We invite you to host your own event benefitting Rising Star. The following is a list of ideas you can use to gather an audience.

• Blog- If you have a blog, invite your blog readers to be a part of your presentation or event.
• Facebook- Post your event on your Facebook profile. Create an event page and invite your contacts. Encourage your friends to get involved.
• Email- Send an invite to those on your email list to attend.
• Thank you letters- Remember to send a little thank you to those who have supported you in your endeavors. Include an invitation to your presentation.

Depending on the date and location, we may be able to provide a guest speaker, materials and flyers, and local volunteer support needed in organizing your event. This work could not continue without you. To schedule your event, contact Shalay Branch at shalay@risingstaroutreach.org or 801-820-0244.

This list comprises just a few of our favorite ways that friends of Rising Star have chosen to get involved and support our mission. Don’t see your idea listed? No problem, we’d love to hear about it!

• Cottage meeting
• Fireside
• Golf Tournament
• Marathon
• Benefit Concert
• Movie Screening
• Charity Bike Ride
• Social Media Fundraiser
• Service Projects

Access to proper hygiene products is very difficult when living in extreme poverty within a leprosy colony. Our medical staff teach patients about good hygiene and provide these kits on a regular basis. Having these products does more than just prevent infection and the spread of bacteria. These kits help to promote dignity, self-worth, and confidence to continue the hard work towards self-reliance.

• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Shampoo
• Deodorant
• Comb
• Soap
• Razor
• Shaving cream or gel

All items should be the smaller travel or sample size kind. Remove the individual packaging and pack all items in a Ziploc bag.

One young man set up collection boxes at his church, local library, and his high school.  These items are lightweight and easy to get to India. There are many with leprosy that suffer from eye ulcers causing pain and sensitivity to light. The sunglasses help them protect their eyes as they heal.  Reading glasses and prescription glasses are also needed.  We have access to an eye doctor that can determine needed prescriptions, but most are too poor to purchase the glasses themselves.

Our school has a robust craft club and art class.  In the rural southern regions of India, a variety of good quality art supplies are not found easily and are certainly not affordable. We also supply our students with paper, notebooks, pens, pencils, rulers, calculators, and other basic school supplies necessary for their studies.

English is a second language for most of our students and one of the best ways to encourage learning new language skills is through reading.

Hosting a book drive is an easy way for people to donate to Rising Star. Everyone understands the importance and power of a good book. Ask your friends and neighbors to donate some favorites from their library or to give a new book. Luckily, many childrens books are very inexpensive.

One young man did a virtual book drive and collected pledge donations. He created a shareable web page with a thumbnail of each book in need, allowing participants to choose which book they would like to give.  They were also provided a bookplate (sticker) on which they could include their name and a small message to be placed inside the book that was pledged to be purchased.  He also collected donations with which he used to travel to India to personally deliver the books to finish out his project.

Our students go home three times a year and don’t always come back with their underwear.  It is not a customary practice to wear underwear in the colonies.  They also wash their clothing on a rubbing stone – this will wear out your underwear pretty fast! All this creates an added expense and need at our school.  One young man held dance in his area and decorated the dance hall with toilet paper. The admittance was donated (new) underwear.  It was a huge success and really fun to plan.  We have 360 children in grades K-12 attending our school.  Sizes would run from XS in children to Youth Large.

Our female students are need of more sanitary feminine hygiene products, specifically pads. We would love to receive any unused boxes of pads. Our girls will be more comfortable attending school while on their menstrual cycle when they know it won’t interrupt their activities. Pads can help with this!

It has become common practice for many people to ask for donations to their favorite charity instead of receiving presents. The following list can give you ideas or come up with your own on your special day.

• Birthday
• Wedding
• Anniversary
• Graduation
• New Baby
• Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah
• In Honor Of
• In Memorium

Once you decide what day, broadcast your campaign through email, social media, or in a letter.