Looking back on the final week of The National Card Me Drive, I realized it could not have been better! The last leg of our journey began in Springfield, MO, where we got to have a fun time raising funds and awareness for Convoy of Hope, a faith based organization that provides help and hope to people in need in the United States and around world. Through children’s feeding initiatives, community outreaches, disaster response, and partner resourcing they have been able to care for others and bring hope in the darkest of situation throughout 46 states and 109 countries. I can’t think of a better reason to have a party!

Next we headed to Tennessee, the Music State, for three parties and a slue of fun. Our first stop was Waverly, TN, a town devastated by floods earlier this year and which lost both it’s elementary and middle schools to the rising water. In order to get the schools up and running before the next school year, the entire town came together to clean up and restock both schools and held its own community wide event to raise the needed funds. We are so proud to have been able to be apart of this beautiful rehabilitation process and were touched to see a community go out of their way to love their neighborhood.

A skip and a hop away, our next party was in Nashville, TN, with some of the lovely people of Dave Ramsey’s Company, the Lampo Group Inc., who are no stranger to helping people and giving them hope, especially in relation to how they spend their money. The event went to benefit Blood:Water Mission, a grassroots organization based in Nashville that empowers communities to work together against the HIV/AIDS and water crisis. They creatively and thoughtfully raise awareness and the necessary funds for the provision of clean blood and clean water in sub-Saharan Africa and work alongside village leaders to bring clean water, sanitation, and healthcare into the affected communities.

Our last stop in The Music State was in Memphis, TN, with our wonderful friends at the Refugee Empowerment Program (R.E.P) who strive to address the needs and concerns of the refugee population of Memphis through educational programs and community outreach. R.E.P. began eight years ago when a Sudanese refugee had the humble vision to start an after school program for her children, and since then the program has grown exponentially, currently serving over 350 refugees from 12 different nationalities.

After so many wonderful parties, new friends, and great stories we decided it was time to head home, so we hurried back to Atlanta for our last party of the tour. Hosted by a dear friend of ours in Atlanta, the party was exactly the type of homecoming party we needed, with music provided by Brandon Clark and the American Standard and delicious coffee provided by our friends at Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Company. The event went to benefit Street Grace, a non-denominational alliance of churches, community partners, and volunteers dedicated to eliminating the commercial sexual exploitation of children. In Georgia alone it is estimated that 500 children are sexually exploited every month, with some of those children being as young as ten years old; statistical facts that Street Grace is working tirelessly to change. You too can work to eliminate child sex slavery, either by joining Street Grace’s efforts in Atlanta or by finding out how you can help end sex trafficking in your own neighborhood.

After three weeks, 19 parties, and endless fun The Gift Card Giver National Card Me Drive was able to raise close to $6,200 for non-profits and individuals across the United States and throughout the world. Thank you to everyone who hosted us, who attended our events, and who decided they could do something better with that $1.34 left on their gift card; none of this could have been possible with out you. Please continue to keep in touch with us at Gift Card Giver, either via our Facebook or Twitter, and keep an eye out for the next Gift Card Giver tour!

For Gift Card Giver, since we deal primarily with gift cards and not cash, we try to think of innovative ways to collect actual dollars so we can continue the work we’re doing.  For every $1 we collect, we are able to turn that into $4 in gift cards to help people who are in great need!

This is why we have an annual Silent Art Auction! We’re getting all ready for it again! Last year we had a great time getting to know artists in the city, viewing and bidding on amazing pieces of artwork, and spending an evening with friends!  We’ll be posting information about contributing artist and businesses who are being very generous to give to the cause.

The event will be on Friday November 12, 2010 beginning at 7:00 PM at The Solarium in Oakhurst.  Please put it on your calendar, and plan to join us!  We’d love to have you there, experiencing the art together, and just hanging out!

If you are an artist, know an artist, or have other silent auction items you would like to contribute, please let us know!  We’re still collecting items, and would love to have your input!

Another week of the Card Me National Summer Tour has come and gone with so much fun I’m surprised we were able to fit it all it!  To start of our second week, we had the pleasure of talking with the campers at Covenant Hills Camp in Otisville, MI, and my goodness were they having some fun!  Canoeing, horseback riding, and even scrumptious dining hall food couldn’t keep these campers from donating their gift cards, with all the collected gift cards going towards My Brother’s Keeper, a local transitional housing facility for those recently released from prison.

