NEW BLOG PAGE!

Our new Global Support Mission "At Home" blog can be found here :

http://www.globalsupportmission.com/blog-home/

KICKSTARTER

It's such a busy time here at Global Support Mission. Banquets are rapidly approaching, plans for the rest of this year unfolding, and a huge trip to Africa planned for March!

This trip is incredibly important, maybe the most important, in the history of GSM. We are going to be meeting with our current Affiliates as well as expanding into new areas, establishing new relationships and looking at bringing several new Affiliates into partnership with GSM. Another main focus for us is creating content for us to use Stateside.

We have a big dream of creating a DVD series, highlighting very specific issues such as Malaria, HIV/Aids, Clean Water, etc. In these DVD's, we want to tell specific stories of those that have been affected by these issues, what causes them and give ways for people to respond. We are also in need of creating new videos for Know.Think.Act., as well as photos for all of our needs, both pending and met on KTA. For all of this to happen, we desperately need new gear. With technology racing ahead and what we are able to harness visually, we cannot fall far behind and be relevant both now and in the future.

We are using an interesting and exciting approach to raising funds for this project. I was introduced to a website called KICKSTARTER. This site allows you to raise money for a creative project by people "pledging" a certain amount of money towards it. Once the goal amount is met, everyone's credit card's are charged their pledge amount. If the pledge is not met, no one is charged. We've also created several incentives for you to donate!

I cannot express to you how deeply vital this is to us. Coming from a film background, I have seen the power that visual forms of communication can hold. For those that cannot go and cannot experience firsthand, it has the power to convict, to empower, to change lives at a deep, core level.

So, please consider pledging. We have 30 days to meet our goal of $11,000! You're not just giving money towards pieces of equipment, you're empowering us with the ability to tell incredible stories of lives and communities changed and of hope restored.

Direct Link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jeremystanley/knowthinkact-visual-stories-of-changing-commu

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

Jeremy Stanley

U.S. Programs Director

This is Love

A new year has begun! And for us that means it's time for our 3rd annual This is Love banquets! This year we're doing three events in three different cities: Nashville Feb. 4th, Biloxi Feb. 9th and Los Angeles/OC Feb. 11th. Plus, we're doing a small fund raising event in down town San Diego on Feb. 15th. For more info and to purchase tickets checkout our This is Love website. We hope to see you there!

*If your planning on coming to the Nashville banquet hurry up and buy your ticket! We're almost sold out! It's going to be an incredible night... walk the red carpet, dinner, the moonlighters (20 piece big band), keynote by Michael Hyatt and as a thank you gift Thomas Nelson has donated "The Hole in Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns, to everyone who attends. So what are you waiting for... go buy a ticket!


A personal invite and up-date from Jeremy Stanley!


Working on building some really cool signs for the This is Love banquet. This is 3/4" oak plywood that we got discounted and tax free from Home Depot. We are tracing our logos on it then we'll cut it out with a router. After it's cut out we'll stain it with an ebony finish and mount frosted plexiglass behind it. It will be back lit (kinda like a light box). It's going to look pretty sweet. Come to the banquet and check it out. Do you have a creative idea for us on how to build other creative signage on a budget? Let us know, we'd love to hear it!

Compassion = Action,

Travis Gravette
Founder & Executive Director

Haiti Relief

(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Montreal La Presse, Ivanoh Demers)

(AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

It's with a heavy heart that I write this. I have been completely overwhelmed by the devastation in Haiti. I'm sitting here, staring at the images, reading the stories, desperately clinging to every new bit of information.

These are not times to shake our heads and say that's a shame. Not moments to insulate ourselves from the hurt, the pain, the tears. This is a time for action.

GSM is not currently active on the ground in Haiti. Our focus has been east Africa up to this point. While I wish for nothing more than to actually BE in Haiti right now doing whatever I can, at this moment it is not realistic, nor do we personally have the relationships with locals.

There is a group that is working on the ground with locals in Jacmel that we know, love and trust. They are not disimilar to GSM in that 100% of the money raised goes directly to work on the ground. They are Conduit Mission. Here is an overview and update from Conduit's Vice President, Jeremy Hezlep:

"Conduit Mission has been onsite in Jacmel, Haiti for the last few years. They launched a feeding and sponsorship program that has been very successful in reaching the Haitian people of Jacmel. Conduit Mission is currently communicating with people they have onsite about the relief efforts and the needs of Jacmel. All contact and communication between Jacmel and Port Au Prince has been disconnected. The roads are destroyed so there has been no aid or relief so far to Jacmel. Conduit Mission has been in communication with Mark Stuart lead singer of Audio Adrenaline and founder of the Hands and Feet project. He and his wife are actually currently in Jacmel and working hard. Mark has informed us that the situation in Jacmel is getting very serious. The people are getting very restless and the situation could turn violent any moment. Conduit Mission is working very hard to get support to Jacmel. Please consider donating to www.conduitmission.org where 100% of the money will go to their relief effort in Haiti."

