Giving Back Friday posts are dedicated to shedding light on causes that work towards bettering the world around us. Often the causes that we focus on are started based on a promise or commitment that is made to bringing change to the world. Today we recognize the power that a single promise can hold. Ever heard of the saying, you are only as good as your word? Alex Sheen has brought new meaning to that phrase when he began his nonprofit called Because I said I would.
Because I said I would promotes change and kindness through sending what are called promise cards. These promise cards are where you write down your commitment to achieving a goal and then Alex Sheen and his team will send those promise cards to anywhere in the world at no cost to you. They have distributed over 1 million promise cards and they have been sent to 105 different countries. Promise cards emphasize the importance of keeping your word and they help to motivate others in their commitments to better humanity.
The project originally began after Alex’s father had passed away from small cell lung cancer. Alex had always admired his father as being someone who followed through on the promises he made. His father inspired him to hand out cards at his funeral so other people could remember their commitments. It started off as a simple gesture that honored the type of man his father was and now it is inspiring people all over the world. Real change begins with a commitment to making a difference and following through on the things that you say.
Because I said I would is committed to making a difference around the world and their commitment has led them to executing charitable projects to help those in need. As an organization they have worked towards helping victims of Hurricane Sandy, sent children with cancer to Disneyland, organized walk to bring awareness to victims of sexual violence, and much more. Right now they are still a small team but they continue to work with other nonprofits to help support the amazing work that is done around the world.
On September 6th an event is being held in Columbus Ohio called Because I said I would ONE. The event will allow attendees to share their own promises, which will then be made into a year long YouTube series. The event will also have speakers that share their own stories on what it means to make a commitment to bettering humanity.
What are some of your promises?