I'm Giving Up My 37th Birthday!

"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water." - LORAN EISELY

I'm giving up my 37th Birthday and it has nothing to do with vanity or nearing the big 4-0. I couldn't care less about numbers as they pertain to my age. I do, however, care about age when it pertains to those throughout the world who don't make it to their 37th birthdays because of a lack of clean drinking water and proper sanitation.

As a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF and the founding ambassador for the Global Network, I've traveled to the field and seen firsthand the devastation left behind by waterborne illnesses. On these trips, I've run the gamut of emotions that range from mind-bending anger to heart-warming hope. Upon my return from the field, I count my blessings, and then as time passes, I become frustrated with myself that I'm not doing more to alleviate the pain of those I met on my journey.

• • • • • • •

It is because of this very frustration that I decided to give up my birthday. I have everything I could ever want or need. All I want is to provide life-giving water for 10 communities, 500 families and 2,500 people. This is my Birthday wish. In lieu of spending money on a party or presents, I'm asking people to donate to my Charity: Water campaign and help make my wish come true.

Charity: Water is a grassroots non-profit that was founded in 2006. In just a little more than 3 years, they've engaged more than 75,000 donors around the world, and raised over $13 million for operations and water projects. 100% of public donations directly fund water projects. They've funded 1500 water projects in 16 countries that will serve over 800,000 people. Simply put, Charity: Water, funds clean water projects that save lives.

Currently, almost a billion people in the world don't have access to life's most basic need: clean and safe drinking water. That's 1 in 8 people on the planet. Over 200 million people right now have a water-related disease called schistosomiasis... It's a fancy word for parasites. Worms. When you see a heartbreaking photo of a malnourished child with an extended belly, that child most likely has this waterborne schistosomiasis and no matter what food or nutrients you give them, without proper medication and clean water they most likely will not survive.

As we take a sip of our water from the fridge and don't think twice about it, there are people that have to walk hours a day fetching unsafe water from remote areas. Imagine that. Imagine having to walk for hours and hours, every day, just to retrieve contaminated water that will most likely get you sick and maybe even kill you. And the time spent collecting this water, keeps children out of school and women from pursuing economic growth. Not having access to clean drinking water perpetuates the cycle of poverty.

No child should ever die from a preventable cause and 4,500 children will die TODAY from water-related illnesses. This year, in this country alone, we'll spend about 450 million dollars a year on presents, decorations and "stuff" for Christmas. That is enough to give everyone on earth clean, life-giving water, a couple of times over.

I believe it is innately within us, as warriors of the human spirit, to give to those less fortunate. Sometimes, we just don't know how to go about doing it. If this rings true for you, I encourage you to watch the below video, be inspired, and join me by starting your own holiday campaign today at http://www.charitywater.org/holidays.


WATCH:

The story of charity: water - The 2009 September Campaign Trailer from charity: water on Vimeo.

 

Follow Alyssa Milano on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Alyssa_Milano

Comments

[Pamela Hawley]

06:05 PM on 02/02/2010

Alyssa, thank you for this inspiring article, and for all that you're doing to serve the world. Water...such a basic need, and such an urgent need as well. And so much can be done for so little. On UniversalGiving, we have a number of opportunities relating to water, like giving just $19 to give one person clean water (http://www.universalgiving.org/donate/water_for_villages/id4865.do). Or as you experienced, it can be so powerful to go on the ground, to enter into the situation and meet the people involved, through international volunteering. Volunteering in the area of health (http://www.universalgiving.org/volunteer/healthy_villages_summer_intern/id5902.do) can be a life-changing experience, for the people served and the person serving.
Again, thank you for the example you're giving of serving our world, and the call to action to others to join.
Sincerely,
Pamela Hawley
Founder and CEO
UniversalGiving
[e-mail]
www.universalgiving.org
Living and Giving blog
www.pamelahawley.wordpress.com

[Tazman446]

08:19 PM on 12/14/2009

hey Alyssa.. this is a great thing you are doing i do think its wonderful.. i am truely sorry tht i cannot donate at this time for i have no money norer work and work is very hard to get these days.. do to really bad dissions from the president.. i can barely keep my own rent payed and trying not to become homeless myself.. i will keep retweeting your message in hope that i can help in this way.. it is a very good couse and i do admire you for doing this..

[onlyThis]

08:53 PM on 12/13/2009

You can also go to www.thehungersite.com to help feed children and help other charities with just a click of your mouse.

[alwaysthere]

03:48 PM on 12/13/2009

now that's sexy !!

Bless you

[JuniperSunshine]

02:33 PM on 12/13/2009

Keep up great the great work! This is a great cause that can really help so many people.

[grumpyfarmer]

02:14 PM on 12/13/2009

A very classy thing to do, celebrating a birthday by helping others meet a very basic need. Too bad more celebrities(and even common folks) couldn't act this way.

[dobberdoss]

02:26 AM on 12/13/2009

good for you Alyssa. A very worthy cause.

[Amoxtli]

12:51 AM on 12/13/2009

Thank you, Alyssa. You've reached more people than you know. Happy birthday, too.

[jackiero]

12:33 PM on 12/11/2009

I donated in honor of my late cousin's birthday yesterday. She died at the hands of a very different killer--domestic abuse--but I saw the article on her birthday and it inspired me. Merry Christmas everyone.

[spammom]

05:59 PM on 12/10/2009

And I would be more impressed if anyone had not just told Alyssa she's "hot" or "wonderful" and mentioned that the link above does not take you to the charity. The point was not to fall all over her but to go to her charity and donate. Her link is typed correctly http://www.charitywater.org/holidays but the HTML takes you to /holiday (no s). I commend Alyssa for what she does with charities I just wish people wouldn't just drool over her and would actually send $2-200 to the charity.

[greg32]

04:13 PM on 12/10/2009

Way to go Alyssa!

[mpz]

04:00 PM on 12/10/2009

Well, I'd be more impressed if she hadn't said she gets her water out of her refrigerator. Probably the most wasteful thing people do is drink water out of bottles, when better water is available right from the tap.

[mollybeejay]

05:33 PM on 12/10/2009

Uh, hello; read this article. Just came out this week in the NYTimes. This is why I distill my own water.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/business/energy-environment/08water.html

[johnr49]

05:41 PM on 12/10/2009

Why do you automatically assume that water out of a refrigerator is bottled? - most modern refrigerators have built-in filters that filter the municipal tap water.
BTW the tap water where I live is bordering on undrinkable unless filtered first.

[VANDERGRAAFK]

03:16 PM on 12/10/2009

Alyssa, you've proven once again that you are STILL CHARMED! Thanks for being the selfless individual that Wall Street bankers seem unable to emulate. Happy Birthday!

[Paul Ellis]

02:32 PM on 12/10/2009

Great blog! Your rare these days, some one that doesn't want to spend 10k for a lavish birthday party on themself, good for you. Plus your a huge baseball fan!! :)

[seatech1]

02:05 PM on 12/10/2009

WOW! You're 37??? I feel so old right now.
Oh; anyway, good for you. Thanks for reminding us of the important things.

BTW, you look great. Hope things always go well for you. Loved "Charmed".