Kyle Chowning » Social Change

The homeless in Haiti need YOU

Kyle — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:32:05 +0000

The results of the earthquake in haiti are staggering. Thousands of people are dead. Millions of people are homeless. For those who were fortunate enough to survive the destruction of their homes, they’ve flocked to large fields setting up slum-like living areas made of sticks and sheets. Again, sticks and sheets.

Image Courtesy of Jeremy Cowart, who just got back from Haiti

While hope is on the rise, so is fear. The people in Haiti HATE the rain.

Rainy season starts on March 1, 2010.

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Sticks and sheets.

Here’s how you can help.

Yesterday, Shaun King launched a website called A Home in Haiti. It’s a rallying place for people to buy tents and give money. Go there!

Also yesterday, Coleman tents heard what was happening and offered to sell this waterproof, eight person tent…

…for $83 each; approximately 60% off of retail.

Ready to help?

We need to raise $33,000 to buy all of these tents. To-date, they’ve raised $4000.

The homeless in Haiti need us and we have the power to help. It doesn’t matter if it’s $10 or $33,000. Please consider doing something today!

Tweet Toffee Giveaway

Kyle — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:00:15 +0000

Update: I’m giving away 1/2lb of Toffee to the first 5 people to place an order and leave a comment on this post.

Today, I am launching a new series called Entrepreneur Spotlight. It’s where I will highlight a brand, company or idea that I’ve stumbled upon along the way that I want you, my readers, to know about. Having been an entrepreneur for over 10 years, so I know how much it has meant to me to get a push or a mention here and there from a friend or colleague. With that being said, I introduce…

Tweet Toffee

Six months ago, Ben & Sarah Tweet found themselves in between jobs and needed a way to make ends meet. After writing down dozens of different ideas, they landed on what they thought would be a sweet idea…toffee. Fast forward to today, they’ve built a thriving small business and now offer eight different types of toffee: (if you’re looking for the giveaway, jump to the bottom.)

Mocha Bianca – White chocolate covered Tweet Toffee and topped with chopped dark roasted coffee beans which are expertly matched with chocolate
Toffeopia with Almonds – Dark chocolate covered Tweet Toffee drizzled with white chocolate and caramel, then set off with a smattering of crushed malted milk balls and chopped almonds
Toffeopia with Coffee – Dark chocolate covered Tweet Toffee drizzled with white chocolate and caramel, then set off with a smattering of crushed malted milk balls and perfectly matched coffee beans
Peanut Butter Toffee – Peanut butter swirled in milk chocolate with a smattering of chopped peanut butter cups atop our famous toffee
Coffee Toffee – Dark chocolate mixed with perfectly paired coffee beans
Classic Milk – Our Classic Milk Chocolate Toffee features delicious sliced dry toasted almonds atop wonderful Milk Chocolate
Classic Dark – Our Classic Dark Chocolate Toffee features delicious diced and toasted pecans on top of decadent Dark Chocolate and is one of our fan favorites!
Notta Nut - Classic Milk Chocolate Toffee features delicious dry toasted almonds and is one of our favorites!

What I love about this story is that they took something that they were were passionate about, gave it a name and started marketing it.

Want to try some yourself? I know there are a lot of options so if you need a place to start, do yourself a favor and order Toffeopia with Coffee right now. If you can’t choose just one, then take advantage of their Sweet Sampler. Seriously, you’ll thank me.

The best part is that my friends at Tweet Toffee have extended a 10% discount to my readers. To take advantage of this discount, use the promotional code “kylechowning” when checking out. Don’t wait too long. the offer expires in 60 days.

To get the party started, I’m giving away five (5), 1/2lb packages of toffee to the first five people who place an order. To enter, leave a comment on this post with your name, email address, what kind(s) you ordered what date & time you placed your order. All orders will be verified.

And there you have Tweet Toffee. A sweet story, from some sweet friends to please your sweet tooth.

Introducing Halogen TV

Kyle — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:00:07 +0000

Over the past two years, I’ve had the privilege and opportunity to be part of a team that is building a television network from the ground up. No this isn’t a one show. No this isn’t a local station. It’s a full-fledged television network, distributed across the country in over 12+ million homes (and growing). Coming this Friday, October 24, 2009, we flip the switch and it goes live.

Introducing Halogen: A socially conscious, empowering entertainment network.

The network targets the 18-49 demographic and will consist of over 560 hours of original and licensed comedies, dramas, reality shows and documentaries.

If you’re tired of watching the same ol’, I’d encourage you to head over here and see if Halogen is in your area.

Be looking out for the re-launch of the HalogenTV.com website this week. We are feverishly working to get it ready for you. You’ll be able to watch some of our content online as well as peruse the schedule and summaries for each of the shows. I’m also excited to let you know that starting in January 2010, we will be broadcasting in HD.

