Students4Giving 2016, Granting $4000 to PROWUS

My Blog of this experience with the Students4Giving has taken many turns. I started the first week writing a weekly experience. Narrating what this class and the other students were like. My account of what we were reaching for as a whole, as many strangers placed into one room with a far shorter timeline then our semester counterparts. My attempt to narrate how so many different people could align quickly on such an important decision as the one we had in store for us.  I would try to see this class from my classmate’s perspective and get some background on why we are passionate about this class and our chosen topic. Together we would be going over the details of what I thought of this experience. But by week three I decided that instead; my riveting life expose was the way to go with detailed accounts as to how my life has led to this class and in turn this class has deeply and personally brought meaning to my life. How choosing which non-profit to grant money to may have some larger more fate like plan for me in my future. Which is true but after re-reading my pages of work I found myself at the precipice of either full on writing a book about it, or changing once again to a new topic. Then as I am sitting in class about to listen to our guest speakers for that day I began to consider making the speakers my blog topic. Just as I am spinning out on the possibilities my teacher walks past my seat and hands me a short and to the point email about last year’s grant recipients. At last, the word blog rears its ugly head to remind me, that once again my life is little to do with me and the now out of hand autobiography, and a lot more to do with this short class term and my blogs impending deadlines. Alas the time has come to take account of where this class has been and all its possibilities to come.

We are in a rare moment in this class after all. It is ten years since this class was born and like all good decades there are things to learn from what has been done, things to praise for their great accomplishment and as my class seems to hang onto, the hope of leaving it better then we found it. I am saluting the previous class and praising a job well done. The Students4Giving granted PROWUS $4000 last year to as they put it “Help kids find their song…” This nonprofit was obviously a great pick. The President sent us her event details from January's concert, which you can rock out to a short clip below. This group started out as some concerned parents and they didn't stop with just their kids, or even their school.. They have created a nonprofit to address this problem out in the open where anyone can get help and each of us can help make these students futures that much brighter. 

The President is so transparent with her need that she even included financials in her follow up email.  Which is a beautiful thing when you think of how many financials are being hidden in the world today. Here we can look and see this nonprofit can make a difference. They told us what it would cost for them to keep the lights on and then they turned their ideas into more money raised to provide resources to kids. They certainly made the money count for longer and for more students then they promised to with the Students4Giving grant. They stuck to their word. They not only put on a performance, they did such a tremendous job that they raised money and are now able to offer more scholarships then they had originally planned to for more award dates then they thought they could. What a fine job our group did picking these guys! They raised $9000, we gave them $4000. Well these folks are making music happen in the young lives of Portland kids ages 8-18 who have a dream, to be inspired to reach for the stars even when the stars would cost them a pretty penny. That’s where PROWUS (Portland Rock Out With Us) is here to provide financial support to those aspiring musicians who cannot afford to play without help from people like you! Here you can like them on Facebook.  I hope that I can attend their next event and I hope you can to. To learn more: https://www.facebook.com/prowus.portland/ or check out their website http://www.prowus.org/get-involved/