Couple Auctions Ring To Support Heifer’s Efforts Ending Hunger And Poverty
December 10, 2007
(Little Rock, Ark.) Erik and Carla Schneider recently auctioned off their wedding ring to further their deep commitment to ending hunger and poverty, with the hope that it would inspire others to give in some way.
The proceeds from the online EBay auction were donated through Hope Equity, a new online giving initiative from the nonprofit Heifer Foundation. What made this auction so unique was that the winning bidder got to choose which country, cause or initiative their money supports through Hope Equity.
Keith and Nola Russell, a widow and widower from Everett, Washington who had once again found happiness in life, were the winning bidders. The Russell’s history with Heifer International goes back to the nascent days of the organization when they first gave to Heifer in their Sunday school classes. Heifer International was founded more than 60 years ago on the simple belief that ending hunger begins with giving people the means to feed themselves
Keith grew up in the Church of the Brethren hearing about the work of Dan West, founder of Heifer International who had used the Church of Brethren network to galvanize the early days of his movement. The Russell’s story now comes full circle as they chose to split their winning bid of $4,501 between two Hope Equity funds, the Disaster Recovery Fund and Touch of Jesus Orphan Fund.
Tears of joy welled up in Nola’s eyes when Keith finally slipped on her new wedding ring.
“I think it’s the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen!” Nola exclaimed.
Carla Schneider had decided months ago to auction off her wedding ring after reading a statistic that one child dies every five seconds due to hunger. The Schneiders are a modest couple whose only hope was that their story of auctioning off their wedding ring would inspire others to do something in some way to help end hunger and poverty.
“Years down the road somebody might come across something of value to them and think of what they could do with it (to help end hunger),” Erik said.
When the Russells met Erik and Carla they made an additional $500 donation in their honor to Heifer International for the purchase of a symbolic heifer that they had named “Minnie” after Nola’s grandmother.
Greg Spradlin, vice president of Hope Equity, said the Schneiders are a prime example of how people are now actively seeking out new and sustainable ways of making a difference in the world.
Erik said they were drawn to Hope Equity because it was a more permanent way to support the work of Heifer International.
“With Hope Equity you can track the money you gave,” he said. “We really like that idea.”
About Hope Equity
Heifer Foundation’s new approach to philanthropy, Hope Equity, is an online community investing in the end of hunger and poverty through Micro-Endowments™. The website utilizes social networking software and the latest financial technology to provide donors with the ability to contribute to charitable causes, track the growth of their investments and interact globally with individuals interested in making a difference. Hope Equity features an online Community Center where donors can utilize RSS feeds, participate in message boards, join Hope Equity blogs, and sign up for news reports from the causes in which they are interested. The Community Center also provides fundraising tools enabling users to cross-promote their Micro-Endowments™ in other areas of social media and research additional charities. For more information, visit www.hopeequity.org.
About Heifer Foundation:
Heifer Foundation was established in 1990 for the purpose of educating people about planned charitable giving and developing and managing an endowment to support the work of Heifer International. Heifer Foundation envisions a sustainable world where hunger and poverty no longer exist. Their mission is to partner with people in the global movement to end hunger and poverty and care for the Earth. For more information, visit www.heiferfoundation.org.
