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Contact: Alan Garcia
360-921-6887

Donate Your Tax Rebate and Help Raise $100 Million

Rebates in Service of Everyone: Grassroots Effort Calls for Donation of
2008 Rebate Checks to Non-Profits Serving the Poor

Starting in May, the federal government’s $168 billion Economic Stimulus Act will kick-in with the mailing of tax rebate checks to 130 million US households. Rather than putting the money in the bank for a rainy day or buying a flat-panel TV, a new movement, Rebates in Service of Everyone (RISE), is encouraging Americans to keep the money moving by donating tax rebates to non-profit organizations serving the poor.

The current economic downturn has left many Americans worried about their financial future, but those hit hardest will be the 37 million Americans already living under the poverty line — many hungry, many underinsured, and all with no safety net. RISE coordinators are encouraging individuals, churches and other organizations to join together in an effort to collectively donate $100 million to community, regional, national and international organizations that provide food, clothing, shelter and medical care to the impoverished.

Through the RISE website (www.rise08.org), people interested in answering this call to fight poverty can find resources to assist them in deciding where to donate their rebate, and to help them encourage their friends, family, churches or service organizations to join in the call to donate rebates to serve the poor. Additionally, people will be able to share their ideas, experiences and donation ideas on the site. As RISE co-founder Alan Garcia notes, “this movement was created as way to help people gather around the common goal of supporting the poor during this economic downturn. We want this grassroots effort to serve as a platform for individuals, churches, and community organizations to make this idea their own and to share their ideas and experiences with each other.”

The $100 million goal RISE has set forth is a mere fraction of one percent of the total economic stimulus package. Several recent polls suggest that many people are planning on simply saving their rebate checks. By re-directing rebate funds to organizations that serve the poor, the money will continue moving through the economy and produce tremendous impact on the quality of life for the millions of people served by those organizations.

RISE realizes that not everyone can afford to donate their rebate. For many families, the money will help take care of bills or pay down debt. But for those who might otherwise spend the money on something they really don’t need, or simply place the money in the bank, RISE offers an alternative - a chance to serve the poor in an impactful way!

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To learn more about RISE, visit http://www.rise08.org or contact Alan Garcia at 360-921-6887 or