Christmas & Birthday for Clean Water

My friend once told me I ruin all her pictures because my bright orange water bottle is always there. I'm a hydration freak. You'll rarely find me without my water bottle. It helps me reduce stress, and powers all my working, writing, and running.

But many people live without access to clean drinking water every day. 

For every sip I take, millions more take sips of contaminated water that spreads disease. 

Instead of Christmas and Birthday (Dec 30) gifts this year, I'm asking my friends, family, colleagues, and community to donate to this campaign. 

On average with Charity: Water, $40 provides one person with clean drinking water for the rest of their life. 

Believe it or not, 696 million people live without access to clean drinking water. (That's more than double the population of the United States.) Sadly, it's often young girls who are responsible for carrying dirty water to their communities for hours each day. They're subject to violence, hardship, and often miss out on education just to keep their families hydrated. The water they do drink makes them sick. 

Luckily, Charity: Water helps. Over the last 20 years, they've built over 197,000 water projects in 29 countries, bringing clean water to over 20 million people. 

These days, it can be hard to know if a charity will use your money like you hope. With Charity: Water, that isn't a concern. Their operating costs are fully covered by philanthropists, which means 100% of your donation funds clean water projects. When the water filter or well project is complete, they'll email you photo evidence of exactly where your money went. 

Please donate to this campaign. $40 is a great start because it brings clean water to one person. If $4 is all you can spare this holiday, that's wonderful too. For those with means, why not bring clean water to 10 or 100 people?

Together, we can help people live longer, stay healthier, and get the education they deserve.