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"Get On The Bus"

One of the biggest barriers facing Metro Detroit's needy is transportation. They have the skills and desire to get a job but no way to get there. Now there is a small glimmer of hope in bringing down this barrier.

The Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) is partnering with Goodwill Industries, Fox 2 and WJR to give the needy population of Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties the means of getting to jobs and job interviews. It is a month-long campaign called "Get On The Bus" that is encouraging the public to donate money here: http://www.giveabuspass.org/

$49 will give one person transportation to and from work or interviews for one month. THE COST OF ONE 10x10 PAINTING!!
$294 pays for 6 months of bus transportation.
$588 pays for a full year of transportation.

With Christmas around the corner, people need a gift that really matters. You could get dumb materialistic gifts for your family members that will end up lost in the closet within a month, or you could help sustain a needy individual's future by helping them get to a job that will provide their houshold with much needed income.

You can even fulfill your family's desire for gifts while still providing support to the Get On The Bus campaign and other worthy causes by purchasing a TenTimesTen painting for a minimum donation of $50.

Or feel free to donate straight to the campaign via the link I provided above.

As always, check back on my site at JohnAzoni.com for an archive of available 10x10 paintings. To make a purchase, simply email me at JohnAzoni@gmail.com.

First donation made!

Just a quick update. I know a lot of these posts have been to promote the TenTimesTen project, but I thought I'd let you know where the money has been going. The first couple of paintings sold has gone to recovering the cost of supplies, but the first donation has just been made to a very worthy person. My buddy Marc Lipovsky is raising money to spend an extended period of time in South Africa, loving on the people there and serving the Lord wherever he is called.



He created a site called sendmarctosouthafrica.com. Here you can make a donation to help get him there and support his stay in South Africa. You can also read about his purpose for going, his passion for the people there, as well as an interview that will help you get to know Marc a little better and his passion for serving the Lord.


The TenTimesTen project has contributed funds to send Marc to South Africa, but my guess is he has a ways to go, so go on his website and donate some money if you can!

There has been an amendment to the TenTimesTen Project!!!

I know I said that all TenTimesTen paintings are priced at $100, but I'm finding that even though in comparison to my other work, it's a relatively discounted price, it's still more than the majority of people that would be most likely to buy this work are willing to shell out. I've promoted this work to a lot of people, mainly friends, family, and people in the church community (figuring they donate money anyway, so they might as well get a painting out of it). These are not art collectors and so therefore the price of $100 for a small painting may seem a little daunting and inaccessible. So I've cut the price in half. Now all TenTimesTen paintings are priced at a minimum donation of $50. You can certainly give more to the project if you would like. Donations above and beyond $50 are graciously accepted, but not expected.

So that's the amendment. I want people to feel like they can own these paintings while still feeling like a part of something bigger than ourselves. In the interest of getting more paintings into more people's homes, and more money into the hands of the people and organizations that so greatly need it, the price had to come down.

It was brought to my attention that people may be more inclined to give directly to the charity rather than through me in order to receive a tax deduction. This can certainly be arranged. Below are a few links to organizations that I support where donations can be made online. If you make a donation of $50 or more, it's as good as buying a painting from me. Money given directly to me will most likely be used to directly fill a need wherever I see fit. This includes helping to send people on mission trips where they will serve the community there, helping to meet the needs of those who are struggling financially right here in Detroit, and whatever else comes up in people's lives where they find themselves stuck and in need of a little help. I don't exaclty know what that would look like right now, but the beauty is in finding out.

Below are links to a few charities that you can donate to directly if you chose:

THAW - (The Heat And Warmth program) A government program that provides funds agencies in the area that assist people in paying their utility bills. You'd be surprised how many people either have or are on the verge of having their utilities shut off, and can't afford to pay their bills. This is a need that is very real and right in our backyard.

Invisible Children - read previous posts, or learn more on their site.

The Simple Way - A community center in Philidaelphia that is commited to "living simply so that others can simply live". They are an organization that reaches out to their community and helps to meet the needs of the people around them. Their community center along with many of the surrounding family's homes caught on fire and burned to the ground, leaving The Simple Way and many families with nothing. They are in need of donations to rebuild the community center as well as getting the families affected by the fire back on their feet.

So that's the new format of the TenTimesTen project. Feel free to leave a comment below with any questions or suggestions. And I am still constantly updating my site with new TenTimesTen paintings so refer to that if you want to see the paintings.

New TenTimesTen Paintings.

A Guy That Looks Like Dylan Spaysky With Green on His Face
Acrylic on canvas
10x10 in.


Deer Man
Acrylic on canvas
10x10 in.


Kitty on a Mound
Acrylic on canvas
10x10 in.
(Sold)

New painting

Regions
Acrylic on canvas
72"x72"

United Way job.

There comes a point in every artist's career when he/she realizes that not enough people are buying his/her work and he/she needs to get a j/o/b.

I have finally got myself one of those.

I now work for the United Way of Southeastern Michigan in downtown Detroit. The branch of United Way that I work for is called 2-1-1, which is a number that homeless/needy people can call if they need things like food, clothing, drug counseling, family counseling, help getting a job...you name it. So people call this number, 2-1-1 and we refer them over the phone to where they can get help in their area. Since a lot of people either A. don't know about 2-1-1, or B. don't have money to call in the first place, 2-1-1 created a brand new position where they send 2 people out into the city to find and assess people in need, and refer them on the spot. The Detroit 2-1-1 is the second largest in the country, and the location that other branches look to as a model. The Detroit branch is the first to send people out to refer people in person, thus my buddy nick (who also got the job) and I will be the first people in the country to do this job for 2-1-1. So basically we get to lead this project since we will be the ones performing it. We'll be the ones working out the kinks in effectively assessing people and discerning those that want help from those that just want hand-outs. Essentially, Nick and I will be part of setting the bar for 2-1-1's across the country when other locations start hiring people to go out in person.

We have 2 Smart cars getting donated to us. One for me and one for Nick (not to take home though...). The cars will be decked out in the 2-1-1 logo and all kinds of technology and necessary equipment for referring people on the spot. We'll be in training until early November on how the system works, as well as brainstorming for the launch of "2-1-1 On the Go" as it's called.

Apparently there is a lot of media coverage around this new service. My boss said that Nick and I will surely be getting a lot of attention from the media. So apparently I'll get to be on TV and in the newspapers.

I have no clue how I ended up with this job. It's basically a dream job. I get to do what I'd do anyway for free, and get paid for it...with CRAZY awesome benefits. And working along side my best friend isn't so bad either.

Not bad for a first job.

In regards to my art, I feel as though now I can rest easy knowing that I have a steady paycheck. And a little extra money from selling a painting here and there wouldn't be so bad.