The “Economic Stimulus Project”
encourages people to take advantage of the extra income they will
be getting from the US Treasury this month to start new habits of
generosity and put an end to old habits of
consumerism.
The Economic Stimulus Project encourages people to do the following:
1) Give generously from your Economic Stimulus check.
2) Use the balance of your check to pay down or pay off any consumer debt and vow to keep it paid off by reducing your spending.
3) Once your debt is retired, redirect what would have been your debt payment to financially participate in community and social justice issues.
The Facts
America's total credit card debt approaching $1 trillion. Consumers in America charged $68 billion worth of purchases last year, boosting credit card debt by 7.8 percent, the largest increase in seven years.
That rising personal debt is bad news for a nation teetering on recession. The estimated $132 billion a year spent on credit card interest takes money away from purchases of goods and services, contributing to the nation's economic slump.
About 40 percent of us either use no credit cards or pay their balances every month, but 60 percent carry balances from a few hundred dollars to more than $25,000, with interest averaging 16 percent.
Sources: CardTrak.com, U.S. Department of Commerce, Federal Reserve Board
You do the math… and make a difference
1.1 Billion people have no reliable source of clean water. It would take approximately $10 billion to fix that.
For another $11 Billion, Malaria cases could be cut by 90%, increasing annual economic output by as much as $30 billion in Africa, prevent 672 million malaria cases, and free up 427,000 needed hospital beds over five years.
It doesn’t matter what the issue is, Americans have the resources to help. Make a choice today to reject the trap of consumerism and debt, and instead invest your resources into that which gives life.
What Real Life is doing
As a church, we’re putting our resources from this project behind a partner church who is overseeing 624 orphans in Rwanda who need food, healthcare, and education. You are welcome to join us in this effort.
If your heart is leading you in a different direction, there are hundreds of organizations making a difference. Here’s a few places to start.
The Economic Stimulus Project encourages people to do the following:
1) Give generously from your Economic Stimulus check.
2) Use the balance of your check to pay down or pay off any consumer debt and vow to keep it paid off by reducing your spending.
3) Once your debt is retired, redirect what would have been your debt payment to financially participate in community and social justice issues.
The Facts
America's total credit card debt approaching $1 trillion. Consumers in America charged $68 billion worth of purchases last year, boosting credit card debt by 7.8 percent, the largest increase in seven years.
That rising personal debt is bad news for a nation teetering on recession. The estimated $132 billion a year spent on credit card interest takes money away from purchases of goods and services, contributing to the nation's economic slump.
About 40 percent of us either use no credit cards or pay their balances every month, but 60 percent carry balances from a few hundred dollars to more than $25,000, with interest averaging 16 percent.
Sources: CardTrak.com, U.S. Department of Commerce, Federal Reserve Board
You do the math… and make a difference
1.1 Billion people have no reliable source of clean water. It would take approximately $10 billion to fix that.
For another $11 Billion, Malaria cases could be cut by 90%, increasing annual economic output by as much as $30 billion in Africa, prevent 672 million malaria cases, and free up 427,000 needed hospital beds over five years.
It doesn’t matter what the issue is, Americans have the resources to help. Make a choice today to reject the trap of consumerism and debt, and instead invest your resources into that which gives life.
What Real Life is doing
As a church, we’re putting our resources from this project behind a partner church who is overseeing 624 orphans in Rwanda who need food, healthcare, and education. You are welcome to join us in this effort.
If your heart is leading you in a different direction, there are hundreds of organizations making a difference. Here’s a few places to start.