ReCPY: The Art of Giving (Martha + Me)

PREFACE Martha, You Want Me Last week was intense. News reports on the Sendai Quake was getting worse by the hour and the number of victims had already exceeded that of the Kobe quake in 1995. It is still increasing. Radiation has been detected in spinach and milk. The Japanese government is slow in communicating with people. Things are pretty frustrating. My work has been super crazy, especially since we are hosting a last-minute charity concert for Japan. We have three weeks to pull it together, and things are very hectic. One evening when I came back from a late night at work, I had a large box waiting for me. The sender was MSLO, and I was like, hm, what could this be? Yes! A box full of Martha stuff! A nicely handwritten letter. Glitter: Maybe I should make an art piece and be reMarthable for next year. Umbrella: Kitchen towels: Spatula: Butterfly craft punch: Golden Martha! XXL sweatshirt: Since the mail out date was Monday, I wondered if it was because of the earthquake, or they genuinely appreciated my submission, who knows. FYI, you can check the finalists of reMarthable here. I am a bit disappointed that all the finalists are female, and craft heavy. However, they are her core audience who will appreciate it. My MO-Desserts may have been too NYC-ish. I really appreciate Martha & Co.'s kindness. Especially in such difficult times, even a small kindness means a lot. Giving is absolutely important, especially when there are so many people in need. As you know, I held a fundraising party at my apartment last week, and I am happy to report that we raised over $8,000. After our generous donor's matching gift, that's over $16,000. Fundraising at this level isn't that easy to pull off, but anyone can help. If you bake well, have a bake sale. If you cook well, make lunches and sell it to your colleagues. If you are loaded, give money. If you are good at nothing, be cheerful. I've started my own bake sale. Last week, I made my madeleines and sold them for $1 piece, and I just made MOcarons to sell this week. Even small amounts add up to something significant. I've already collected around $70 from my bake sale, and I will continue to sell mysweets . (Sorry my colleagues, no more treats for free!) If you are around Japan Society (Midtown East; 333 East 47th Street, between 1st & 2nd Avenues), give me a shout.