Many people have told me, I can’t do much or my contribution just doesn’t matter; today proves that it ALL matters. If each of us gives a little, together we can make a huge difference. From the visionary local leadership of a former poultry farmer in Tanzania to an 8-year-old girl’s lemonade stand in Florida, from a college poker night in Canada to a bake sale in San Francisco, from a Halloween party in LA to a parent in Arusha who contributed his welding skills for the school’s windows, from a garage sale at my mom’s house to a greeting card designed by a student in Africa and sent by a supporter in San Jose , from one blogger I’ve never met in Houston who raised hundreds of dollars just by posting our info on her site to another in Dar Es Salaam who helped us spread the word, from $1 contributions to $5000 contributions, and everywhere in between, it’s all added up to this: a new school for more than 170 kids in Tanzania that was built in just over 2 months.

There’s no doubt, we still have quite a distance to travel; we have creditors to pay for some of the work done so far and estimate that it will require another $210,000 over the next 3 years to complete the school, including solar power, a technology classroom, several additional classrooms, library, cafeteria, playground equipment and a school bus. Even right now, I have 17 donated laptops in my garage waiting for the funds to ship them to their proper destination. I have no doubt, though, with all the progress we’ve made so far in such a short time, other miracles are just around the corner - with a little help from all of you.

Edmund Burke once wrote, “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.” So, in addition to posting a comment of support for Mama Lucy on our blog, I hope you’ll do a little something to help create Epic Change. Here’s a list of ideas to get you started:

• Become a subscriber. Currently, Epic Change receives $170 per month from ongoing subscribers. We’d like you to consider donating $5, $10 or $25 a month to help create a stable, predictable base of support for Epic Change so we can focus a little less on fundraising and a little more on implementing our unique story-based “pay it forward” model of social innovation. Click here to become a subscriber or to make a one-time donation today.
• Join us in Africa. If we can generate enough interest, we’ll be taking a group of volunteers to Tanzania this summer. Email me with your contact info if you’re interested in a life-altering experience.
• Ideablob. Later this month, Epic Change will be involved in the ideablob competition to win $10,000 for our cause; please make certain you look for notifications in your email when you may begin to vote for our idea. It’s free to you, and it could make a huge difference for Epic Change!
• Get involved. We’re looking for project managers, social networkers and local chapter heads/fundraisers. Click here if you’re interested in volunteering and becoming an even more integral part of our organization.
• Spread the word. Check out our new, improved home page, subscribe to our blog, follow us on Twitter, and share our story by asking everyone in your address book to do the same!