Double Shot of Change

Order up some caffeinated change this holiday season and combine the poverty-fighting power of of Our Day and Fair Trade coffee.

Pura Vida is a wonderful fair trade coffee company, and this holiday season they are offering a Double Shot Gift Basket for purchase through the Pura Vida website!

The gift basket includes a copy of Our Day to End Poverty along side a 12oz. bag of Pura Vida's handcrafted 100% Arabica coffee—certifed organic, Fair Trade and shade-grown. Each purchase of Pura Vida coffee contributes to the wellbeing of artisans and farmers, promotes physical health and provides educational opportunities to children in coffee-growing communities. This is a great way to give a gift that impacts poverty in many ways!

Shannon and Joy Anderson to Appear at Vox Pop in Brooklyn Tuesday Dec. 4th

Vox Pop is a dynamic place described by Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn as, "Part bookstore, coffee bar, performance space, instant publishing center, community center, Vox Pop is sort of a live blog, with tons of atmosphere and cultural vitality."

Shannon and Joy will wade into this dynamic space to discuss Our Day on Tuesday, Dec 4th from 7-9pm. Copies of the book will be on sale, and we anticipate a lively and fun discussion of poverty and ways people can take action to end it!

Make the Holidays Our Day to End Poverty

Each year, around this time companies and individuals alike face the question of what to give the people they care about. Chocolates? Socks? A giftcard? How about giving the tools to make a difference?

Our Day to End Poverty makes a wonderful gift for young and old, friends, co-workers, neighbors. If you want to learn about bulk purchase discounts or giving Our Day for the holidays, contact the book team today.

F.I.S.H.: One group working to eradicate poverty connects with Our Day and the book's goals

F.I.S.H.: "Families & Individuals Seeking Hope" is a grassroots organization dedicated to eradicating poverty in South Royalton, VT. And they want to use Our Day to help them. These seven people have come together, bringing their diverse talents, to assist people in the following ways: budgeting, education, reliable transportation, weatherization or other home repairs and safe dependable child or elder care. Some of them work for area social-services groups and are very tired of not meeting the larger challenge of actually eliminating poverty in their town.

Karen Speerstra reported in about F.I.S.H. and her dream that other small communities will take up the challenge of eliminating poverty close to home. We hope that F.I.S.H. will show other communities what's possible and we will all see progress, like little yeast bubbles popping.

Inside Wealth episode with Shannon and Jeff available for online listening

On October 14, Shannon and Jeff talked with Stu Zimmerman about Our Day to End Poverty and how everyday people can take action to have a positive impact. Click the links below to listen to the show, or visit the Inside Wealth website to learn more.

Listen: Windows Media Real Player MP3

Shannon and Jeff to appear on Inside Wealth this Sunday, October 14th

Authors Shannon Daley-Harris and Jeff Keenan will be appearing on Inside Wealth, a talk with host Stu Zimmerman about Our Day on a show that aims to, "awaken, inspire, and empower you to experience the wealth that's already inside you." For more information on where you can hear the show, check out the Inside Wealth website.

Women's Funding Network Makes News of Our Day

Women's Funding Network recently sent out a newsletter that encouraged their readers to check out Our Day to End Poverty, and touting the fact that part of the author royalties will be donated to WFN. (Related detail: all net author royalties from sales of Our Day to End Poverty will be donated to 5 poverty-fighting nonprofit organizations selected by the 5 members of the book team).

Just Give's Summer Newsletter Lifts up Our Day as Encouragement that, "You Can Make a Difference"

With a link to purchase the book online and a nicely chosen quote exerpted from the book, JustGive.org mentioned Our Day in their Summer 2007 newsletter. JustGive.org is dedicated to creating tools and services to make charitable giving part of our everyday lives, a mission that aligns beautifully with the aims of Our Day!

Our Day Reviewed at Evidence of Humanity

There is a new and very nice review up online at Evidence of Humanity, a website designed to, "offer simple evidence that where people come together to better their world, good things happen." They highlight some nice pieces of Our Day, and what the book has to offer.

Chronicle of Philanthropy reviews Our Day

This week the, "Newspaper of the Nonprofit World" took notice of Our Day, posting a book review that touts the book's focus on, "Simple Steps to Solve Big Problems." While the review is only available to folks who are subscribers, we hope you will check it out if you are.

Africa Bridge happy to be a part of Our Day

The fine folks at Africa Bridge talked up Our Day to End Poverty in their August newsletter to donors and supporters. They were pleased to be, "singled out from a field of many worthy groups" to be featured in the book, and count this as an honor shared by their staff and supporters.

Visit Our Day on MySpace.com

Our Day to End Poverty is now making friends on MySpace.com, where we are connecting the book and its resources with socially-conscious people worldwide.

