Black Friday Numbers Are In....

Not even a recession will hold back Americans when it comes to spending money. What if we were as eager to give as we are to spend? We could change the world. No, really, we could! Friday, Americans were out in droves fighting fatigue, traffic and fellow shoppers to get the best deals on new stuff for Christmas. The preliminary numbers for spending on Friday are estimated at $10.6 Billion. That's an increase of 3% over last year. $10.6 Billion is over half of what's needed annually to end world hunger.

The Luxury Fund gives 100% of the money that we collect to 4 organizations who are working hard to change the lives of people all over the world by freeing slaves, providing clean drinking water for people who don't have it, mosquito nets for kids who are likely to contract malaria from mosquito bites and loving homes and counseling for girls who have been set free from sex slavery.

Isn't that worth more than an X Box, iPhone, or the latest Hannah Montana paraphernalia? I think so.

If you want to know more about each organization, check out their links on the side of the page.

Help out if you can. Even $1 helps.

If you benefit from or enjoy this blog, please subscribe and tell your friends about the Luxury Fund.

Black Friday - Lives up to its name

I almost cried as I read the headlines this morning.

"Black Friday Turns Deadly" as a Wal Mart employee was trampled to death by a stampede of shoppers.

"Fatal Shooting Following Toy Store Brawl" , two men fatally shot.

"Wal Mart Shoppers Scuffle Over Last X Box 360" There was actually a video of people piled on top of each other fighting over a game!

That's just the violent side of Black Friday. The amount of money spent yesterday will probably bring tears to my eyes too when those numbers are released.

Thursday, I had Thanksgiving lunch with about 100 people with no homes or a family to share a meal with, who were thankful to share a hot meal with smiling faces.

For so many others around the world it was just another day of hunger, sickness and death.

Meanwhile, many Americans are waking up before the sun to fight traffic, check out lines and sometimes each other to get the best deals on cool new stuff. This year, it cost 3 American lives.

Don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with bargain shopping. If you went shopping yesterday, I'm not condemning you for doing so (unless you beat someone up for a sale item), but I think we can all agree that here in America, we have some mixed up priorities and I hope that we as individuals can at least can recognize how blessed we are and be willing to share with others out of our abundance or even sacrifice to do so.

Please consider how you can give more this year than you did last year. Or better yet, just give more today than you did yesterday. Even if it's just a buck, it's a great start.

Thanks!

Staggering Statistic of the Week 11-24-08

They call the Friday after Thanksgiving "Black Friday". It's when millions of Americans go out and spend money that they don't have (most of the time) on things that they don't need (also most of the time).

Last year on Black Friday, Americans spent $531 MILLION just on online shopping. Yes, that's one day of internet shopping! Wow!

Last year between November 1 - 23, Americans spent $9.3 BILLION on online shopping!!! Can you believe it?

This year, would you consider making a donation to the Luxury Fund on Black Friday? Let's have a day of our own Staggering Statistics proving that we do care for people who have nothing and are dying as a result.

Thanks for your help!

Staggering Statistic of the Week

Last year, Americans ate 675 million pounds of turkey.

Oh yeah, that was on 1 day of the year. . . Thanksgiving.

This year, let's be thankful for what we have, and remember the nearly 1 Billion people around the world who are undernourished because they don't have access to food.