Remember Ruby?

In the early years of the 1MISSION story, one of the most moving ways people got involved was by giving up their birthdays.

The idea was simple: none of us remember what we got for our birthday when we turned, say, 15. But what if we turned the whole concept of birthday gift-giving upside down and instead asked for donations to a cause we believe in? We’d never forget that. More importantly, neither would the family whose life is transformed through this kind of creative generosity.

One birthday campaigner was Ruby, a 15 year old from Phoenix who decided to give up her 16th birthday to provide a house for a family in Nicaragua. What began as a sacrifice turned out to be the greatest adventure of her life.

Ruby’s sacrifice eventually motivated hundreds of others to give up their birthdays, funding dozens of houses over the years. Not only that, her story inspired people from across the country to join us on build trips—are they’re still coming year after year!

This short, film created by our friends at CIY, captures so much of the joy of Ruby’s birthday campaign—and the way it changed lives forever!

P.S. Throughout the first 15 days of May, we’re sharing 15 stories to celebrate some of the highlights of 1MISSION’s first 15 years. To help lay the foundation for the next chapter of this shared story of transformation, we’d invite you to join the Supply Yard, an amazing community of monthly givers. Thanks!