THE STORY

As Americans, we live in the most affluent country on the face of the planet ... and yet there are thousands, even millions of people who go without basic needs everyday. Moms who can't buy their kids shoes, or new clothes for school. Parents who have to choose between paying the electric bill and buying groceries to feed their children. Immigrants who often times flee from tyrants and dictators in their own countries, or religious and political persecution, trying to find their way in our culture, cities, and suburbs. For some of us, we go on living our lives. But for others, this is unacceptable. Somewhere within the human spirit is a desire, a need, an "ought" that presses in on us from without, and requires us to act.

GiveYourselfAway08 is a response to this desire. A way for those who must act, to act.

The genesis of this adventure begins with a band from Texas called the Robbie Seay Band and a song entitled "Rise" The chorus says; Rise rise / people of love / rise / and give your self away / give yourselves away. A small group of us who follow the way of Jesus in Burnsville, MN thought, "What would happen if we actually did this?" We wondered what would happen. We wondered if we could actually change our small corner of the world for the better. We intend to find out.

 

THE VISION

Our desire is to connect people with resources to people who have needs.

Through unique partnerships with local non-profit businesses and agencies, we intend to identify people who have the means to meet needs and the will to act, with those in our community who have needs.

GiveYourselfAway08's part is to be the hub through which those of you with resources can get connected with people in our community, whether it's financial advice, help in negotiating mortgage/real estate needs, a good carpenter, electrician, plumber, lawyer, dentist, tutoring students after school, baking, gardening, classes, food, clothes, appliances, or helping an immigrant get a driver's license or navigate our systems to assimilate, to life in the US.

 

REGISTER

If you have something that you can give away, click on the link in the navigation bar that says register yourself. You will receive a confirmation by e-mail that we have received your information, and someone will be contacting you shortly to connect you with a person who has a need that you could meet.

If you have a need, click on the link in the navigation bar that says register a need. You will receive an e-mail confirmation from us that we did in fact get your information. From there, we will seek to find someone in our resource database that can help you with your need. We obviously cannot promise to meet every need that we receive, but we can promise this: If your need is legitimate (not something like "I need $500,000") we promise to exhaust every resource at our disposal to help you.