Fieldnotes: Blogging on UNICEF's child survival work in the field

Cathiana Sylne is working as an intern at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF throughout the spring. This is her third post for Fieldnotes.

"From zero to hero"—we’re all probably familiar with the concept. Even as children, with towels standing in as our billowing capes, and hole-punched newspaper for our custom-fitted masks, we aspire to rise from zero to hero.

But UNICEF is putting a spin on this idea by presenting zero as the new hero. Zero is what it means to save lives. You see, everyday, 25,000 children die from preventable diseases. UNICEF is working to get that number to zero. One way is through the Tap Project, which raises money to get safe, clean drinking water to kids around the world. So it turns out that everyday heroes—like Tap Project volunteers—believe in zero.

Hero or Zero? You no longer have to choose.

UNICEF’s Tap Project is proud to announce the launch of our first Tap Project YouTube channel. In just under two weeks, the UNICEF Tap Project channel has already soared to the #6 Most Subscribed channel in the Nonprofit YouTube network. Viewers can now watch all of the videos that contributed to the success of the 2009 Tap Project. From commercials to recaps, Campaign Volunteer testimonials to field visit documentation, the UNICEF Tap Project YouTube channel is the single place to view video files submitted to the Tap Project from all over the country.

Like what you see? You can now submit your own videos to tapproject@unicefusa.org for the chance to be featured on our Tap Project channel. Simply record a video (5 minutes or less) about what the Tap Project means to you and email your submission to the Tap Project. Use the power of video to help spread the word about the Tap Project and help UNICEF put an end to the preventable deaths of children due to a lack of clean water.

From March 22 to 28, thousands of volunteers, restaurants, agency, government and corporate partners joined together to support UNICEF’s Tap Project. While World Water Week may have officially come to a close, there is still much you can do to help UNICEF put an end to the preventable deaths of children due to a lack of clean water!

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2009

The Tap Project iPhone application.

You can now download the Tap Project iPhone application, celebrating the people, places, and partners who have raised awareness and funds to support the Tap Project and UNICEF’s mission. The free Tap Project App features 21 downloadable wallpapers from cities across the country that participated in World Water Week. These dynamic and artful wallpapers are a great way to showcase your support of this lifesaving campaign.

Share the Tap Project application with your friends and display your support for ending preventable childhood deaths. Even if you don’t have an iPhone, you can still text the word “TAP” to 864233 (UNICEF) to make a $5 donation or donate online at tapproject.org. Remember, just $1 provides a child in need with safe drinking water for 40 days. With your help, we will achieve our goal of getting to zero preventable deaths.

My name is Georges Perrier and I believe in zero. That is why I joined UNICEF in doing whatever it takes to save a child’s life. During World Water Week, I joined thousands of restaurants to help UNICEF save lives by doing something incredibly simple – I invited my patrons at Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia to donate $1 or more for the tap water they usually enjoy for free. With just $1, I learned that UNICEF can provide safe drinking water to a child for 40 days. I could only imagine how many children’s lives that my restaurant alone would save as a Tap Project participating restaurant, not to mention the thousands of other establishments across the country. I am committed to raising at least $500 this week and I know that my restaurant is making a huge impact on the lives of children in need.

© Georges Perrier

Georges Perrier, Philadelphia Tap Project Chef

I have always been committed to social responsibility. I was honored to represent the Philadelphia community and join together with UNICEF which has saved more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization in the world. These children need our help now. If I can save even one child’s life through participating in the Tap Project, then I know that my life will be that much richer. I encouraged all of my fellow restaurateurs to do their part and to participate in this lifesaving campaign, and I am proud to see that not only has the Philadelphia restaurant community answered my call, but that restaurants all around the country have come together to support UNICEF’s Tap Project. The Tap Project, for me, gave Le Bec Fin a chance to be part of a movement – a local campaign that has a global impact and helps save children’s lives.

As World Water Week winds down, my fellow restaurateurs should know that through their efforts to implement the Tap Project, they have played an important role in helping to save children’s lives. I am proud to be part of this lifesaving campaign, and I am committed to helping UNICEF put an end to the preventable deaths of children due to a lack of clean water.

A few days ago, while catching up with an old colleague in Washington, DC, I was told, “The Tap Project is blowing up! I see it everywhere!” I have to admit that this evoked a great sense of pride in knowing that I have the privilege to be part of something that is not only creating a huge amount of buzz and public awareness, but that this awareness is also generating much needed funds that will literally save children’s lives. I was then asked something that caught me off guard. “How much of the funds raised during World Water Week have to be used to pay the advertising agencies that have created campaigns for the Tap Project?” I paused and smiled to myself before responding, “All of our ad agencies are supporting the Tap Project pro bono.”

