sevenly

A few months ago my friends told me about Sevenly. It went something like this:

"Ruth Ayres! You don't know about Sevenly?"

Their tagline is People Matter.

I love this. I love even more the way things work at Sevenly. Each week there are shirts for sale that represent a cause for a charity. When you buy a shirt, part of your money goes toward a donation for the week's cause. Every week there is a different charity to support and different shirt designs.

The first time I supported foster care and received a shirt that says Forever Family and my donation gave a blanket and stuffed animal to a foster child. Then I bought a  second shirt and donated to a charity who helps care for children who are burn victims. Today I bought a third hope, supporting the charity Show Hope.

I was glad for the opportunity to support Show Hope through Sevenly. Recently I finished Mary Beth Chapman's book, Choosing to SEE. It is the Chapman family's story of adoption and loss, heartbreak and healing. She writes,

It's about a story...a story God is writing. All along the way, He has changed my story in ways I didn't like. I've had whole chapters added and deleted and strange plot twists that I never saw coming (p. 24).

Her story helps me understand mine. Her story helps me see how revising our stories is part of living. Her story twists my gut and makes me want to make the world a better place -- even at the risk of getting hurt.

So of course I didn't hesitate to buy a new shirt today. I like when my money can support something that is making the world a better place. Sevenly shares the problem and solution clearly on their website:

Problem Few of us know what it feels like to grow up without a family to love us, care for us and support us. Yet, for millions of orphans in China, a loving family will never be part of their childhood memories. There are many qualified parents ready to adopt these orphans; however, due to the high cost of adoption, they lack the means to bring them home.

Solution This week, your support will provide a qualified and loving family a financial grant, allowing them to adopt an orphaned child from Asia. Together, we can give a lonely orphan the love of a forever family.

Sevenly connects people and causes, making the world a better place one (cool) shirt at a time. 

I'm waiting for this to arrive in the mail.

Greater Calling. I like this. I really like Sevenly's explanation behind this week's art:

This week's art draws its inspiration from the notion that we are all created with purpose. Every one of us was put on this earth to do more for others than for ourselves. In this way, we all have a "Greater Calling."

 There are all kinds of ways to shine. Right now, it's by buying a t-shirt to help change lives.