HSN Believes in ZERO

The last time my friend Mindy Grossman and I spent a significant amount of time together, our bus was bouncing us along a dusty, rutted road in Senegal. This time, we were sitting in armchairs under bright studio lights, waiting for the cameras to roll. Mindy, when she’s not visiting UNICEF programs in West Africa as a U.S. Fund for UNICEF National Board Member, is the CEO of HSNi, the  National Sponsor for this year’s Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign. Mindy, and the entire staff at HSNi, champion good causes in all that they do and generously gave me the opportunity to share UNICEF’s message on a live HSN Cares Primetime Special that aired this past Monday evening. I am always uplifted when I get the chance to speak with others who believe in UNICEF’s mission, so the opportunity to kick off our extraordinary partnership to support UNICEF’s lifesaving work with HSN’s audience was truly tremendous. This event was also special for me because it was the official launch of a project very close to my heart – a book that I wrote this past year entitled I Believe in ZERO: Learning from the World's Children. I wrote I Believe in ZERO so that I could share some of the most meaningful experiences and lessons I learned during my travels across the world as President and CEO of the U.S. Fund. I've met extraordinary children and families living in difficult, often dire circumstances, and I’ve seen the tremendous impact of UNICEF’s work in these locations.   HSN gave us the opportunity to promote the book and to begin sharing some of these stories. I am so grateful. Also during the HSN Cares special, designers Diane Gilman and Heidi Daus sold pieces exclusively for HSN’s Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF store and donated an additional 10% of the proceeds from the show to UNICEF. As a child, Heidi Trick-or-Treated for UNICEF. As an adult, the “Along Came A Spider” earrings that she created to raise money for UNICEF nearly sold out during the show. Throughout my trip to St. Petersburg, Florida to visit HSN, I was overcome by the generosity and enthusiasm of everyone I met. To start the visit, Mindy hosted a launch event for my book near her home. I had the opportunity to speak with members of her community, ranging from HSN executives to school administrators looking to implement Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF in their classrooms. I spoke about our mission to bring the number of children dying of preventable causes to ZERO. It was a fantastic way to start my week and to kick off this amazing partnership. HSN truly feels like a family. I am so thankful to everyone there who welcomed the U.S. Fund for UNICEF so generously and who are poised to support Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF this fall. This Halloween, children across America will don their costumes, grab their little orange boxes and shout “Trick or Treat for UNICEF!” on behalf of fellow kids everywhere. By sponsoring the tradition of kids helping kids, HSN’s generosity is truly paying it forward. Happy Trick-or-Treat!