I encourage you to check out www.HalogenTV.com for more information. If you like what you see, I’d love it if you’d help us spread the word. Here are some quick links so you an follow us online:

Don’t just take pictures, give them

Kyle — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:13:42 +0000

In August of this year, I sat down with Jeremy Cowart, a well-known and respect photographer, and we shared a meal while he told me about this idea he had. He wanted to rally photographers across Nashville, and maybe even the US, to come together on 12/12/09 and give portraits to people who were unable to afford it. His idea was called Help Portrait and his slogan was, “Give pictures, don’t take them.” Immediately, I was drawn to the idea and volunteered to help.

In late-August, the Help Portrait website was launched in conjunction with this video:

Today, just 44 days since we launched the concept, here’s what’s happened:

well over 30,000 views of the video
35,277 unique visitors to the www.help-portrait.com website
3145 people have signed up to learn more
3312 Twitter followers
3456 Facebook “fans”
1318 people have signed up to participate
217 locations around the world and at last count over 30 countries

WOW! Who knew that this simple idea would turn into a worldwide event?!?

Today, I had the pleasure of joining 15 photographers and a makeup artist to do a trial run at the Nashville Rescue Mission. To put it simply, today was amazing. We saw and heard stories that I’m sure we’ll never forget.

One lady, after getting hair and makeup done, stood in front of the camera and started crying. She said, “I’ve just never felt special before.”

A 53 year-old man stood in front of the camera, noticably excited. When asked, he said it was the first time he’d ever had his picture taken. EVER.

One guy must have had a hundred pictures taken of him. Clearly, this was a gift to him. He couldn’t get enough of it.

And on a different note, when I walked around and asked onlookers if they wanted their picture taken, one guy said, “What would I do with it? I don’t have anybody to give it to.” Another said, “I haven’t had my picture taken since going into the military in 1971.” When I encouraged him to have it taken anyway, he simply said he wasn’t interested. I wondered why?

What I learned today is that Help Portrait, something a handful of us have been trying to organize for 44 short days, isn’t an idea, or a movement, or about taking pictures. It’s about telling people that they matter. Lee Ann Dichtel, our liason for the Mission said it best when she said, “You have no idea what you’re doing for these people. Most of the time, when people see them walking on the road, they turn around and go the other direction. So to give them the opportunity to look them in the face and show them how beautiful they are, means a lot.”

Again, wow!

I’m honored to play the role that I’ve been graciously given in the Help Portrait story. I can’t wait to see what happens on 12/12/09.

Finding a new church

Kyle — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:09:37 +0000

Over the past six months, I’ve been chewing on a business concept that I am beginning to vet out. It has to do with simplifying how people find a new church. To become more educated on the process, I’ve put together a quick survey that aims to understand what and why this process is so challenging for people.

Would you mind taking 5 minutes and telling me about your experience?

I can’t thank you enough.

Need 2 Pairs of Shoes, Please

Kyle — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 05:29:38 +0000

My friends at Soles4Souls recently launched a campaign to raise 50,000 pairs of shoes for those who have never, I repeat, never had them before. While the goal is daunting, please don’t focus on the 50,000. Focus on the 2 for $5. Yep. INVEST $5 and GIVE 2 pairs of shoes…today.

In case you’re thinking, I don’t have $5 to give, consider the following ways to find $5 you didn’t even know you had:

Find and sell something forgotten on Craigslist
Cash in the piggy bank sitting on your dresser
Brew your coffee at home today and stop by here instead
Donate a percentage of your companies profit for one hour or one day
Make some fudge and sell it to a friend at work
Work one hour of overtime this week
Don’t order the dinner drink next time you go out to eat
Opt to borrow your next book, not buy it

What other creative ways can you find money in a cash-crunch economy?

GIVE.

Buy shoes, make a difference

Kyle — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:27:48 +0000

Yesterday at church, this challenge was given:

“This Holiday season, go without your luxuries so that others can have their necessities.”

As the downturn of the economy affects each of us in our own unique ways, one thing that stands true for most of us is that there are luxuries that we still afford because we can. However, this does not apply to everybody.

Soles4Souls just launched a campaign to collect 50,000 shoes in 50 days. For only $5, you can buy two pairs of shoes that will be given to people in Mexico who can’t afford to buy their own. Moreover, if you give during their new campaign, you could be chosen to be one of the people who gets to deliver the shoes. Great stuff.

If you’ve ever been in a third-world country, you fully understand the need for people to have shoes. If you haven’t, just imagine millions (no exaggeration) of people walking on dirt filled with trash, sewer, broken glass, metal and only God knows what else. This need is huge and the Soles4Souls goal is as well.

Please take a moment and consider what luxury you could go without today, for the benefit of those who can’t afford to buy their own shoes.

Donate today!

Poverty

Kyle — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 01:51:28 +0000

All across the world, poverty ceases the ability for people to function in a fair and equable manner. They’re often forced to live in conditions that we would think are inconceivable by today’s standards. This isn’t about comparison, but about awareness.

The Holiday season is coming upon us quickly. As you plan your calendar and budget for this years Christmas presents, I implore you to “gift” an organization that helps to eradicate poverty in less fortunate areas, countries and neighborhoods. While our economics are declining, I pray that our generosity would not.