I want to briefly use this (small, hardly noticeable) platform to call attention to one of my favorite social justice organizations. Healing Waters International is a Colorado-based nonprofit that provides clean water to the urban poor of Guatemala, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic by installing water purification systems in local churches. The churches then sell the safe, purified water — at a greatly reduced price — to the people in their neighborhoods. Instead of living with intestinal sickness caused by contaminated water, people who couldn’t otherwise afford clean water are now able to get it. Along the way, they get connected with their local church. The churches, in turn, are given a great way to reach out to and care for their communities. It’s a brilliant concept that meets physical, financial, and spiritual needs…all at once.

Anyway, Healing Waters recently celebrated a big milestone: five-and-a-half years after installing their first project, they’ve distributed their 50-millionth gallon of clean water. To celebrate, all employees and friends of HWI are donating an extra $50 to the organization. According to their calculations, every $50 the organization receives means one more person gains safe, affordable drinking water for the rest of his or her life.

If you’ve got $50 — or, really, any amount of money — burning a hole in your pocket, here’s a great opportunity to do something about it.

Click here to celebrate HWI’s 50 millionth gallon with your contribution.

For some background on the organization, you can read this 5-day travelogue from 2006 describing a trip I took with Healing Waters: Day One, Two, Three, Four, Five.