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2008

Representatives from the dedicated agencies supporting the Tap Project pose for a picture when they met with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

As someone who has had experience working with campaigns and agencies in the past, I cannot stress the significance of this fact. For an advertising agency to dedicate their time, their creativity, and their resources to support a campaign such as the Tap Project is amazing. But for 21 advertising agencies from around the country to dedicate their time, their creativity, and their resources to support the Tap Project is simply humbling.

This post is from Marla Kaplowitz, EVP, North American Planning Director of P&G, MediaVest USA. This is MediaVest's second year supporting the Tap Project through the securing of national advertising and promotions opportunities.

As I stare at my empty glass of water, I can't help but realize that I am still thirsty but feeling too busy to do anything about it. I know that drinking lots of water is very healthy, and that it will help curb my appetite so I decide to finally take a break and get another glass. Up from my chair I go and over to the filtered water dispenser down the hallway and avail myself of another glass.

This mundane task is generally not worth communicating in a blog (perhaps a thought better served up in Twitter) but it is precisely the mundane-ness of this task that I am compelled to write. You see, when I am thirsty, I simply go to the nearest tap and get access to fresh, clean drinking water. When I need a shower, I don't think twice about how the soothing water stream will help me begin my day. When I wash my dishes or laundry, I think little about putting the setting on warm, cold or even hot. Not to mention the 2 gallons of water I flush down the toilet after every use. This choice is a privilege many of us as Americans take for granted, yet it is one of the necessities of life. A body can go a week without food but will die without water in 2 days.

© Droga 5/2009

MediaVest provided more than $5 million (and counting) in exposure for the Tap Project, and was responsible for securing the Times Square HD boards for Reuters and Nasdaq.

These thoughts did not occur to me until last year, when my company, MediaVest, became a national supporter of UNICEF's Tap Project. The goal is simple: to make sure that no child dies due to a lack of access to clean water. The good news is that this is a totally preventable situation. No child should die lacking water because the technology and systems are in place by UNICEF to help. They just need the support. That's why we are again working on the Tap Project. Just $1 is enough to provide clean water to a child for 40 days.

My team is in its second year of partnership with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF and the Tap Project. In that time, I have seen media planners and creatives and account managers all joining together on this singular cause. I am proud to say that through our work, we have provided more than $5 million (and counting) in exposure for this worthwhile initiative. Americans need to help respond to this situation and I am proud that MediaVest is leading the awareness-building efforts. Please join us during World Water Week, March 22-28. It's a cause that will do your heart some good. You can learn more at tapproject.org.

What do Elijah Wood, G. Love, and They Might Be Giants all have in common? Here’s a hint: it’s the same thing that Caryl Stern, David Droga, Joel and Benji Madden, and TBWA\Chiat\Day have in common. Not only are they all UNICEF and Tap Project supporters, but they can also be heard all month long on Tap Project Radio.

Featured on Creativity, Tap Project Radio is the brainchild of the Tap Project’s advertising agency in Los Angeles, Chiat/Day. Tap Project Radio provides listeners with a unique music experience as well as Tap Project news and updates, special guest DJs and interviews, and information about UNICEF's work to address the water crisis facing children.

Tap Project Radio features special guest DJs along with their own personally selected playlists (think John Taylor from Duran Duran rocking out to Kanye West, MGMT, and Michael Jackson), and YOU can make requests from the Tap Project Radio facebook page! The goal of Tap Project Radio is to bring together DJs and musicians, along with celebrities and music lovers to raise awareness for the World Water Crisis. Tap Project Radio also serves as one of the many ways in which supporters can donate to UNICEF’s Tap Project. Tap Project Radio is on a mission to raise $10,000 during the month of March to help 10,000 children in need get 40 days of clean drinking water.

According to some of the posts by fans on the site, Tap Project Radio is “hot, hot, hot!” and “awesome.” So while you sit at work today wondering how someone like yourself might be able to help change the world, why not tune in to Tap Project Radio and hear how people all over the country are coming together to support this lifesaving campaign? Who knows – you may just like what you hear.

Cathiana Sylne is working as an intern at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF throughout the spring. This is her first post for Fieldnotes.

	© Lacey Stone for U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2009
	A young lady spreading the Tap Project's message with a homemade sign during the New York Water Walk.

