Living Philanthropic

Late night post today, I spent the day at my alma mater Illinois State University, I was invited back to talk with current students about my work in the theatre as well as my mission of giving. It was the first time I ever a guest speaker, but I had a wonderful time talking about my experiences and answering questions. I just hope it was beneficial for the students as I well, I will be making a donation to ISU down the line.

After my talk I watched the Crossroad Production of Bhopal  in the Westhoff Theatre, a theatre where I acted in 3 shows while in college, it was fun to see the old classrooms and halls. Bhopal has been described as a taut political drama based on the events leading up to one of the worst industrial catastrophes in history. In 1984, a leak of methyl isocyanate gas and other chemicals occurred at the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. Hundreds of thousands of people were exposed, and depending on the source, somewhere between 2,259 and 3,787 deaths resulted from exposure to the chemicals. The play reveals the human stories within the complex political and economic web that located a chemical plant in Bhopal and leads to human tragedy.

It was a lovely and moving production and they were raising money after the show for the Bhopal Medical Appeal an organization providing free medical services to the survivors of the gas leak, so I’m giving today’s contribution to The Bhopal Medical Appeal.

To date their Sambhavna Clinic has treated more than 35,000 people. They also employ over 60 staff, roughly a third of whom are themselves gas survivors. They carry out valuable studies, inform, educate and train people in gas-affected communities to monitor their health. Working to a principle of ‘first do no harm’ BMA has pioneered new treatments combining modern medicine with traditional ayurvedic herbal medicine and yoga. 

Amount Donated: $11

To support the Bhopal Medical Appeal, please visit: http://www.bhopal.org