read more about Malaak Rock

Malaak Rock

ANGEL ROCK PROJECTS

Malaak’s recent book, If It Takes A Village, needs your support. It’s a book that everyone needs to read about how we can all do our part to make the world a better place. I met Malaak a few times but hadn't really bonded with her until we spent a few days together in South Africa. We were there for a mutual friend's party and it was in conversation that I learned she was headed into Soweto with her children to bring gifts and toys to underprivileged children. She was taking her children with her as she felt it was important for them to see a part of South Africa they had only heard about. Abject poverty on such a grand scale wasn’t something they would be able to comprehend unless they saw it for themselves. What they witnessed has changed their lives in so many ways. They met children their same age, with smiling faces and a zest for life that removed any boundaries between them. They made friends, played together, and when the day came to an end, they too were committed to coming back again and again to do whatever they could to help the friends they made make a better life for themselves.

The more we spoke, the more I knew Malaak was the real deal and that her passion for helping others came from the heart. I’ve since seen her in action, which speaks louder than words, and in Malaak’s case, louder than I could have ever imagined. She supports many causes that mentor children, and just last year I attended an event for her cause Journey for Change: Empowering Youth Through Global Service. I saw first hand how her work is changing the lives of so many.

I’m honored to call Malaak a friend and touched by the work she’s doing in South Africa and her passion to help children in need. To find out more about Malaak and her charities, go to www.angelrockproject.com/arp/projects


      

Malaak Rock's Tips:

• Donate Non-profit organizations need consistent donations from all of us. And we can all give based on our own personal income. In fact, most non-profits serve those in need because of small but steady donations from average Americans, not the super wealthy. The average American donates $4.25 a day! That is the cost of a cup of coffee and a danish on the way to work, but guess what, it can save lives! For information and ratings on charities, visit www.charitynavigator.org
• Exercise Your Consumer Power You can be the change you want to see in the world through the way you shop. Make a point of frequenting retailers that donate a large portion of their revenue back into the community in which they do business. You can also change the world for the better by buying "gifts that keep on giving." Examples include UNICEF greeting cards which help women and children in 150 countries worldwide, PRODUCT (RED) items at Starbucks, the Gap, Converse, and Dell where a portion of sales is donated to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa. Another way to make a difference is when you purchase gifts of coffee and tea, make sure the items are fair trade, ensuring that the artisans and farmers are making a fair living wage. More information on Fair Trade can be found at:
  www.angelrockproject.com/arp/shop/angel_fair_trade.asp.
  To watch Malaak's favorite "gifts that keep giving" on The Oprah Winfrey Show, visit www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Malaak-Compton-Rocks-Favorite-Gifts-That-Give-Back.
• Volunteer In making the decision to volunteer, you will be joining a large and active community of 61.8 million Americans who volunteer through organizations, giving 8.1 billion hours of services worth approximately $162 billion to America's communities. Whether you volunteer once a week, once a month, or periodically at a special event, whatever it is, it is fantastic and you should feel amazing about your act of service. To find volunteer positions in your area, visit www.volunteermatch.org or www.serve.gov
• Raise Charitable Children Our kids are never too young to teach them about living a life of service and giving back to society. In fact, the subject is great dinner conversation! It is also wonderful to volunteer with your child. Local soup kitchens are usually very agreeable to allowing young children help serve food with their parents. Participating in walk-a-thons, holding bake sales or lemonade stands, and/or sponsoring a child are other great ways to give back with your children. And don't forget to trick-or-treat for UNICEF on Halloween. How cool is it that your kids can put candy in their bags and coins in their UNICEF boxes to help raise money for vulnerable children worldwide on Halloween! Visit www.unicefusa.org for more information.
• Advocate Martin Luther King once said, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." So if there is an issue in your local community, in our country, or in the world that you care about, you should feel empowered to "raise a ruckus" by advocating for your chosen cause; write a letter to your congressional leader, attend a political meeting in your community, sign a petition, write an op-ed for your local newspaper, organize a rally, or join an advocacy group. The most important thing is that if you want to change the world for the better, be active and ensure that your voice counts! For more information on how to be an effective advocate, visit:
  www.ehow.com/how_2070151_be-advocate.html.