Yesterday, as I watched the Twitter messages flash on the bottom corner of my computer screen I saw something that made me freeze. In less that 140 characters I suddenly knew more about about the life (and unfortunately, the tragic death) of someone I had never really met. A link came through to announce the terrible news that Ashley Spencer (known on Twitter as AshPEAmama) had died in a car accident.
But what the news report did not, and could not know, is that this spurred a flurry of "Tweets" that spanned the globe, and this flurry explained the tragedy of the event, the very human cost and its devastating impact on a young family.
Today, also via Twitter, I found that it is easy to help … easy to reach out and provide a small amount of assistance to a family in crisis. Dan Mosqueda went ahead and setup a ChipIn account to collect donations for Ashley’s young family. Through this (and through the security of PayPal) you can donate as much or as little as you choose. But unlike the formal charity structures, every single cent goes through to Ashley’s family.
With such innovative and powerfully direct ways of making a charitable impact on the lives of people, is it any wonder that Seth Godin sees challenges for business methods of charities? We don’t need to look far to see need … and when tragedy hits your social network, the whole world catches its breath. Please don’t forget to use your small change to make a change.
Thanks so much for blogging. It just breaks my heart to think about her husband and children and the pain they are feeling and will feel.
It is a great chance to just help them. Imagine having to miss work and pay and than have finanical difficulties piling up. So we each chip in $5, 10, and even $100. We won’t miss it, but it will mean the world to Peter, Toby and Lucy Spencer – real people whose future has been horribly altered. It’s literally the least we can do.
Again – thanks for posting.
Dan Mosqueda
Hello, just dropping in to check your blog out — we both commented on Seth’s blog — I will take some time to read & if you get the chance please check out my newer blog Behind th button, makehope, michael
too early — hate misspellings…Behind the Button
Making their story part of your cause
Looks like a softball to me! I may have part of an answer in my Buttons of Hope project, call me a maverick (I’ll like it) but here is the thing – I think Seth Godin is spot on today
I’m working on the website of a nonprofit right now… and I can attest to the challenges Seth and you point out.
One good thing about being big is the exposure you have. When big calamities strike that touch everyone’s heartstrings, who do you go to?
The ongoing support efforts that still need to be done but don’t get the exposure that, say, a Hurricane Katrina or Pacific Tsunami would get, unfortunately get the short end of the stick. The tools available in legacy systems make it difficult to use technology to help build advocates.
Great post.
Thanks so much for writing about Ash. I know the more people that spread the word and get involved the more help her family will receive. Thanks again!