World Neighbors and WOW! Work of Women note Our Day on their websites

World Neighbors made a nice mention of Our Day in their August newsletter, and WOW! Work of Women even has information about the book on their front page! Being wonderfully resourceful folks they have a relationship with Amazon such that if you order the book through the links on their websites, a fraction of the profts will go to World Neighbors. We hope that you take advantage of the opportunity to increase your impact! (all net author royalties from Our Day are also being donated to poverty fighting nonprofit organizations)

Our Day is a pick for the Fair Trade Book Club

Transfair USA is one of twenty members of Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO), and the only third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States. They connect with people interested in Fair Trade products and issues related to them through a number of online communities. Recently the Fair Trade Myspace page posted a notice to their friends discussing Our Day as a great Book Club read and we couldn't imagine a better introduction to the wonderful world of Myspace.

Our Day's ideas fit the bill In Socrates Wake

In an inspiring post Nathan Nobis, one of seven contributing writers at In Socrates Wake discusses how he asks students in his ethics classes to weigh their obligation to take action against extreme poverty. In so doing he challenges them to put their thinking into action, and one resources he mentions that will help students do just that: Our Day to End Poverty.

Evangelicals for Social Action names Our Day an, "Editor's Pick"

Evangelicals for Social Action, an association of Christians seeking to promote Christian engagement, analysis and understanding of major social, cultural and public policy issues, highlighted Our Day to End Poverty in their August 1st newsletter to readers nationwide. On their website you can find the article they link to in the newsletter, where Our Day is listed as an Editor's Pick.

Vox Magazine puts Our Day atop their list of, "Hard-Hitting must reads"

Our Day leads a summer reading list of, "social issues books for grown-ups," compiled by Vox magazine a weekly magazine distributed each Thursday in the Columbia Missourian print edition and available free throughout the week at locations all around Columbia, Missouri. The review talks up Our Day's positive tone, focus on action and the resources provided in each chapter.

National Council of Churches USA puts Poverty Front and Center

Poverty is an issue on which NCC has a great track record of taking action and providing leadership. If you visit their website right now, you'll see Our Day to End Poverty front and center, listed on their main page under the header, "New book makes it plain: how YOU can end poverty."

Our Day, Morality and the Good Life

Mike Austin is a philosophy professor from Kentucky whose blog, Discursus offers, "Conversations about Morality and the Good Life." Recently Mike posted some of the suggested actions he liked from Our Day to End Poverty.

Stitch'n Bitch

Possibly my favorite outlet for purchasing Our Day (to date), Stitch'n Bitch is a website devoted primarily to knitting books and supplies, and they now also offers Our Day to End Poverty in their Volunteer Work section.

Our Day on the Hill

Karen Lyon offers a wonderful review of Our Day in the July edition of the Hill Rag, a monthly paper out of Washington DC.

Simple Living Network lists Our Day as a cure for Consumer Culture, a New Resource

Since 1996 the Simple Living Network has provided resources to help people live in a conscious, simple, and healthy manner. We couldn't be more delighted that they have chosen Our Day to End Poverty as a new resource that will help people do just that.

We agree, that taking action to help end poverty will lead to a healthier planet overall, and furthermore that individuals who take action will inevitably feel the benefits of doing so. We appreciate being one of many great resources available at the Simple Living Network website, and encourage you to check us out there.

Our Day Featured on Powells.com

Powells.com recently added Our Day to End Poverty to their selection of featured books in Current Affairs, a listing of titles we're proud to join.

Front Page News!

Yesterday the Herald of Randolph, VT ran a front page story about Our Day written by Martha Slater. The article offers detail on the book and the resources therein and information about an upcoming appearance by Karen Speerstra at a local bookstore.

Martha also gives a glowing description of how recent news like the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to Mohammed Yunus backs up the central claim of Our Day, that individual action will be as important as the actions of big institutions in bringing an end to global poverty.

Spirituality & Practice calls Our Day to End Poverty a, "Handy and Helpful Volume"

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat at Spirituality & Practice recently reviewed Our Day to End Poverty, and offered it to readers of their site as a great way to promote Justice and to connect their daily lives to the UN Millennium Development goals.

Like Fredric and Mary Ann, we encourage you to, "act now on the treasure trove of information described in this paperback."

Jeffrey Keenan discusses Our Day at Freemont Place Books in Seattle

Jeff joined a group of readers at Freemont Place Books to discuss the book and talk about their interest in ending poverty.

Money. Purpose. Joy. offers Our Day to End Poverty as a Resource

Matt Bell is a personal finance writer and speaker who leads workshops designed to help people manage their money in ways that help give their lives meaning. His website, Money. Purpose. Joy. documents his work and collects various resources. Matt offers Our Day to End Poverty as recommended reading and asks his readers the following question:

"Did you do anything to help eliminate poverty today? It's a ridiculous question, isn't it?"

Our Day in Dallas and the Raiser's Razor

Central Dallas Ministries has responded very positively to Our Day to End Poverty. They decided that the book aligns so well with their work, that they are ordering copies to give to their sponsors at a their annual, "A Night to Remember" concert event featuring LeAnn Rimes this fall. Jeremy Gregg, Director of Development for CDM, discusses their decision on his blog, Riaser's Razor here.