So I thought I knew what the Tap Project was all about. I could barely swallow my excitement this past weekend as I prepared to attend my first Tap Project Water Walk in N.Y.C.—an event jumpstarting World Water Week. Long sleeves? Yes. Heavy coat? No. And this was the general consensus at Battery Park, where volunteers and participants—decked out in UNICEF and Tap gear—showed their support for the Tap Project’s mission to provide clean water to children everywhere.

“I want to help because I used to waste water and I didn’t think about it,” said Fita, a high school student. She and her friends got to the event at 9 a.m. and said they only wished it would last longer. “Clean water for everyone is important,” said another young guy. Once he found out about Tap, he knew it was something he had to get involved with. As the day progressed, I mingled with a very energetic crowd. Beside me, a group of girls recited their cheer, “Hey, hey! Ho, ho! Dirty water has got to go!”

“Hey, hey! Ho, ho! Dirty water has got to go!” Started by a group of enthusiastic student supporters, that was the chant that echoed through Battery Park on Sunday during the Tap Project New York Water Walk.

© Lacey Stone for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2009

Nearly 1,500 children, families, students, and supporters of all ages participated in New York's Water Walk.

The weather in New York City was gorgeous, and the number of people who turned out to walk one mile in an effort to help raise awareness and support for children worldwide who suffer from a lack of readily available clean water was inspiring. Nearly 1,500 children, families, students, and supporters of all ages gathered in front of the Castle Clinton National Monument at 10 a.m. and declared, in unison, “I Believe in Zero!” to kick off one of several events taking place during World Water Week. In Chicago, nearly 500 supporters gathered at the Field Museum, water jugs in hand, ready to walk together for clean water. To say that the Water Walks were inspirational would be a great understatement.

Well, it’s officially spring. That doesn’t mean that the snow has stopped or that we can all officially stash our jackets in the closet until next winter, but it does mean one thing. It means that we are officially one day away from the start of World Water Week. Beginning tomorrow, March 22, culminating next Saturday, March 28, thousands of restaurants, dining patrons, students, and volunteers along with corporate, community, celebrity and local government supporters will come together to support UNICEF’s Tap Project in an effort to provide safe drinking water to the world’s children.

© UNICEF/2009HQ05-1674/Josh Estey

Just $1 can supply one child with safe drinking water for 40 days.

What’s amazing about UNICEF’s Tap Project is that everyone can participate. By donating just $1 at any participating restaurant for the tap water you usually enjoy for free, UNICEF can provide 40 days of clean drinking water to a child in need. Just imagine how many lives can be saved this week if everyone dining out donates $1 or more for their tap water. Even if you can’t dine out this week, you can still donate online at tapproject.org or text TAP to UNICEF to make a $5 donation.

During World Water Week, I will be attending a Water Walk in New York City on World Water Day, Sunday, March 22. During World Water Week, I will be dining out with friends and donating $1 or more for the tap water I usually enjoy for free, and encouraging everyone I know to do the same. During World Water Week, I will be helping UNICEF put an end to the preventable deaths of children due to a lack of clean water.

What will you be doing during World Water Week?

Did you know that nearly 900 million people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water? That’s 4,200 children dying, every single day, from waterborne disease. As a UNICEF Ambassador and Tap Project® spokesperson, I am committed to helping UNICEF get that number down to zero. I want to encourage everyone to do your part during World Water Week, March 22-28, 2009 to help UNICEF put an end to the preventable deaths of children due to a lack of clean water.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF

Musician, UNICEF Ambassador, and Tap Project® spokesperson, Joel Madden

I’m going to be spreading the word throughout World Water Week on Larry King Live, People Magazine, E! News and more to let everyone know why the Tap Project is such an important lifesaving campaign. Just $1 provides a child with safe drinking water for 40 days! All you have to do is find a participating restaurant online at tapproject.org, dine out during World Water Week, and pay $1 or more for the tap water you usually enjoy for free. Every single dollar raised supports UNICEF water, sanitation and hygiene programs. Even if you can’t dine out, you can still donate online at tapproject.org or text the word TAP to 864233 (UNICEF) to make a $5 donation.

We have now registered over well over 3,000 volunteers who are recruiting restaurants, supporting the water walks, bringing Tap Project to their workplace, and promoting the Tap Project. What a fantastic cadre of Tap Project supporters!

A letter from Juliet, age 11, who raised $15 for the Tap Project through her leomnade stand.

