"Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" isn't only a game anymore.
In January, Kevin Bacon partnered with Network for Good, a nonprofit organization that helps people make charity donations online, to create a charity-donating challenge called the Six Degrees Project. Bacon promised to match the amount of money donated to the six charities with the most donations by March 31. People interested in participating can donate by going online to the project's Web site, www.SixDegrees.org, and search for their favorite charities.
Anyone can use Six Degrees to promote their charity by going to the Web site and using the directions to create a charity "badge," Stacie Mann, director of marketing for Network for Good, said. Since Network for Good's beginning five years ago, it has processed about $125,000 for various charities, Mann said.
A local Muncie charity, Take Five Community Outreach, was among the 10 charities with the most donations, although the majority of its "competitors" are national charities, Liane Harrold, Take Five executive director, said. As of Wednesday, 190 donors had raised $1,995 for Take Five, Harrold said. The charity would need approximately 500 more donations to secure a top six position, she said.
Take Five is the underdog, Harrold said, because the national charities have the ability to campaign across the country.
"[Take Five is] up there because of good, old-fashioned getting the word out," she said. "This is our opportunity to not only raise money very quickly, but to let people know outside of Indiana know about us. I have never come across another charity that does what we do."
Take Five is a "non-food bank" that was started a little more than four years ago, Harrold said. It provides people with items they cannot get with food stamps, like toilet paper and shampoo, she said.
"Anybody that would have a need can come in once-a-month and select five items of what we have in stock," Harrold said.
Take Five quietly helps about 200 to 250 people month, she said, and last year, it gave away more than 1,100 items to people in need.
Harrold said she would encourage students to donate to Take Five because their money would go right back into the Muncie community.
Mann said she knows money is tight for college students, but that they can make a huge difference by donating a small amount of money to charity and then using their large network of other students and friends to spread the word.
The minimum donation of $10 would support three families for the next month, Harrold said.
"If you've ever felt that you didn't know how to get to the next point, you can help somebody not feel that way [by donating]," she said.
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