Celebrating It's 10th Anniversary, Rising International to Present It's "5th Annunal Hands of Hope Luncheon" fundraiser event

Mark your calendars and join Rising International for a great fundrasing event on Tuesday March 19th. End Quote

Salinas, CA (1888PressRelease) February 26, 2013 - Rising International is proud to celebrate its 10th Anniversary in 2013. The organization and its supporters are dedicated to helping to reduce poverty, trafficking and other horrific conditions for women locally and globally … and to actually economically empower them. Through local and global purchases of beautiful hand-crafted products made by Rising International artisans from 20 countries using the popular "home party" model, these women make enough money to improve their living conditions and leave what were previously hopeless situations. It is a simple and effective approach that has changed thousands of lives here and abroad over the past decade!

Rising International will hold its 5th Annual Hands of Hope Luncheon on Tuesday, March 19, 2013, at the Hyatt Regency Monterey (Regency Conference Center), 1 Old Golf Course Road in Monterey. This not-to-be-missed inspirational and important annual fundraising event, featuring a keynote presentation by the world-renowned Jacki Zehner, will include a Wine/Networking Reception at 11:00 a.m., Lunch and Program at Noon, followed by the Rising International Global Marketplace featuring exquisite handmade products made by Rising International artisans at 1:15 p.m. Tickets are $30 and VIP Tickets for the After Party are $50. Tickets are available online at www.risinginternational.org/events or via mail with checks made payable to Rising International, 300 Potrero Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95030 (831) 429-RISE (7473). This event sells out so order tickets early. Those unable to attend the event can donate to the organization and also shop online at www.risinginternational.org/shop. Rising International is a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization, #26-040721.

Learn how Rising International is dramatically changing lives around the world and here at home. At the event, attendees will hear profound stories of hope from remarkable women around the globe. From Monterey to Democratic Republic of Congo, women are rising above their circumstances through micro-enterprise. Nyasa, a Rising entrepreneur and conflict survivor from D.R. Congo will share her story from hopelessness to hope.

About Jacki Zehner
The event's keynote speaker will be the internationally respected philanthropist, Jacki Zehner, CEO of Women Moving Millions. Jacki Zehner dedicates her resources toward the advancement of women and girls. She believes that a more gender-egalitarian world is a more just world for all and serves in a variety of roles to further that vision.

As President of The Jacquelyn and Gregory Zehner Foundation, Jacki funds and works with a variety of organizations and initiatives with a particular focus on women's rights, women's foundations, movement building and media. In 2012, Jacki became CEO of Women Moving Millions, a non-profit organization with a big and bold mission to mobilize unprecedented resources for the advancement of women and girls, where she has been a community member since 2009. Jacki also speaks, writes and consults on issues relating to women, success in the workplace, wealth and investing, financial current events and high-impact philanthropy.

In 1996, Jacki became the youngest woman and first female trader to be invited into the partnership of Goldman Sachs. After leaving the Goldman Sachs in 2002, Jacki became a founding partner of Circle Financial Group, a private wealth management group consisting of a small number of women committed to managing their families' assets and philanthropic undertakings.

Jacki serves on the boards of The Sundance Institute, the Thirty Percent Coalition, and the Christian Center of Park City, and is a former board member of the Women's Funding Network, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, The National Council for Research on Women, The University of British Columbia, and The Center for Talent Innovation. She is also an advisory board member to the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, Pax World's Global Women's Equality Fund, the Women Effect Investments initiative of Criterion Ventures, The Shriver Report, The Women at Paley Initiative, Sundance Institute's Women's Initiative, and Gamechanger, a feature film fund providing investment capital to women directors. She is an active investor in documentary films and, in 2012, Executive Produced her first film, Ready to Fly.

Jacki is a member of many women's networks: The International Women's Forum, The Women Donors Network, The United Way of Salt Lake Women's Philanthropic Network, The American Red Cross's Tiffany Circle, The Utah Community Foundation's Women's Giving Circle; and, the Harvard Kennedy School Women's Leadership Board.

In recognition of her leadership and philanthropic involvement, Jacki received the Outstanding Young Alumnus by the University of British Columbia (1997), the Women Who Make a Difference Award from The National Council for Research on Women (1999), the Annual Lives of Commitment Award from Auburn Seminary (2010). In 2009, she was named one of Women's eNews' 21 Leaders for the 21st Century, and in 2013, she will receive The Global Fund for Women's Philanthropy Award.

About Rising International
Rising International's mission is to contribute to the end of extreme poverty by enabling women, the world's poorest people, to participate in the global economy through its home party network. Instead of selling of make-up or plastic containers at a home party, Rising International sells crafts made by impoverished women around the world. In addition, Rising trains under-employed women on the Central Coast to sell the crafts for their global sisters, and earn extra income, so it's a win-win for women and girls locally and globally. Rising International, a 501(c)3 non-profit, is a women's economic empowerment organization based on the Central Coast of California.

In 2010, the UN declared the Democratic Republic of Congo "the worst place on the planet to be a woman". Every year, 400,000 women there are raped; that's 1152 every day, or four rapes every five minutes. The region is rich in minerals, including gold and key minerals used in electronics production. Armed groups are a part of the supply chain of these minerals, and they are the main perpetrators of these horrific crimes. These staggering statistics come from a place where a woman's daily income is just 20 cents, yet it costs 10 dollars per month to send a child to school.

In the face of these daunting figures, we all might feel overwhelmed and powerless. "I'm just one person--what can I do?" Rising International, founder, Carmel Jud proposes a solution. "I created Rising International so that all of us could change the world from our living rooms. Everything you purchase on our website or at one of our home parties impacts a life. Not only will your purchase look beautiful, it will make a beautiful difference for those in need."

In addition to Jacki Zehner, the event will feature Ashley Nemiro as a speaker. Ashley founded Rising International's partner organization in D.R. Congo, MamAfrica.

For more information, to host a home party, volunteer or donate, go to www.risinginternational.org
Publicity Contact:
Wendy Brickman
(831) 633-4444 or Brickman ( @ ) BrickmanMarketing dot com

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