To find out more about any of these events and more, visit the Tap Project website or email volunteer@unicefusa.org

A new Facebook application--Tap Your Friends--is spreading the message of the Tap Project throughout the Facebook community. The app is meant to demonstrate water’s power to both take and save lives depending on its quality.

You can use the application to send clean or dirty glasses of water to your friends. Tap Your Friends allows users to accumulate points for how much clean water they’ve sent out.

The more points a user gets, the better their status. All users start out as an Empty Glass and must give out 50 glasses of clean water to achieve the status of Rain Maker.

Check it out today!

Did you happen to catch New York Times Columnist Stuart Elliott's feature story about the Tap Project in yesterday's business section?

© US Fund for Unicef, 2009
An ad aimed at Spanish-language speakers says, “A glass of water can make the difference.”

He did a great job discussing how the annual campaign to help raise funds for UNICEF's clean water and sanitation programs has grown from a local NYC-based initiative in 2007, to a flourishing national movement in 2009.

The piece even features some of the creative promotional materials and innovative ad campaigns that the Tap Project's newest media partners in Puerto Rico and Utah (among others) have created to raise awareness and raise vital dollars.

Click here to check out the article, if you haven't already. Or visit www.nytimes.com/business/media and look for Elliott's article titled, "A Campaign for Clean Drinking Water Expands."

As most of the country knows by now – having trudged through the snow, missed flights all over the country or seen the countless news reports on television – on Monday morning New York was hit by a massive Nor’easter. After I shook the large, damp flakes off my wool coat, thinking of my friend in Niger, I logged on to my computer and checked her facebook account. She walked into the bush about a week ago, but had posted dozens of photographs detailing her adventure there so far. In them, I saw the dusty streets of Niamey, Niger, where brightly clad women sold their wares and children carried buckets of water on their heads, smiling on the way to the slums, regardless of the heat and hardship.

© UNICEF/NYHQ1993-1926/Giacomo Pirozzi

NIGER: An example of a low maintenance water pump installed with assistance from UNICEF.

Thinking of those photographs and my friend’s last words before she departed for the barren Azawak region, where she will help oversee the digging of water boreholes, I set out on the cold streets of Brooklyn last night to continue my recruitment for UNICEF’s Tap Project.

During World Water Week, March 22-28, restaurants participating in the program ask their patrons to donate $1 for the tap water they usually enjoy for free. Last year, 2,300 restaurants across the country raised $855,000 to help fund UNICEF’s water and sanitation programs.

This Saturday, we're offering our last two Tap Project Campaign Volunteer Regional Training Days, in Chicago and San Francisco. Not only are the trainings informative about the Tap Project and UNICEF’s lifesaving work, offering “real-life” practice in recruiting restaurants, but they also allow volunteers to meet each other, connect and share tips.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF

The deadline to recurit restaurants is March 8, help get this decal in as many restaurants as possible.

We’ve held five Regional Training Days to date, and I have attended two of them, in Atlanta and New York. Both trainings were inspirational and motivational, full of people who support UNICEF and want to take action through the Tap Project. And the reports I’ve gotten from the trainings in Denver, LA and Washington, D.C. were just as compelling.

While you can still register as a Tap Project Campaign Volunteer after this weekend, one of the best parts of the volunteer experience is through the trainings, so if you are in the San Francisco or Chicago areas, register now as a Campaign Volunteer, sign up for the training, and join the thousands of volunteers who are already Tapping!

Last week, I wrote an extensive post about a trip a close friend of mine has taken to Niger, where nearly 13 million people struggle to access the most basic—and most essential—of human needs: water.

Niger is not alone in its struggle. Nearly 900 million people around the world do not have access to safe water and 2.5 billion people—nearly half of humanity—live without adequate sanitation. While following my friend’s determined journey—and becoming aware through my work with UNICEF that $1 can provide one child with clean water for 40 days—I decided to sign up as a volunteer for the organization’s Tap Project.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2009

Tap Campaign Volunteers in Atlanta attending a regional training.

Last Saturday, I attended my first Tap Project Training at UNICEF’s central headquarters in New York. There I learned a great deal about the worldwide water crisis, the campaign and the ways I can do my part. About 300 other eager New Yorkers joined me for the informative, daylong session.

This weekend the Tap Project Volunteer City Coordinators in New York and Denver held regional trainings for Campaign Volunteers. More than 145 people attended the trainings and learned about UNICEF's water and sanitation programs, practiced recruiting restaurants, and celebrated their success to date. In New York, City Coordinator Michael fired everyone up by chanting "Tap! Tap! Tap! Yay!" asking everyone to join him in his enthusiasm.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2009/Swanson

Tap Project Campaign Volunteers collaborate with one another at the New York Regional Training on February 7, 2009.

