Press Release - The Life of Ellie 2019

PRESS RELEASE 2019

Stay-At_Home Mom and Author Raises Ten Grand for Charity

Jan Block, stay-at-home-mom and former Director of Events for the Portland Business Journal, has written a children’s storybook called ‘The Life of Ellie’ and named Portland-based non-profit Friends of the Children as its“book beneficiary” in an innovative approach to fundraising. Initially intending to donate $1 per book sold, Block has, through matching donations, seen that fund grow to $10,000.

After moving to Minnesota in October 2017 and leaving the business world behind, Block found a creative outlet in writing a book based on her son’s special bond with his favorite stuffed animal, Ellie the elephant. Using crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, Block pre-sold books to raise funds for self-publishing, with an eye toward donating a portion of the funds to Friends of the Children, an organization that Block admired after working closely with the organization’s President, Terri Sorenson, during her time in Portland. She met her goal within a week. After reaching out to other individuals and organizations in the Portland area and beyond, Block saw the donation fund continue to grow. 

Friends of the Children founder and chairman Duncan Campbell attended a ceremony this week at First Republic Bank in downtown Portland to receive a check for $10,000 on behalf of the agency--all raised by Block’s fundraising, which began as a single donation of $700 and grew exponentially due to matching funds from other individuals and organizations.

Contributing companies and individuals include: First Republic Bank, Picture This PDX, Logical Position, Revant, Transitional Youth, Securus Contract Systems, Johnson RV, Future State Consulting, Jill Nelson, Brian Rice, Barbara Palmer and Evelyn Rosling.

‘The Life of Ellie’ can be pre-ordered at janblock.me

More about Friends of the Children friendsofthechildren.org