As I reflect back on my 30 years of life, I have been blessed with an amazing husband, family and friends. Just within the past year, I’ve had quite a lot to be grateful for (marrying the man of my dreams, buying our first house together, and a satisfying career). What I sometimes forget is that I should be grateful for what we consider the “small” things.

I take for granted that if my fridge doesn’t have the right ingredients for dinner that I can hop in my car and drive to the grocery store or a restaurant for dinner. Better yet, I take for granted that I can pour a glass of water from my kitchen faucet or can easily wash my hands or take a shower. I had the privilege to grow up in a country that has the basic essential need of clean water. I should be grateful for the easy access to clean water!

Recently, Scott Harrison (founder of charity: water) was a guest speaker at my church. I left church that Sunday feeling challenged to make a difference. Therefore, I have decided to pledge my birthday to provide clean water to others.

Many of us have no idea what it's like to be thirsty. We have plenty of water to drink -- even the water in our toilets is clean!

Many people around the world don’t have that luxury. Every day, about 1,400 children die from diseases caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation. It doesn’t have to be that way. There are simple solutions like drilled wells, spring protections and BioSand filters that help provide clean water to communities around the world.

For my 30th birthday, I’m asking you to consider donating $30 to help provide clean water to another human being. It only takes $30 to change someone’s life. 100% of your donation will be used to build water projects. That’s right, 100% of the donation goes to build projects so others can have access to clean, drinkable water. Once the projects have been completed, charity: water will send us photos and GPS coordinates of the community that we helped so we can see that $30 donation in action.