Kids can change us just by being themselves. When we give them opportunities to find solutions to problems, their innovative imaginations are amazing. The results create a world-changing ripple effect. My guest this week is Alison Storm. Alison saw an opportunity to provide clean water to communities in India by partnering with the savviest business owners, kids. Alison founded Crowd Sourcing Kids to bring kids together to fully fund a well-drilling project in India, changing lives forever! When children join forces to help with Crowd Sourcing Kids, babies will live, girls will be educated, and people will stay healthy. I’m so excited to hear more from Allison, and I know you’re going to love it too!

4:08 - The Alison 101

• After graduating from a Journalism program in college, Alison learned of a very unique contest in her hometown. She lived in a car with five other people for a chance to win the car. Shortly after the contest she became a local celebrity and started putting her Journalism training to work at a local news station. 
• Her career led her to a CBS affiliate in Greenville, South Carolina but after having to cover too many heart-breaking stories she decided she had to find a way out.
• Alison soon began freelance writing for major magazines. After her son was born she received an offer to work in morning radio for a Christian radio station and decided to take a chance and try it out. 
• The show was the first of its kind in Christian radio: A television show for radio, streamed live and made available to watch later as well.
• Joy was thrilled at the opportunity to work on more uplifting stories with a TV/Radio format, and recently celebrated her five-year anniversary of working at His Radio!

9:24 - World Water Crisis

• While working for His Radio, Joy started learning about the global water crisis (people world-wide lacking access to clean water, and water scarcity for certain communities in the world).
• She became involved in water missions and one of her first fundraisers involved riding Vesper scooters around North and South Carolina.
• Progress is made when people stand up and say, “we can do something.” Everyone has the power to make a small change that inspires a collective wave of change. God has equipped us to do good work, take action, and make change.
• During worship on Sunday, an idea popped into Alison’s head to involve children in helping ease the world water crisis.

14:06 – The Origin of Crowd Sourcing Kids

• Alison first worked with an organization called “Set Free” that drills wells in Liberia, Sierra Leon, and India. Alison made the tough choice to go to India when her son was very young, and it changed her life.
• Set Free also rescues children from slavery. Alison spent time with a pastor who risks his life to save children from slavery. Witnessing young children working in mines changed Alison’s life forever and showed her a new purpose for her work.
• Crowd Sourcing Kids helps rescued kids learn new skills in safe working conditions. Children in America sell elephants handmade by children in India to raise funds to build wells in local villages in India.
• The crowd sourcing idea means 50 kids come together to fund a well in India. It’s also a learning opportunity to show kids they can make a difference.

22:09 - Train Up A Child

• Crowd Sourcing Kids started on World Water Day in 2018 and are on the 5th well of the program. Now thousands of people have clean water, and it’s all because of kids.
• Kids of all ages participate, and traditions continue as the children grow up. Kids learn valuable lessons about generosity and kindness at a young age.
• Compassion, responsibility, and a sense of significance kills entitlement. Kids need to feel like they have the power to make meaningful contributions and knowledge that helps them learn to appreciate their blessings.

43:43 - Getting To Know Our Guest

Find out what Alison’s “Walk Up Song” would be, who she’d pick to play her in a movie, her biggest pet peeve, and what TV show she recently made an appearance on! And of course, stay tuned to hear what it means to her to run a business with purpose.

Memorable quotes:

• ~49:17 - “Running a business with purpose means realizing just how blessed you are and being able to then turn around and take those blessings and use them in a way to help others.
• ~49:32 – “That’s really the heart of Crowd Sourcing Kids. I just want kids to realize how blessed they are growing up where they’re growing up.”
• ~49:41 - “No matter what you’re facing, you’ve been given so much and there’s a purpose for that, there’s a reason. You’re that bridge to those who don’t have as much.”

His Radio airs across the Carolinas and coastal Georgia. You can hear Alison on Hisradio.com or download the His Radio app. It’s also streamed on Roku, Apple TV, and Alexa (request His Morning Crew)! You can find Alison on Instagram at @alistorm

Learn more about Crowd Sourcing Kids HERE. What if Business with Purpose Podcast kids could pitch in and build a well from this episode?! That would be AMAZING! Boxes also come with tools to help teach your kids about the world water crisis.

• LINKS: https://setfreealliance.org/
• http://www.CrowdsourcingKids.com

ABOUT ALISON STORM:

Alison Storm was born, raised and educated in the land of corn and pigs (Iowa) but now happily calls the south home. An Iowa State University journalism graduate, Alison began her career as a television reporter working in newsrooms around the country. These days, on top of being a part of HIS Morning Crew with Rob and Jim, Alison serves as the features editor of Belle magazine and facilitates Financial Peace University at her church. In 2018 she founded Crowdsourcing Kids, an organization that taps into the entrepreneurial spirits of young people to fund wells in India and support children rescued from slavery.

Alison loves to explore and her most powerful journeys have been to Liberia, West Africa and Andhra Pradesh, India to drill wells and share the Gospel in remote villages with Set Free. Alison and her husband Tim have two beautiful children, Sammy and Fanny.