Neelima Pratap.