I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that Maya and some friends had started a group called The Donators.    Ben is involved as well, and when it started, they decided they would each contribute $5 a month and then after three months they would donate the money they’d saved to a charity.   They started in February and at the end of April they donated $90 to Global Giving’s Japan Tsunami Relief effort.

Now they are expanding their focus.   In case you’re new to this blog, my Maya loves organizing (people, not her room) and running meetings and such.   This has led to the creation of a website, which went live today  (www.the-donators.com)  and the goal of becoming an actual non-profit organization that can accept on line donations.   In the meantime, they’ve put out collection jars at a local bakery and in our store. (The current charity for which they are raising money is Heifer International.  Their goal is to raise $500 by the end of July in order to purchase a cow for a family in need.)   They have a dedicated email and will soon have a bank account.    The average age in the group is 10 years old.

Something is going right when a group of young kids decide to give up a portion of their own money to help people they don’t know and with whom they have no connections.   Even better for them to decide to think big and become a bona fide charitable organization.   Who says they’re too young?   Nobody in our house.    So far all the other parents are on board as well.   This is where life paths begin – from an idea that becomes a reality and gets bigger over time.    Will Maya become a full time philanthropist?   I don’t know, but I know the experience of running The Donators will be a positive thing;  a real life thing instead of a ‘mock company’ or simulation.

If you feel the urge to help out, you can go to www.the-donators.com and contact Maya via email.  She’ll be happy to tell you where to send the cash.