Putting it all out there... please help our family stay on the road and continue to provide free educational programs along the way!

I was reminded the other night that my intention for this year was "connection" and that I have connected with so many people on this journey of 2012. The idea of The Conscious Caravan came to me on the first full moon of 2012 as we gathered with other families all open to this consciousness awakening happening all over the world. It was just an idea, to travel with other families on the road, to educate on what we have learned along the way, to share in connecting with other families, to create a village on the road. And, it happened.

Over a course of just months, just an idea developed into Eco Womb's Tour for the next year, setting up events and connecting with conscious souls on the road as we traveled. Creating an intentional community on the road, a village. We allowed it to ebb and flow and we leaned into trust that our passion for education and connection would unfold and that we could sustain ourselves doing this.

So many amazing things followed, and our lives are so full because of it. But, with all great shifts, change does not happen easily. My husband held a corporate job for quite awhile, allowing us to fund our passion for education on our own. We live very simply so any extra cash could go to paying for our Tour. But, in February of this year, my husband lost his job, or mutually separated, whatever that means, taking a leap that he could run his own web design studio, Letterbox Studios, full-time after years of only having it part-time. We were excited to release the corporate job and knew this was the time to do it. He immediately had clients, helped a national magazine launch and had an opportunity to be part of an up and coming organic gluten-free bakery. Some clients didn't pan out, others helped us get by, and still others have refused to pay for almost a year's worth of work! And, so it goes with a small business, ups and downs, highs and lows. But, after six months our funds started dwindling.

Our Eco Womb store has never really turned a true profit, but we kept it going because we loved what we were doing providing eco-safe products to families. So, we decided to change our status into a L3C, a low-profit socially conscious business that can accept donations from the general public, non-profits, foundations, and other businesses. We changed our focus from that of a store that sells eco-friendly products, to what we really were doing all along and the part we loved, the educational programs and workshops where we connected with people and created real change.

We have put out a Sponsorship Proposal package to several companies, have received national exposure for our work and a feature interview in Blindfold magazine, increasing our base by several new followers per day. But, we just weren't bringing in enough new income. So, we decided to start an online Indiegogo Fundraiser to try and reach out to the general public for donations and thought that it was possible to ask several thousand people for a few dollars each. But, we also know that everyone else around us is also struggling to just make ends meet. We really ALL are in this great shift together, and right now the world is spinning, and times are intense.

But, even though we aren't sure how we are going to fund our Tour, we know that it is still our mission to educate families and connect with communities on the road. We know it is our purpose to show up at Trader Joe's and "shop for truth" so that light can be brought to the fact that they are telling their customers their brand label is Non-GMO, but yet they won't show any proof of certification.

We get energized when we connect with families at events and teach them how to go zero waste, live more simply and sustainably, or share with them how to shop Non-GMO. We feel humbled when people write to us and share how they were inspired to change their diet or lifestyle or outlook toward living healthier and from the heart, choosing to support local and vote with their forks and their dollars from now on. We love when parents make the decision to use cloth diapers on their new babies after learning the health, economic and environmental reasons from us. We enjoy connecting with people, mama to mama, daddy to daddy, family to family.

We are true activists at heart, and we are raising up our kids to speak from their heart. This life is our PASSION, it is in our blood. We have been educating and connecting with families on the road for a long time now, and have been funding all of the administrative costs to setting up events from our own pocket from other side jobs or savings.

But, we NEED to raise funds to continue to do so, and fast! We need to cover website development and maintenance, media expenses, marketing materials for flyers and informational pamphlets, educational supplies, event set-up and promotion, movie screening costs, gathering locations, and other travel expenses as we seek to continue to connect with families and communities along the way.

With some outside work not paying, our family is at a loss for almost a year's worth of pay, and unless we get some help, we cannot fund our Educational Tour any longer. I realized that when I was truly honest with myself, that it was then that I connected most with people, and so I have decided to put it all out there.

After our last grocery run and stop at the Farmers Market, we took a deep, deep breath. Yes, we know we will make it and come up with a way, but when you are in survival mode, things start looking pretty damn scary. As a mama you will do whatever it takes to sustain your family, and this mama bear is ready to roll! And, we just feel it in our bones that we are destined to continue out here educating. People constantly tell us to continue, that they have been inspired, that the world needs us, and I believe it! The world needs ALL of us!

We want to do more than just survive, we want to thrive! We want to continue feeding our kids healthy food, and I'll be damned if Monsanto works it's way into my cupboard just because we have very little money. I still have plenty of rice and beans and can come up with new recipes to make things yummy! But, please, if in your heart you have met us along the way at an event or at a campground, or if our story touches you in anyway, please support us!

We mainly want to recoup what we have already paid out to do all of the events we have already done, and then expand our Educational Programs so that we can continue to teach families for free. If we can raise at least $1500 in the next week, that will help get us out from under a portion of what we have already paid out.

Help us stay on the road and sustain our Educational Tour and you will be helping our family carry out our purpose. Help us sustain our Educational programs and you will be helping us connect with thousands of more families. We all need each other to make change in this world. Help us now so we can continue to help so many others in the future. It really will come full circle!

YOU CAN HELP by...

-donating on our Indiegogo Fundraiser page, $5.00 will go a long way!!!

-helping share on Facebook or Twitter, or with other networks

-sending our way any socially and eco-conscious business that could potentially sponsor us

-hosting us for an event and exchanging our time and Educational Programs for food, camping stays, or other needs, we are always open to barter!

Thank you for your support! Thank you for connecting! Thank you for helping us continue to help others!