You can now wear The Move Project by purchasing one of our t-shirts. The shirts, as seen in the image below, are white with the black TMP logo. Sizes range from small to 2xl.

We strive to allocate 100% of funds received to a specific project to the work of that project, and do not withold money to cover adminsitrative costs. Since projcects, initiatives, websites, etc don't create themselves, we will be using the money raised from t-shirt sales for administrative costs associated with running TMP. Your purchase will help us move forward!

If you want one, act fast because very limited quantities are available. You can order yours here.

1 out of 8 lack access to clean water. We can end that. Let's do it! 

Give up 1 drink (per day, week, month, whatever) and donate those funds to help bring clean water to those in need. Simple. 

Give through Instead. 

Of course, we always welcome donations through Dwolla as well (lower transcation fees = more of your money used for good) - give through Dwolla. 

One of out of every eight people live without access to clean water. This is two things:

1. Shocking

2. Unacceptable

So we are going to do something about it.

March 22nd is designated by the United Nations as World Water Day. Although the problem persists 365 days a year, and each day we have the capability of closign the gap, we aim to use March 22nd as a catalyst for our clean water branch of The Move Project.

We are going to use the Instead app, and a collective effort, to bring clean water to a community who needs it. (side note: the grand idea is much larger than this, but clean water is a place to start. If you'd like to talk with us about holistic community development, email sam@themoveprojectsite.com)

The plan:

Instead off drinking your latte, soda, or beverage of choice this week and next, we ask that you donate that money toward our World Water Day initiative.

We are partnering with Instead, the beautiful and brilliant platform designed specifcally for an initiative such as this, to make it simple. You can also download their app and complete the following process from your smartphone.

You'd normally spend $1.50 on a soda...but you want to contribut instead.

Go to instead.com or open the app (we recommend that you log in, but it's not required)

Instead of...soda

I'm giving...$1.50

To help...The Move Project.

Click submit. Easy!

Our guarantee:

100% of your donations will be used exclusively to provide clean water to a community who needs it. No overhead. No administration costs. (Instead takes a small processing fee, but that's it)

We are currently working with a company whose sole focus is on sustainable water solutions to determine final pricing, location, and the appropriate water system. We will be providing updates as we approach World Water Day.

Nick was asked to contribute to the new blog, 31 Tips for DSM in 2012. The blog, which sets out to provide one month of Ideas for how Des Moines and its people can develop over the next year, is gathering voices in Des Moines, and we are thrilled to be represented by Nick. From his post:

Serving isn’t just about doing something good so you can check it off your list. It’s about lending your resources and talent to the very community in which you live, work and play. Service is a great way to form relationships and gather up community pride.

You can read the post here. For those of you in Des Moines, we hope you'll consider how you can be a part of changing the fabric of our beloved city. As we like to say...the next move is yours!

Today is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. We at The Move Project believe that together, we can move toward a future where all are free from expoitation and slavery. This is a daunting vision, as there are more slaves right this moment than at the peak of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. As scary as that fact is, we must start somewhere. We believe that the best place to start is with ourselves.

I (Sam - communications at TMP) took the poll at slaveryfootprint.org which asks that question, "How many slaves work for you?" The result, as shared in the title of this post, was astounding.

81 slaves. Working. For. Me. The thought still makes me a sick, and has infiltrated how I view purchasing, consumerism, and many other areas of my life. Granted, I'm not growing my own food and making my own clothes, but I have begun to experience a change in how I view the problem of human trafficking, or modern-day slavery.

It's not just a problem with/for them, it's a problem with and for, me. Because I contribute. And if I am not aware of the ways in which I contribute, I cannot help break the cycle.

Three Simple Steps to Breaking the Cycle:

1. Educate yourself about the realities of the situation
2. Identify how you are contributing to the problem (or not actively fighting against the problem)
3. Join the fight against slavery

Here are a few educational resources that we use and trust:

• http://slaveryfootprint.org/ (Get their Free World app, too)
• http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/ (Get their Free 2 Work app)
• http://ijm.org/
• http://www.polarisproject.org/ (Great state-specific resource)

Slavery footprint is an incredible resource to identify how you are contributing. From there, the move is yours to make a difference. Contact you legislators, and find ways to get involved... 

You can join the fight immediately by changing the way you purchase (Free World and Free 2 Work apps are great). You can also support the work of organizations who are combating modern-day slavery. Of course, we would appreciate your support. This year, we are laying out plans for the creation of a safe house and post-trafficking rehabilitation center.

We are serious about getting involved in rescuing, and rehabilitating victims of slavery. It's expensive, dangerous and complex. But we can't wait any longer to get started.

If you'd like to support our work, you can donate here.

If you'd like to make an immediate impact with your financial generosity, we highly recommend Not for Sale and IJM.

The Des Moines Social Club is hosting a New Year's Eve party and fundraiser. As part of the festivities, they will be crowning a Social Media Czar of Des Moines. Yes, you read that right. The Czar's charity will receive proceeds from the event, to be used to further their cause. We are fortunate to have been selected as the charity for Justin Wise. He posted a bit about the event here.

So...vote for Justin!