We've registered thousands of volunteers to date, but its not too late to join us! Visit tapproject.org/volunteer to register as a campaign volunteer to get your free Volunteer Activation Kit, which includes everything you need to promote the Tap Project locally, and if you live near Chicago or San Francisco, sign up for one of our regional training days on February 21!

Warm thanks to all of the Campaign Volunteers who participated in the Atlanta, Los Angeles and Washington D.C. regional Tap Project trainings this past weekend. More than 200 Campaign Volunteers from all across the country joined us to learn about the Tap Project and UNICEF Water, Sanitation and Hygiene programs.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2009/Burnham

Volunteers practice pitching restaurants at a regional training day in Atlanta.

We're offering four more regional trainings in the coming weeks. To register for a training, log into the Tap Project Volunteer Action Center.

• Denver: February 7
• New York: February 7
• Chicago: February 21
• San Francisco: February 21

We want to hear from you! For those of you who attended the regional trainings, please visit the Tap Project Blog now and provide feedback on your training day, or connect with other volunteers.

If you cannot attend a training, but you want to volunteer, register now! You can utilize the following Campaign Volunteer training tools at the resources section of tapproject.org such as the World Water Crisis online training module, the Restaurant Recruitment online training module, and many more resources.

Sign up today!

As of this week, we have almost 1,500 registered Tap Project Campaign Volunteers, and we are well on our way towards achieving our goal of 3,000!

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Monica Chang/2008

2008 Tap Project registered volunteers listen to a speaker at last year’s New York City regional training.

Over the next month, we will be hosting seven regional trainings, which will help teach Tap Project Campaign Volunteers how to recruit and support restaurants, and to promote the Tap Project locally. Atlanta, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. are gearing up for their trainings this Saturday, and New York and Denver will be conducting their trainings on February 7th.

So if you haven’t already signed up as a Tap Project Campaign Volunteer, it’s not too late. Visit the Tap Project Volunteer Action Center and get started!

While World Water Week is still a few months away (March 22 – 28), the Tap Project is in full swing. We have already registered more than one thousand Campaign Volunteers for the Tap Project, well on our way to our goal of three thousand registered volunteers to help recruit restaurants and support Tap Project locally in their communities.

And, we have just unveiled our newly redesigned website, where volunteers have access to many new and improved resources!

But there are more ways to volunteer for the Tap Project, too. From volunteering for the Tap Project Water Walks in Chicago and New York, to bring the Tap Project to Your Workplace, to supporting Tap Project in your community, everyone can be involved!

Visit www.tapproject.org and the Volunteer Center today.

Clean water is essential, yet 900 million people worldwide lack access to it. Waterborne illness is the second highest cause of childhood death in the world, with more than 4,200 children dying everyday of water-related diseases.

You have the ability to make the change necessary in order to save children’s lives and help UNICEF reduce that number to zero. By registering for the 2009 Tap Project you can make that difference!

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF

Danny and Afreen introduce the Tap Project to a restaurant manager in New York City.

Campaign Volunteers are responsible for recruiting restaurants and promoting the Tap Project locally. Even if you registered last year in 2008, please register again to participate in the 2009 campaign, which will not only allow us to send you updates and announcements, but will also ensure that you receive your newly revised 2009 Volunteer Activation Kit.

To become a 2009 Tap Project Campaign Volunteer, visit tapproject.org/volunteer, and register today!

I’ve blogged before about our search for Tap Project City Coordinators in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco and Washington D.C., and I am happy to report that we have identified 34 individuals from across the country who traveled last weekend to Atlanta, Georgia for training, orientation and action planning.

© US Fund for UNICEF, 2008/R. Swanson

Thirty-four volunteers from around the country attended the 2009 Tap Project City Coordinator orientatation on October 17-19, 2008, in Atlanta, Georgia.

While all communities are invited to join the 2009 Tap Project, City Coordinators will help recruit volunteers and restaurants to participate in the camapaign, conduct local trainings, coordinate awareness-building campaigns and support participating restaurants.

Although a person can live without food for more than a month, a person can only live without water for approximately one week. Lack of clean water is the second largest killer of children under five. Every day, 4,200 children die of water-related diseases. By participating in the Tap Project, these enthusiastic and passionate volunteers are helping UNICEF to reduce the daily number of needless deaths to zero—just one single dollar raised can provide a child with safe drinking water for 40 days.

