Many of us remember the story of Rachel Beckwith (link), a young girl from Seattle who passed away tragically in an auto accident. When she died $80 short of her charity: water campaign goal, friends & family began to donate the difference and the story spread. Soon all the national networks were airing the story and her grand total just a few months later was $1.2M. Below is a video of her family visiting just a couple of the people Rachel helped.

After returning from a second trip to Guatemala with Keith Ferrazzi (my favorite author and now an amazing friend), I wrote a blog entry for his site with my reclections on Lisa, the girl I sponsor in one of the villages surrounding Antigua. Below is the most recent picture of Lisa I have and a link that will take you directly to the entry on Keith’s site.

http://www.keithferrazzi.com/philanthropy/what-is-it-worth-to-change-a-life/

As many of you know, I was in Antigua, Guatemala Dec 26-Jan 1. I took a trip down with one of the most influential people in my life, my friend and favorite author- Keith Ferrazzi. I wrote up some of my thoughts on the trip which he just posted to his website. Thus, I thought I’d share the link- http://www.keithferrazzi.com/philanthropy/max-lyons-the-transformational-impact-of-service/

Also, here is a pic of Lisa- the young girl I sponsored in one of the villages. My $240 is paying for education and healthcare for one year. With many families bringing home less than $3 per day, these kids will not be able to break the cycle of poverty without substantial change in their life.

Let me know if you are interested in contributing or go to Keith’s page to donate- http://www.keithferrazzi.com/about/charity/

Hi All,

It’s been WAY too long since my last post… I apologize for the delay and would like to highlight “Restore NYC,” a VERY INSPIRING non-profit that is doing big things for survivors of Sex Trafficking here in the U.S. It’s hard to believe that brothels and sexual slavery establishments exist INSIDE THE BORDERS OF THE UNITED STATES, but it is happening on our streets and in our neighborhoods. Restore opened up NYC’s first long-term safehouse for foreign born survivors of sex trafficking and has played a critical role in the lives of so many women already.

Below is a great video highlighting the mission and heartbeat of Restore NYC:

Also, here is a link to Restore NYC’s New Year’s Eve Benefit Bash in case you’re interested: http://restorenyc.org/events/

“Restore NYC is a nonprofit dedicated to restoring freedom, safety and hope for foreign-born survivors of sex trafficking by providing long-term, holistic aftercare services. We work with local and federal officials and other organizations to facilitate the prosecution of traffickers and empower survivors.”

Hi All,

An article came out in the Huffington Post this week titled “Being Practical in Creating Change”- written by Diana Mao. The story features my friend Jonathan Walton (who did the first ever “guest perspective” on this blog) and me. The topic focused on… you guessed it- GENEROSITY. Thus, I wanted to share it with you all.

My hope is NOT that we read the article and think “Wow! Jonathan and Max are such amazing people!” 1. That’s not even true, and 2. I think that cuts the article far short of its true impact.

My hope & prayer is that we read this article, and it inspires us to think “I want to develop a deeper heart of GENEROSITY- What can I do in my community to serve selflessly? How can I help others?”
I am always amazed how small examples of GENEROSITY connect with people in powerful ways.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diana-mao/christian-homeless_b_916540.html?ref=tw

Hope you enjoy the read!

Max

Hi All,

By now I’m sure many of you have heard about Rachel Beckwith and her unbelievable heart of GENEROSITY. After tragically passing away from a car crash last weekend, her story has now been told by CNN, MSNBC, Yahoo, the Huffington Post, and many more.

Rachel attended Eastlake Community Church, where I used to attend/volunteer when I lived in Seattle (many of my good friends are still very involved there). After hearing Scott Harrison (CEO of Charity: Water) speak at church, Rachel told her family/friends that she wanted no presents for her 9th birthday. Instead, she asked everyone to give donations to fund clean water projects in developing countries. With a goal of $300, she fell $80 short.

When she was tragically killed, the Eastlake CC community picked up the tab, and the incredible story of Rachel’s generosity spread. The articles and videos below give a far better perspective than I am able to, so I’ve provided a few links. I also inserted a link to Rachel’s Charity: Water donation page. Her total donations have now passed $580,000. It’s my hope that we can all learn from and be motivated by Rachel’s story.

“I am in awe of the overwhelming love to take my daughters dream and make it a reality. In the face of unexplainable pain you have provided undeniable hope. Thank you for your generosity!
I know Rachel is smiling!”
- Rachel’s Mom

News Story:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7375193n

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Charity-wish-from-dying-girl-from-I-90-accident–126049933.html

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/24/girl-dies-after-crash-selfless-act-inspires-thousands-in-donations/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43898825/ns/us_news-giving

Rachel’s Donation Page:
http://mycharitywater.org/p/campaign?campaign_id=16396