We’ve got a great new Giving Tee coming out in a few weeks. It benefits a charity called True Child which works to create safer environments for kids to be themselves.

$5 From the Sale of Each Tee goes to True Child

Every day, 160,000 kids stay home from school. Not because they’re sick or forgot to do their homework, but because they are afraid . . . afraid of being bullied. Kids who are bullied are generally identified by their peers as “different” and this is the root issue. If we teach kids from a young age that being different is ok, COOL even, then we can dismantle the bullying process. There will always be kids and adults who want to exert control over those who are weaker but if we can make spaces in school for kids to be their true, unique selves, then we can surely diminish the loneliness for kids who march to the beat of their own drummer. And most optimistically, if we can make being different cool, then we are well on our way to making our entire world a better place because the truth is, we are all different. We are all unique, but from a young age, may of us are taught to hide our true colors and follow the herd. What a shame. As the luminous Judy Garland once said, “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.”

If you haven’t seen it yet, go check out this month’s issue of “Parents Magazine” because our This Shirt Saved a Life Giving Tee is featured in their “Chari-Tees” Goody Bag. Very cool spot and the response has already been amazing!

Sometimes things just have a way of showing up just when you need them - maybe it’s karma, maybe it’s coincidence or maybe it’s destiny. No one can say for sure but when it happens, you know it’s something special and a little part of you, the part that tells you that all of this isn’t just chance, that we’re here for a reason, rejoices.

Toward the end of last year, among the hustle and bustle of the holidays, when it was an up at dawn, down at midnight task to keep up with the Tiny Rev order flow I was beginning to feel more tired than inspired. I was over joyed to have the wonderful increase in business but when you’re balancing a child in one hand and a business in the other, toss in the demands of the holidays and you can start to miss a lot and begin to wonder if it’s all worth it. Was I making any real difference in the world? Was it worth the sacrifice of time with my family and friends and two years of working without a paycheck? Would I ever really know if all this changed anyone’s life?

So, that’s where I was late that night - tired and unsure, having a minor life crisis - when my partner, Courtney, brought the mail in from the day. Inside was a package for me. I didn’t recognize the sender’s name or address. I thought, “Well, must be someone who received one of our tee’s as a gift making a return.” I opened it and this was inside:

A little boy named Kayden, on the other side of the country had received one of our “This Shirt Saved a Life” tee’s from his aunt Amy and loved it so much that he wore it all the time and when he had the chance to make a model of himself at school, he drew himself in the tee. Courtney looked over and I had tears streaming down my face. I couldn’t say anything, I just handed the little drawing to her and she said, “See, it does mean something. It’s all worth it,” and more than ever, at that moment, it was. It really, truly was . . . and continues to be today.

Kayden gave me a gift - it was the gift of knowing that children do have the power to transform the world and that our little mission, our Tiny Revolution, is merely honoring them and what they’ve always done. It’s honoring kids just like Kayden who want to make a difference in the world, who DO make a difference in the world.

I got in touch with Abby, Kayden’s mom, and asked her if she’d mind sharing a little about their family. I figure if a kid turns out this well then there’s gotta be some pretty cool people behind it - at the very least, I could take a few notes :). Here’s what she had to say:

Our little family of four (John, Abby, Kayden & Ryan) reside in a little house (875 sq. ft.) in a little town (Pop. 10,000) in California. Fortunately for us, our little house is right next to the gigantic Pacific Ocean , which gives us lots of room to play.

For fun, we like to ride bikes as a family. John LOVES to surf and Kayden and Ryan love to play in the sand and run around the dunes. A perfect day for Kayden would include playing at the beach, hanging with his cousins and friends, and finishing the day with a play. Kayden loves to direct plays. Announcing and holding the flash light while others perform is what he does best. It is a wonderful thing since Ryan loves to dance her heart away. I support the arts by attending all bedroom and living room productions.

What can we say about Kayden? While John and I would love to take credit for everything he is, we know that deep down he has a kind and gentle soul that is all his own. When we ask how his day went at school, he shares with us the joy he felt watching someone else succeed. Or after a soccer game, he recounts the events that led to one of his teammates first and only goal of the season. He is aware of those around him and cares about everyone. As parent we appreciate, acknowledge and treasure these qualities. We are pretty lucky.

Here’s the family:

Thank you Kayden, thank you Diodati family. You are the Tiny Revolution.

Lots of love,

BreeAnne

I just received great new photos from Africa Aid of the kids in Buduburam and had to share! As of now, we’re almost to the 500 child mark in our This Shirt Saved a Life campaign! We are so grateful for everyone who has participated thus far - it really has been an incredible outpouring of support and we can’t wait to launch more Giving Tee’s in the future!

The kids enjoy their daily lunch compliments of Africa Aid.

We’re going to continue working with Africa Aid to re-establish all programs in Liberia now that the families are being allowed to return. One of their newest focuses is on bringing advanced medical care to the kids so we’ll be right there with them to help in any way we can.

As a result of holiday sales, we have officially fed almost 500 refugee children through our “This Shirt Saved a Life” tee! We still need everyone’s help in raising money for Hands to Hearts International and Rock for Kids but we’re working on some fun promotions next year to generate sales for these two wonderful charities!

Our customers do extraordinary things every day and sometimes, those extraordinary things are with us! One of our customers, Claudia Moriarty, did something super cool last week and we just had to share. We received an order for 14, count ‘em FOURTEEN “This Shirt Saved a Life” tee’s. We had to find out who this customer was and how she chose us for such an extraordinary act. Here’s her story:

“We are very happy to assist organizations who are trying to make a difference in the world. We love the name of your company as well as the saying on the t-shirts we purchased. Initially for Christmas we decided only to make donations in the names of our nieces and nephews to “Save the Children” and “Heifer International”. We hoped that the gift would give them the opportunity to communicate and gain exposure to those less fortunate than themselves and possibly find a place in their hearts for charitable giving themselves. Because this will be the first year that we are not giving them a tangible gift, I started to look for something we could include along with the donation that had some meaning. Our fourteen year old son has been very much affected by the plight of the people of Rwanda and Darfur. Africa Aid seemed like the perfect organization to support, and your t-shirt’s had the perfect message. When I saw them I thought what a great idea! If all the kids wore these shirts to school and around the community it may start some useful conversation with friends about the importance of helping others.

That’s our story :)

Claudia Moriarty
Vice President
LunchByte Systems Inc.

What an amazing gift! Claudia, we hope all of your neices and nephews love their tee’s and end up spreading the news in their communities. We can’t thank you enough for your generosity. Those kids are lucky to have you in their life and we’re even more lucky to have you as a customer!

Here’s our first video promotion for This Shirt Saved a Life!