The Yes, You Directive

Hey there!

Today we interrupt your regularly scheduled Behind the Bag to bring you The Yes, You Directive. What's that, you say? The Yes, You Directive is the brainchild of our friend Sarah and here's a bit of what she has to say about it:

"The goal is to highlight a different non-profit offering volunteer opportunities that I believe are making an impact in people’s lives. Ideally, there will be 3 posts per ministry or organization. The first will introduce the ministry/organization and give you the basics. This will usually include how it began, what needs they have, who can volunteer and what volunteer needs they have as well as the contact info, hours, etc. The second post of the week will be an interview of someone who is already involved in volunteering and a little of their story. And the third post is an interview with someone who has been served by the non-profit and what changes have taken place for them because of the involvement in their lives.

My prayer is that reading the stories of people who are impacted by serving or being served will spark something inside of you that challenges you to get plugged in if you’re not already pouring yourself into our community or into broader areas of the world. And if you are someone who has a heart for serving, maybe you’ll come across some information at some time that will just click with the way you’re wired.

Last week we were flattered to be the selected organization and we thought y'all might be interested in some of the No.41 backstory that you may or may not know. For instance:

1. How did No.41 start?

After a 2-week mission trip in December 2010, I (Tara) followed my little broken heart back to Rwanda, begging God to use me in any way He saw fit. I didn’t have a plan, but I trusted that He did.

In June 2011, I moved into the Noel Orphanage, home to 500+ children ranging in age from a few weeks to their late 20’s. So many things I saw going on around me bothered me, but I decided to zero in on two, the oldest girls and the local school lunch program.

No.41 started on a whim and a prayer in March 2012, with the intent of teaching these young women from the Noel Orphanage in Gisenyi, Rwanda (ages 18-25) not only to sew, a culturally relevant trade that would always sustain them, but to give back to their community through a feeding program supporting local schools.

To read the rest of the interview, click here.

** And, just so you know, I did the first interview a few months ago, just before the launch of the feeding program, so a few things have changed since then. Now that the feed program is up and running, we are currently feeding 870 students and 36 teachers everyday. We employ 4 cooks, a night guard, and a general manager. As with any new business, we are making it work, but the need is still great. If you would like to partner with us, you can make a donation here or email tara@no.41.org for more information.

Happy Wednesday!!

PS We are running a Mother's Day special and offering FREE SHIPPING on ALL orders over $50 now through Sunday using the code 'mamalove'. Go get your mama something nice!