The U.S. Fund for UNICEF's volunteer team is very excited to officially welcome our City Coordinators into our family, and we can’t wait to see how they implement the Tap Project into their communities. Stay tuned on how you can become a Tap Project Campaign Volunteer in your community. And in the meantime, please visit our Online Volunteer Center to take part in other volunteer activities.

A few weeks ago, I blogged about our call for Tap Project Volunteer City Coordinators in seven cities. We’ve had a great response form many of the cities and are excited to be building our teams in them. However, we are continuing to accept applications for Denver and Chicago.

A brief position overview can be found in the volunteer section of the Tap Project website. If you are interested in becoming a Tap Project City Coordinator, please send your cover letter and resume to volunteer@unicefusa.org.

And if you are interested in volunteering for the Tap Project but not as a city coordinator, stay tuned! We will soon be asking volunteers across the country to join us again in recruiting restaurants, promoting the Tap Project and more.

Did you volunteer last year for the Tap Project? Dine in a participating restaurant? Tell us about it. Post your comments here.

It's hard to believe it's that time again, but the 2009 Tap Project is just around the corner. Here at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, we have been celebrating last year’s success and getting ready for next year. We will soon be asking volunteers across the country to join us again in recruiting restaurants, promoting the Tap Project and more—so stay tuned for upcoming information.

Tap Project City Coordinator positions available

We’re calling for committed Tap Project City Coordinators to help plan and implement the Tap Project in seven key locations (3-5 volunteer positions in each city, depending on location); Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, DC.

© US Fund for UNICEF, 2008

2008 Tap Project City Coordinators for New York City (left to right) Rina, Spencer, Emily and Xi pose for a photo taken inside the U.S. Fund for UNICEF national office.

Volunteers wishing to pursue a City Coordinator position with the Tap Project should be prepared to make this role an important priority in their daily lives, especially as World Water Week approaches. These positions offer volunteers a unique and exciting opportunity to shape their UNICEF Volunteer experience and the Tap Project in their communities, while gaining valuable leadership and nonprofit management skills. If you are a registered volunteer, log on to the Online Volunteer Center, and click on “What’s new.” You’ll be taken to the Tap Project Action Center where you can review the position description and learn how to apply to be a City Coordinator.

If you are interested in applying and are located in one of the seven cities above, but not a registered volunteer, please register today, or email volunteer@unicefusa.org for a position description.

We enjoyed great support from our Tap Project volunteers this year during World Water Week, and we want to keep that momentum going.

U.S. Fund for UNICEF volunteers can participate in programs year-round that support our education, advocacy and fundraising efforts. And that’s why we’ll be asking both Tap Project volunteers and our previously registered volunteers to participate in UNICEF’s Unite for Child Survival: Advocacy Week. Beginning April 28th, we’ll be asking our volunteers and supporters to become acquainted with three issues very important to UNICEF, and asking you to take action every day during that week.

We’ll be sending announcements and reminders between now and then, and developing some new resources including an online training module, discussion questions, and more. Stay tuned for updates.

If you are interested in getting involved now, check out our new online volunteer center by clicking here and registering as a new volunteer!

	© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Monica Chang
	Two Tap Project Volunteers explain how to implement the Tap Project to the manager of a New York City restaurant.

Twenty two hundred and three volunteers signed up between January 1 and March 20 to help us recruit restaurants, promote the Tap Project locally, and most importantly, raise awareness about the lack of safe drinking water across the globe.

Our volunteers are the best: from conducting meetings to recruiting restaurants, from training staff to creating their own YouTube videos, from promoting the Tap Project in the media and online, to dining at a participating restaurant during World Water Week, 2,203 of our most loyal supporters helped us execute an incredibly successful Tap Project volunteer campaign.

From everyone on the volunteer team (Rachael, Kirsten, Danny and me), a heartfelt thanks goes to each and every one of our volunteers, and here’s to next year!

The Empire State Building went blue for the Tap Project last night! Just one of the many amazing things going on across the country as people join together to help children everywhere get access to clean, lifesaving water.

If you've got pictures of your Tap activities, send 'em our way -- we'll post them here.

Happy Tapping.

It was the perfect opportunity to catch-up, enjoy tasty food and drink, and help provide clean drinking water to kids around the world – pretty good accomplishments for a Monday night.

Remember, the Tap Project culminates this Saturday, which is also World Water Day. So go out, dine and lend a helping hand to children around the world.

And if you're in NYC tonight, look up! The Empire State Building is going blue for the Tap Project...