Our Day is embraced by local parishes in Vermont

Using the “Guide for Places of Worship” at the end of Our Day to End Poverty, parishes in Vermont, and around the U.S. are finding it a useful resource for classes, discussion groups, forums, and mission outreach, locally and abroad. Christ Church, Bethel, VT under the leadership of The Rev. Diane Root, arranged for every family in the parish to have a copy of the book. Throughout the summer, parishioners speak from their own perspectives on various global as well as local poverty issues at the Offertory time in a worship feature called “Poverty-Plenty Moments.” Conversation groups then meet following the service to further the particular emphasis of that Sunday. A film series-discussion will be hosted in various homes later in the fall to share individual actions taken as well as to decide which actions to take as a group.

St. John’s in Randolph, VT has also provided twenty copies of the book for people to use in a series of forums coming up later this year around the topic of “Water” (Chapter 22: Improve Access to Clean Water). According to The Rev. Tim Eberhardt, “Many of our parishioners are closely involved with Randolph’s “Clean Source”, formerly “Vermont Pure” water purification and bottling plant. We want to involve local government officials and others to explore how we consume water, our plastic bottle usage, as well as what clean water means to Vermonters. And our local students will be invited to enter a writing contest around the issues of water and poverty.” St. John’s began seriously looking at poverty issues as their Lenten focus this year, and were introduced to the book even before it published. They decided which organizations would receive a portion of their Easter Offering ($800) in a very unique way. At Pentecost, they voted by placing 800 pennies into labeled six containers. The result, in descending order: Children Affected by HIV/AIDS (CHABHA), Medical volunteers on St. Lucia, ERD, Theological Education in Sudan (through Bishop Ely), Latin American Missionary and Bible Institute (LAMB) and Global Aids Interfaith Alliance (GAIA). In addition, individual St. John members have pledged to meet the target .07% of their income for global relief.

Our Day now available from Raincoast Books

Raincoast is a Canadian bookseller committed to being ancient forest friendly Our Day is available now from this nifty Vancouver based company.

Our Day for Sale in Iowa, Europe, The Middle East & Africa, Australia, New Zealand

Available for purchase through Vista Book Gallery, an independent full-service bookstore in Boise, Iowa.

Our Day is also now available for purchase through McGraw Hill Education Europe, Middle East & Africa, with a nice one-paragraph review highlighting the book's, "clever and creative approach."

Finally, Woodslane, Australia and New Zealand's premier distributor of technical, business and lifestyle books has a really wonderful short review and the book available for purchase. In a paragraph they sum up the positive spirit of the book and encourage their customers to do their part in ending poverty.

Karen Speerstra offers a great weekend story.

My husband and I took a little drive around gorgeous Vermont yesterday and we kept meeting or passing bikers in blue with red patches on their sleeves.
When we stopped for lunch at a little village nearby, a couple of those bikers walked in and we learned who they were and what they're doing. I wish we'd have known about this six year old program for the book. Bike and Build organizes teams that are pedaling to end poverty housing (out of Brooklyn, NY).
They put their back wheels in the Atlantic (in Portsmouth, NH) on June 17, and on August 23rd will put their front wheels in the Pacific. The group we met were 31 riders headed for Vancouver, BC.
They had just spent two days building a home in Lebanon NH and were headed to Rochester NY for another build day. And they'll continue to do that across the whole USA. Since I had some books with me (I don't travel without them!) I "seeded" a couple of them which they wanted me to sign to Bike and Build. I showed them Chapter 14 and told them I wished we'd had known about them when we put the resources together.
Each biker must raise $4,000 themselves, to do this. The two guys we spent the most time with were Dartmouth students and they couldn't wait to share the books with their biker friends and their organizers who also came into the restaurant to talk to us. They all really LOVED the book and promised to show it all across America!!! I'm sure the books will be in their travel vans that accompany them because as far as I could tell, they were biking with just a water bottle!
Thought you'd all like to know.
- Karen

International Justice Mission mentions Our Day in the June edition of their e-newsletter The Justice Briefing.

International Justice Mission mentions Our Day in the June edition of their e-newsletter The Justice Briefing.

Gift Hub shares news of Our Day

A notice of Our Day's release appeared June 14th at GiftHub.org, Phil Cubeta's scintillating blog about philanthropy.

Unitus asks, "So what are you doing?"

Our Day received a nice brief mention in the blog at Unitus.com on June 11th.

National Council on Churches makes Our Day to End Poverty News

National Council on Churches published a press release on their website today highlighting Our Day to End Poverty, and encouraging their readership to check out the book.

Our Day available for purchas on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com

Amazon and Barnes & Noble are both now listing Our Day as in stock and available for purchase! Hopefully other booksellers will be coming online shortly.

$10 Club posts Our Day to End Poverty on front page

The $10 club is a great organization featured in the book, and one of the first to report that they have placed information on Our Day on their website. They've put up an image of the book cover on their front page. We greatly appreciate the nice mention!

Our Day to End Poverty

Is available for purchase all sorts of great places, and there's tons of news and information up on our website, http://www.ourdaytoendpoverty.com/