We will be posting in the next few days about some exciting initiatives we have planned for 2012; all of which could have greater impact with some additional funding. We want to impact the city of Des Moines, and this is a fun way to help us out. The voting takes about 2.3 seconds. Vote here.

We recently announced a partnership with the Iowa Cubs and the Round Rock Express, where we helped facilitate the gathering of toiletries to be delivered to local homeless shelters. While these partnerships were getting underway, we also reached out to some local hotels in Des Moines. Thanks to the quick response and collaboration with a hotel management group, 3 hotels are on board. Rather than throwing away partially used toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, body wash bottles) they are gathering these items and donating them to The Move Project. From there, we will distribute the items to local shelters in Des Moines. It's a no-brainer for the hotels, who can either throw away the bottles or donate to assist shelters, and it's an extraordinarily easy way to make a large impact. We hope that by serving homeless services, we can help free up funds that can be reallocated to better serve the homeless population in our city.

As you can see, this takes very little effort to get set up, and is incredible sustainable. So long as there are hotels and people who stay in hotels, this model can be implemented in any city in the world. We are thinking globally, and acting locally.

If you would like to assist in this initiative, gather toiletries when you travel, and/or start this in your city, please let us know. You can email us at Nick@themoveprojectsite.com.

Let's change the world.

We just released an EP featuring three artists who provided original songs that were inspired by the work of The Move Project. We understand how music sheds light into dark places, and stirs people in a unique way. We truly hope this project goes beyond raising money for The Move Project's initiatives addressing homeslessness, food/water access and modern-day slavery, but also prompts people to get involved in addressing social injustice in their backyard and around the world. 

Huge thank you to the artists, Alex Foote, Zion Rempel, and Mary McAdams! 

You can download a single, each for $1, or the whole EP for $3, which also includes a free digital download of artwork created by Damon Keeble, in response to Alex Foote's song, Stranglehold. Download availble at http://moveproject.bandcamp.com/

Happy Listening!

We can't be any more excited about our newest partnership and initiative.

The Move Project has launched an initiative with the Iowa Cubs to resource homeless shelters in Des Moines. The baseball team will be gathering toiletries during their travels, which will be provided to homeless shelters in Des Moines. This will address a felt need in the shelters throughout the city, and serve a large number of the homeless population with toiletry products. The Move Project will also work with visiting teams who travel to Des Moines to play the Iowa Cubs to gather toiletries during their visit, providing exposure to homeless services, and encouraging teams to launch similar initiatives in their city. We have already received feedback from teams in the Pacific Coast League who are interested in launching an initiative in partnership with their local shelter. The possibilities are endless... 

Beyond the collection of toiletries while traveling, The Move Project will also engage the Iowa Cubs to advocate for the underresourced and homeless in Des Moines. This partnership starts with collecting toiletries, which is a simple act that carries great impact for those in Des Moines. But the initiative is about something bigger than soap and shampoo; it is about providing exposure to the challenges of homeless services, and engaging people to make a difference. 

We dream of seeing cities across the country who not only assist in homeless services, but also provide housing for those without and provide the resources to keep them housed. 

If you would like to get involved in providing toiletries to local shelters, please contact us using the form on our website - www.themoveprojectsite.com.

Looking forward,

TMP

We will be sending 100% of donations received through today to the International Medical Corps emergency response efforts, who are on the ground in Sendai and the surrounding areas, assessing needs and providing support. One need, among many others, is access to clean water and food. As you know, that is one of our areas of focus at The Move Project, and we feel very confident that the International Medical Corps is a great fit as an emergency partner on the ground. From their website

International Medical Corps’ emergency response team is assessing the post-disaster needs of isolated coastal villages north of Sendai that have yet to receive humanitarian assistance. They found acute shortages of food, water and some medicines, and survivors in need of mental health support...International Medical Corps has been a leading responder to emergencies in more than 50 countries, including the 2004 Southeast Asian tsunami, 2005 Pakistan earthquake, 2010 Haiti earthquake and Pakistan floods.

All donations made from today through the end of the month will be donated to Architecture for Humanity, who also has teams on the ground in and around Sendai. They are in the assessment phase of their plan, which is to rebuild a better Sendai and restore normalcy in the lives of those displaced by the natural disaster. Architecture for Humanity refers to themselves as last responders, focusing on building lasting change in communities. From their page on global giving:

Architecture for Humanity is working with its' local chapters in Osaka and Kyoto to respond to those affected by the tragic earthquake and tsunami. In the coming weeks the organization will identify a local community group and help to rebuild their facility to restore normalcy to the lives of those displaced.

March: local team assembled (underway)

April: Community organization identified (underway)

May/June: Design and development

August-November: Construction documentation

December-February: Construction completed in Spring 2012

If you gave anytime through today, know that your money is in great hands with International Medical Corps. If you would like to give through the end of the month, your money will be used to provide shelter, facilities, and a sense of life being put back together for those devastated a week ago.

Thank you for giving, and thank you do Dwolla, for waiving all transaction fees for donations made to our tsunami fund! Remember, to ensure 100% of your donation goes to tsunami relief, simply type tsunami in the memo line when you donate. Thank you for being a part!