UNICEF Ambassador Lucy Liu just returned from Ivory Coast and put together the following video report -- check it out!

Have you dined at a Tap-participating restaurant yet this week?

The Tap Project is in full swing this week, and newspapers like The New York Times, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal ran prominent ads in today’s editions highlighting the week-long event. Regional papers like the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Denver Post also advertised the campaign, which urges diners to pay one dollar for tap water they would normally get for free. Proceeds fund UNICEF’s lifesaving water programs.

So grab your friends and help children around the world by having dinner at any Tap participating restaurant across the country.

Next week is World Water Week and the start of the Tap Project.

Start your dinner plans now and make a reservation online through OpenTable,
a great website that includes Tap Project participating restaurants across
the country. It’s fast and easy!

In addition, city pages have important information for diners, volunteers, and just about anyone interested in learning more about World Water Week. And remember, if your community is not on the list of featured cities, you can still register your hometown restaurants for Tap.

Any thoughts on the featured logos? How would you have represented your town or city? Check out your local Tap Project page and let us know what you think!

It was soooo easy!

In less than an hour, I recruited three restaurants in my New York City neighborhood to participate in the Tap Project. All I did was explain how simple it is to join, the free publicity Tap Project generates through websites and local media, and all the good a one dollar donation can do (for example, with one dollar UNICEF can provide up to 40 gallons of clean, drinking water). And voila! They registered.

© U.S.Fund for UNICEF

Me (on the left) and the very cool staff at Ricardo's Steakhouse, a new Tap participant.

Last year, 300 restaurants participated in New York City. And with the Tap Project campaign going national this year, we hope to multiply that number many times through our corps of volunteers.

Some volunteers have started organizing on social networking websites. In San Antonio, they coordinate via Meetup.com, in Washington D.C. it’s through Idealist.org. And then there’s Facebook, where volunteers from all over the country come together.

Restaurant and food blogs like Kelly’s Grape Times, Grub Street and Peter’s Mostly Food have also joined the effort.

Only three weeks left before World Water Week. Have you registered restaurants? Any suggestions for volunteers? Tell us about it.

Chores. They’re a drag and if you’re a kid, you probably have a few to do every week. But while chores in America may mean washing dishes or mowing the lawn, many kids in developing countries have the grueling and daily task of collecting water from distant streams and springs. Not only is it backbreaking work, hauling water can take several hours and keeps children out of school.

With that in mind, students in the Big Apple have helped organize the NYC Tap Project Water Walk. On March 15, families and kids from fourth to twelfth grade will carry up to a gallon of water in a gesture of solidarity with children who must fetch water every day. These students are helping fund UNICEF programs through sponsorships. And a little goes a long way! For example, with a dollar UNICEF can provide 40 liters of safe drinking water.

So register today if you’re a New York City student and help UNICEF save kids’ lives!

The countdown begins! We are officially a month away from World Water Day and from turning Tap on full blast. Check out our new public service announcement, which will air in more than 600 local TV stations across the country in the next few weeks.

At the top of the Tap Project to-do list for volunteers this weekend is registering restaurants. I plan to enlist some restaurants in my neighborhood and raise my water IQ by checking out other water-awareness events.

Here in New York City, the American Museum of Natural History is currently showing Water: H20 = Life, a fascinating exhibit that explores the importance and impact this precious resource has on communities and ecosystems around the world. For those of you in Washington D.C., you can attend the Environmental Film Festival, which pays tribute to World Water Day by showcasing water-themed international films.

If you’re looking for more “active” events — and a good excuse to burn the carbs from your Tap dinner –– click on the World Water Day website for info on walks in Los Angeles, Seattle and New York.

Besides taking part in Tap (of course!), is there anything else you’re planning to do during World Water Week?

We're so excited that the Tap Project is growing so quickly....more than 1,200 Tap Project Volunteers have registered in under six weeks! to help UNICEF provide children around the world with clean, safe water

Volunteers around the country are taking action and using all the resources available to them, including the Tap Project Restaurant Online Trainings or the customizable Tap Project flyers.

We hope you'll join us, get organized and promote the Tap Project in your community! Register today at tapproject.org/volunteer.

Dina Montes is on staff at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF and will be blogging regularly about the Tap Project. This is her first post.

With World Water Day just a month away, newspapers and magazines articles are generating buzz. The March issue of Family Circle reminds readers to save the date (March 22) for Tap, while a Feb. 13 article in the New York Times business section covers the U.S. Fund’s partnership with 14 top advertising agencies across the country and the cool, cutting-edge ad copy created in cities like Los Angeles and Chicago. The fabulous work is pro-bono, which means more money goes straight to UNICEF water programs!

