The Giveaway That Gives Back

Dear readers,

The crew over at Martini Times Romance is celebrating our one-year blogaversary this December! However, we have decided to do something a little different, and in the spirit of Christmas we will be raising money for a local charity. Rather then hosting a massive giveaway, we are going to host the "Giveaway That Gives Back". Houston is the home base of 3 of our staff members, so when we started kicking around the ideal of setting up a donation, I contacted a friend who works for the Houston fire department. He told me about the Star of Hope Mission, which is a local charity that helps the homeless, and is 100% funded through donations.

We often get tied up in our own lives, our jobs, children, and interests, and lose sight of the important things in life. It is a basic right of humanity to have food and shelter, yet there are thousands that go without these necessities. We are fortunate that life has not defeated us, but for many, the same cannot be said. In Houston, TX, on any given night there are roughly 8,768 homeless people, with one in every five being a military veteran, and the average age of the homeless population is a staggering 9 years old. We, at Martini Times Romance, want to do our part in helping those less fortunate then us this holiday season.

Star of Hope Mission, is a shelter in downtown Houston that offers support to homeless men, women, and children. Operating since 1907, this charity goes beyond the clichéd image of a large gym lined with cots. Their mission is to not only provide safe shelter, but to also rehabilitate those who have lost their way. They offer drug and alcohol counseling, job training, childcare, spiritual skills classes, and life skills classes. Through monetary donations they have been able to build several state of the art locations, however they are still left in need of supplies for their patrons. Critically needed items include: coats, jackets, gloves, hats/scarves, blankets, deodorant, diapers, towels, and razors. With the monetary donations that we receive from the giveaway, our local staff members will purchase as much as we can and will physically deliver the donations to the drop off center. For more information you can check out the website at http://www.sohmission.org/NetCommunity/home.

Every penny that is collected will be used to purchase supplies to be donated to the Star of Hope Mission.

We are very excited about this giveaway that will run from December 16th - December 31st (11:59p CST) and intend on making this the first annual "Giveaway That Gives Back" in place of our blogaversary giveaway each year. Any and all donations will be greatly appreciated by not only our staff but also by the countless men, women, and children that your act of kindles will benefit from.

Thank You, and Happy Holidays!

With love from the MTR Crew,

Anna
Autumn
Bianca
Aixa
Em
Jennifer
Cassie