Community Investors, Inc. Non-Profit Success in SL

When 38-year-old Aphrodite Rau joined the SL community she enjoyed the social aspects that being a part of the community offered her. As she built friendships and shared a few details about her real life with new friends, she found that the people she met on SL took a strong interest in her non profit organization, Community Investors Incorporated a organization that provides after school programs, tutoring and mentoring programs, computer internet access centers, guidance courses on pure pressure, drugs, domestic violence and educational classes.

The organization also provides heaters, blankets, food, water, and cooling units to children and the elderly.

Aphrodite took a chance and began introducing her non-profit to the residents of SL and has found a strong support base for donations and encouragement.

"We were founded in 2005 and became tax exempt in 2006," Aphrodite explains. "The need to bring awareness to our cause is great since it is a problem in all parts of the country and the more awareness we can bring in SL the more people can help to support us in real life providing us the opportunity to expand in as many areas as possible helping people to enhance themselves."

The company's staff consists of volunteers and Aphrodite says that all donations are allocated for use in the various programs that Community Investors, Inc. offers.

"Our main office is located in Church Point, Louisiana," Aphrodite says. "We do not have a Sim on SL. We use our website to bring SL into our real life program, providing others in world the opportunity to connect with us ask questions, see pictures of the Center, with a physical address and phone number for some one who would rather speak to a person directly."

The Second Life promotion of her real life non-profit has expanded her business immensely. During the past week she held a promotion on SL and it led to her website receiving more than 400 hits in one day, which shows that people were interested in her organization.

When asked why she decided to combine her real life passion with SL, Aphrodite replies, "I know only that it is my vocation, it is my passion, and doing what I do is as intricate a part of me as being a wife and a mother. It's inexplicable, perhaps. I know, however, that we can not separate our deeds from our being or from our purpose. We all serve a purpose on this earth. And all on this earth, must serve. I may not be able to tell you why I serve, but I can tell you that I serve with great passion, great zeal, and with great humility."