Smaller cities like Richmond, Va. are also participating this year and dishing out info on Tap. Just this week, the Richmond Times-Dispatch published a story about a group of graduate students who created an ambitious marketing campaign for the Tap Project. It’s just one great example of how everyone can get involved in this innovative, grassroots fundraiser.

Are you involved in the Tap Project? Tell us about it!

The U.S. Fund for UNICEF has launched the Tap Project, a nationwide campaign that helps UNICEF provide safe water for children around the world, while celebrating the clean and accessible drinking water available in the United States.

With our volunteers’ help, communities in the U.S. will become more aware of the water crisis around the world and understand how they can help.

All of our registered Tap Project Volunteers are invited to a day of information, interaction and collaboration. A Tap Project Volunteer Training Day is coming to the following cities near you!

• Saturday, February 9th, Atlanta Regional Training at Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University
• Saturday, February 9th, Denver Regional Training at St. Mary's Academy
• Saturday, February 23rd, San Francisco Regional Training at University of California, San Francisco

Volunteers will have the opportunity to learn from Tap Project city coordinators, national UNICEF staff, issues experts, and invited guests.

To sign up as a volunteer and to attend a Regional Training Day, register at the Tap Project site.

As a chef, I rely on clean water every day. In my kitchens, we use water for everything from rinsing produce to washing dishes. I’m sure you count on clean water running every time you turn the tap on too.

But did you know that 21 percent of children living in the developing world do not have access to clean water? UNICEF tells us that one in five children do not have the clean water they need to thrive.

But that’s where the Tap Project comes in. Today, more than 250 New York City area restaurants, including my own, will ask their customers to donate $1 for the tap water they usually drink for free. All of the proceeds will be donated to UNICEF, which will use the money to support clean water programs and save children’s lives across the world. Just $1 can provide safe drinking water for a child for 40 days.

So I hope that you will join me in supporting this lifesaving project. You can find a list of restaurants that are participating here.

Together, we can make a difference to save children’s lives on World Water Day.

The Tap Project launches tomorrow. Over 250 New York City restaurants will invite their diners to pay $1 for the tap water they normally enjoy for free. All the money raised will help UNICEF provide safe drinking water to children around the world.

If you are in the New York City area, please join us in dining out tomorrow night at a participating restaurant. I made my reservations, have you?

If you won't be able to dine out with us tomorrow night, please consider marking a donation in support of UNICEF's clean water programs.

You can also help by spreading the word about the Tap Project and UNICEF's efforts to bring clean water to kids around the world. Our thanks to the many bloggers who are helping us talk Tap. Here's some Tap Project posts we thought you might like to see: Cravings, Restaurant Girl, and Minnie's Musings.

This Thursday, March 22, is World Water Day. I know what some of you are thinking: Here we go again, one more manufactured holiday to get people to pay attention to another issue! And, you would be right. Yes, the purpose of World Water Day is to put a spotlight on the importance of clean and safe water, something we all have access to in the US, and rarely even ponder. But many children and their families in developing countries don’t have this luxury.

Here’s why I’m excited about World Water day and why you can be too. Almost 300 restaurants in the New York area are going to help raise money and awareness about the importance of clean water and it’s scarcity in developing nations by participating in the Tap Project.

When you dine at one of the participating restaurants, you will be asked to pay $1 for NYC’s finest tap water. All donations will go to support UNICEF’s water programs and, in turn, can save and improve children’s lives around the world. With these contributions, UNICEF will be able to install more water pumps and increase access to clean water for kids.

So, how can just installing water pumps save lives? So many ways…most directly is that when kids drink dirty water, they can die from dysentery and diarrheal disease. Providing kids access to clean water will prevent this. Lack of access to water pumps force young women to travel miles to collect the water and bring it back to their village. In places of heavy conflict, like Darfur, collecting water is essentially risking your life. These women may be raped or killed in the process of gathering the water they need to survive.

It's mind boggling to think that lack of access to water can have such impacts for kids and their families.

Water: For me it’s simple, I turn on my tap and out it comes. I shower in it, cook with it, and I drink it straight from the tap. Until I started working for UNICEF, never did I realize how lucky I was to do all of the above.

So on World Water Day, March 22, if you can dine in a Tap Project restaurant, please do. Or, go to Starbucks. They are also helping in the effort for clean water. Then, the next time you turn on your tap to take a sip of water, just simply close your eyes and think about how fortunate you are.