Next we stopped by Byron Center, MI, to participate in the Grace Gospel Fellowship Conference, and with their help are going to support the Servant Center, a local Grand Rapids non-profit working to get the mentally ill homeless off the streets and provide them with the care they need.  While in Michigan we got the chance to do a little sight seeing as well, and let me tell you – Lake Michigan is gorgeous at sunset!

After a lovely time in the Great Lakes State, we headed down to Indiana to spend some time with the students of Huntington University in Huntington, IN.  At this exceptionally fun ‘college’ party, both current students and recent graduates mingled and socialized with the goal being to collect gift cards for Love Inc., a national charity that aims to care for the poor by connecting people together from differing denominational backgrounds.

To round out our second week, we stopped off in Indianapolis to meet with the Indy Social Media Group at a local bowling alley.  Not only did we get our bowl on, but we also collected a good number of gift cards to go to local charities.  Now with our final week upon us, we are kicking it into high gear as we make the long trek back to Atlanta.  With only a few parties left, feel free to visit our Card Me National Summer Tour Site or our Gift Card Giver Website to see if you can catch some of the fun!

The next leg of the Card Me National Summer Tour could not have been more fun!  First we stopped off in Pittsburgh, PA, where we teamed up with Bryan Douglas and the People Helping People group for an afternoon in the park.  At the appropriately named Card Me in the Park event there was great music, free food, and lots of gift cards, all going to benefit a local restaurant called Conflict Kitchen.  The socially conscious chefs at Conflict Kitchen prepare a dish every four months from a country that the United States is in conflict with and then educate those eating the diverse cuisine on the culture and lives of the people from that country.  Currently Conflict Kitchen is serving up kubideh (spiced ground beef) in a tasty barbari bread with onion, mint, and basil, just like it is served in Iran, and the newest dish on the menu will be something scrumptious from Afghanistan.

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Next we took a scenic drive down to Morgantown, West Virginia, and it felt like the country roads took us right on home (John Denver fans, anyone?).  We had a fun evening of games at Sozo Coffeehouse and were able to support the wonderful work of Nuru International, who are currently working in the Kuria District of Kenya to improve the agriculture, water and sanitation, healthcare, education, and community economic development in the surrounding 23 villages. If you want to join with Nuru in their initiative to eradicate extreme poverty, you can learn more about their life changing work here.  It was hard to leave the beautiful scenery, but back we came to Pittsburgh for two parties in one night – talk about epic fun!

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One party was held at Duquesne University with the proceeds going to an orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya, and the other was held in a local coffee shop with the funds going to Aliquippa Impact, a community based youth development organization serving the young people and families of Aliquippa, PA.  So far we’ve been taking The Steel City by storm – and we hope it stays that way!  If you want to see if the Gift Card Giver Team is coming to take your city by storm please visit our Gift Card Drive Summer Tour Site or our Gift Card Giver Website.  Looking forward to another two weeks of fun!

We’re still working our way across the country on the Gift Card Drive! We had a wonderful night in Wilmington, NC, with the men and women of Outside the Walls , a local initiative committed to making a difference in their community through the mentorship of at-risk youth.  Complete with salsa dancing and a group sing-along, the party was a beautiful celebration of friendship and love that only partially captured the powerful work of Outside the Walls and all the care and support they continue to share with those who need it most.

The next day we beat the sun and hit the road before daybreak to drive to the one and only New York, NY.  In a hip club in Greenwich Village we got the opportunity to partner with the Caleb Hope Foundation for their annual Rock India Benefit Concert.  The Caleb Hope Foundation works to mobilize individuals from the artist and professional communities in the inner city to empower the poorest of the poor in India.  The Rock Indian Benefit Concert aimed to raise awareness and financial support for orphans living in slums in Northern India with all the proceeds of the night going to help provide them with basic supplies they would not have otherwise. We had a great time enjoying the music of Zach Williams, a good friend of Gift Card Giver, and took some time following the concert to do a little sight seeing of the city that never sleeps.

Following our stay in the Big Apple, we took a drive through upstate New York and met up with the lovely people of Let Them LOL in Buffalo, NY.  Let Them LOL is a non-profit started by Joe and Kate Vacanti working to alleviate unjust suffering around the world, with their first project being to build clean water wells in Sierra Leone, Africa, through the sell of a unique laughing ring tone.  We couldn’t have asked for a better group of supportive individuals, with their infectious energy and passion for the children of Sierra Leone reminding us why we are on this tour in the first place.  Refreshed and inspired, we are looking forward to another week on the Card Me National Summer Tour and to continue meeting wonderful people involved in their communities and creating social change through their creative efforts.  To join in on the fun, please check out our other tour dates by visiting either our Card Me National Summer Tour Site or our Gift Card Giver Website.