I would ask that you visit their site and consider giving to relief efforts in Jacmel. Here is an email from Mark Stuart, in response to a question about getting a ship with relief docked in Jacmel:

"yes. I met with the mayor tonight. The port can be used, cruise ships can come in there. We need help bad here is the city. What kind of supplies are on the boat? How fast can they get here? We are starting to feel people get frustrated and scared and that usually predicates looting and riots as you know. Also…we are donating money to the city of jacmel. The mayor said we were the only ones that have helped at all. Its crazy…I told him we could give 10k tomorrow and he almost cried. He is doing everything himself on his credit card. The mayor has the infrastructure and connections to get major things done if we can help rent equipment and buy food/supplies . But the city has no money. There are big machines here just sitting because the money is gone. If your organization can raise money for jacmel we can get it to best people to help the most pressing needs. There are dead bodies in the rubble and maybe one small front loader doing everything. Sad. - Mark "

You, the Global Support community has been incredibly generous with Know.Think.Act. and I cannot thank you enough for it. Now, at this moment, I would ask you to turn your attention to Haiti and consider what action you are to take. We all can give something. Whether it be $1 or $1,000. A nation long stricken with economic woes and poor leadership now needs the global community to rally around it and birth hope into a people that have gone without for what amounts to almost the entirety of the country's existence. If we link arms and love these people unconditionally, I am convinced that we can and will see an incredible good come out of devastating tragedy.

Compassion = Action,

Jeremy Stanley

U.S. Programs Director

Poker Night for Clean Water

Hello all!

We just returned from a great trip to Los Angeles and San Diego. We were busy with meetings, hanging out with old friends and making new ones! There is a rush of momentum that is building and we can feel it literally getting ready to explode.

It's been truly inspiring to see both the excitement and creativity coming from people as they learn more about Know.Think.Act. We're starting to see more and more Allies and Action Groups spring up daily!

One Action Group that just formed, CCC San Diego Poker, held a Poker Tournament our last night in town to raise money for a spring box well in Buronzi, Uganda. Matt & Mikala Hubbard started the group and held the tournament in downtown San Diego at The Lounge.








Everyone had a great time and they raised $450 for the well! Only $50 to go and the project will be completely funded!

We were so inspired by this group. They are planning on having more tournaments in the future and we cannot wait to see what other ideas they come up with.

More and more stories like this one are springing up all over the country. What will YOUR story be?


Jeremy Stanley
U.S. Programs Director

International Volunteers

Hello Everyone!

Things are going great here in the U.S.! We just shipped two volunteers out to Uganda last week. Marianna Farino from Kansas City and Megan Riberdy from here in Nashville. I talked with Chris this morning and they are doing great. He told me that they just finished their first of four HIV/AIDS testing outreaches that they'll be doing over the next two weeks. They tested 93 people at the first outreach. Keep an eye on the Global Support Abroad blog to hear more about their trip.

Also, our good friend Aaron Horn was in our office today. He's about to head out to Uganda this week as well. He'll be out volunteering for a month. He'll be focused on doing a lot of filming for Know.Think.Act. Here's a little introduction to Aaron...

If you would like to volunteer with us internationally, email us at: volunteer@globalsupportmission.com!

Compassion=Action,

Travis Gravette
Founder and Executive Director

In the Shadow of the Sun

In January of this year we spent some time in Uganda working with our Network Affiliate, Bringing Hope to the Family. Seth Wood and several other friends came out to experience first hand the work of Global Support Mission. While they were there they worked side by side with locals on several projects... one of these was digging a shallow well.

Seth was gripped by what he saw and experienced on that trip. The poverty at times was overwhelming, but he found hope and inspiration in the compassion of local heroes. They were the ones changing their own community and through Global Support Mission he could continue to support their efforts.

Back in the U.S. with a deeper understanding of the issues and a new motivation to stay involved, Seth signed up to be an ally on knowthinkact.com and started an Action Group called Fighter Squad!... "to fight injustice!" The first need he wanted to take on was clean water. He decided to host a photography exhibit, which he named In the Shadow of the Sun, to raise $500 to build a box spring well. We hosted the event in our office space.

Here are a few photos from the night.



















We had a great time at the event and are extremely proud of Seth! We just want to say a big thank you to those of you who came out and showed your support. Seth raised $289 but he still needs another $211 to finish the well. You can give here and help Seth get finish raising the money to build the well!

Compassion = Action,

Travis Gravette
Founder and Executive Director