Brookey's Cafe Blog

Happy Random Thoughts Thursday!

I was planning on taking the week off from blogging, but something amazing is happening on social media and I wanted to share it with all of you.

A good friend and fellow SU alum, Baron Hilliard, is a founder of the Together AsOne Foundation. Today, they are hosting a "Social Media-a-thon" to raise money to send a young, Black student to college. They are asking 2000 donors to pledge just $20 per year for the next 5 years in order to fund a young person's college education. How awesome is that?!

I know I throw $20 away weekly on nonsense...whether it's an overly expensive lunch in Manhattan or something in a store I can live without. Why not take that $20 and do something positive and uplifting with it?

Did you know that only 47% of black males graduate from high school? Only 37% of those black men who graduate from high school go on to college...and of those, only 35% graduate within 6 years. This is a statistic we can change for one, if not more, young black men if we simply commit to the Together AsOne Foundation Scholarship Fund. "It takes a village to raise a village."

We hear that concept all the time, but many of us have no idea what that really means. That phrase is based upon the principle that the consciousness of people of color can best be raised by working with leaders from the community who have a history and natural inclination to work best with the communities they serve. It means we all have a responsibility to educate, support and raise our children to be the best, most productive members of our community, and in the world, in order to uplift us all.

We should align our thinking with the principles that Together AsOne holds dear - principles based in culture, compassion, respect, kindness, and a commitment to excellence. Our community's health and social problems are rooted in our history and culture, and can only be solved by recognizing and incorporating knowledge of that history and culture in a program to solve these problems one child at a time. That's where you come in.

How many of you will claim to be one of 2000 strong? I know I will. I'm proud to be a part of this powerful movement. That small amount, $20 PER YEAR, will change a person's life forever. I'm committing to $100 a year, but we're only asking for $20. Think about what you spend $20 a week on. Think about what you spend $20 a DAY on. Now think about what $20 a YEAR can do for a worthy student in the next 4-5 years. It's not algebra people...it's simple, easy...and necessary. There's no reason not to.

If you are on Facebook, Twitter or any other social media site, pass the word to everyone you know. Go to the Together AsOne Foundation page on Facebook and suggest it to all of your friends and encourage them to sign up and donate. You can also follow them on Twitter @togetherasonefd - retweet this information to all of your followers and get them on board.

Visit the link and find out how you can become part of this monumental grassroots event!

TO DONATE, GET MORE INFORMATION OR VOLUNTEER
Visit: www.TogetherAsOneFoundation.org
Email: info@TogetherAsOneFoundation.org
Call: 908-755-8220

Let's get it people!

-b