The Card Me National Summer Drive has officially begun! With two parties down and eighteen more to go, we are beyond excited about all the support and love we’ve already been receiving. We kicked of the tour at Lancaster, PA (pronounced LANK-ister for those not from the Dutch country) and my goodness did we have some fun! Held at a local coffee shop, the party began with some great tunes from Liz Goodgame, followed by a great time with the wonderful people of Hope International. Hope is a non-profit organization focused on alleviating physical and spiritual poverty through microenterprise development and is actively working in over a dozen countries around the world. We were so excited to continue our partnership with Hope and aiding them in the wonderful work they are doing with microfinance across the globe.

After our stay in ol’Lancaster, we drove on down to the lovely city of Charlotte, NC – and my, is it gorgeous! A big thanks to our hosts, Jason and Donna Yarborough, and everyone who came out last night to support the Free Store, a local clothing collective that strives to connect people from all walks of life in order to meet one another’s needs. This morning we were able to tour the Free Store and Area 15, a community of creatives sharing studio space with other artists, professionals, and non-profits, and were amazed by all the great things happening in a warehouse in Charlotte! It’s only day three of our tour, and already we are overwhelmed by all the beautiful people we’ve met who are each changing the world in their own little way! Can’t wait to support even more wonderful initiatives throughout the tour. To check out our other tour dates, or RSVP for an event near you, please check out our Card Me National Summer Tour Site or our Gift Card Giver Website.

We love the idea of being able to help non-profits succeed in some really non-conventional ways.  It’s why we’re passionate about Project 7’s work!  They create products, retailers sell them to consumers, consumers learn more about humanitarian issues and fund nonprofits.  Nonprofits are able to accomplish more, and bring things full circle to be able to tell stories of restoration in communities who are desperate for it. They have a very different approach to conducting business.  Through their efforts they’ve been able to help a myriad of non-profits who are each doing important work.  We wanted to highlight and celebrate with them their successes!

They are also partnering with Gift Card Giver’s Gift Card Drive this summer!  If you’re interested in joining in, check out the invitations and see when we’re near you!

Card Me. The Story. from Gift Card Giver on Vimeo.

Think back to the last party that you attended. Hopefully you had great conversations with interesting people, good food, and had a fun time. Now, what could have made that party even more fun? Well, what if that party had all of the above and managed to raise money for a good cause? I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a pretty epic night.

In less than a month, Gift Card Giver will be sending its three interns – Russ, Leslie, and Summer – off on a grand adventure. Gift Card Giver will be driving up the East Coast to New York, then head west through the Great Lakes region, and finally drive back to Atlanta, Georgia, by way of Tennessee. The goal is 30 cities in 30 days, with as many Card Me parties possible along the way. Guests will be carded at the door. Each person will have to give a gift card to enter. We’ll take any gift card you’ve got – yes, even the one that’s been hiding away in your kitchen drawer for six months that only has five cents left on it. The funds raised at each party will benefit different charities chosen by the respective hosts. If you’ve got a gift card for us, we’ve got a night of fun planned for you. You’ll play card games like you’ve never played before, including the much loved and deceptively hard Founders’ Game. You could try and challenge Russ to a dance competition. You may even come away saying you’ve never been to a more fun party in your life.

Of course, if you’d really like to up the ante, you could be one of the party hosts. If you want to earn Gift Card Giver’s never ending appreciation and throw the party that everyone will be talking about for years to come, you should email us as soon as you finish reading this post. As a matter of fact, just go ahead and email right now: summer@plywoodpeople.com. We’re looking for party hosts of all kinds. If you’re interested in hosting and you live along our route, we will try our darndest to get you involved.

Now that you’ve put us on your calendar, start collecting those gift cards and planning your winning card game strategies. I look forward to seeing what you’ve got.

We officially are in the South. If there was any question about it before, there isn’t anymore!  Our friends just moved into a beautiful new home in Atlanta, and as their house warming party, they wanted it to benefit Gift Card Giver!  They had their annual Low Country Boil complete with crawfish and sweet corn!  It was a great time, we had a silent auction where Crossfit North Atlanta, Wag-A-Lot, In His Hands Massage Therapy, Lea Ann Stocke original Art, a Flip Video, Toms Shoes, invitations from Urban Cottage, even a cabin weekend, among some other wonderful things all were auctioned off.  We had a great time, and were able to raise some money for our summer tour, which we are SO excited about!  Let us know if you’re interested in us making a stop where you are for the party!