Most American girls don't realize that girls in other countries don't have Wiis, "Hannah Montana," or American Girl dolls -- or even the basic necessities like schools or shoes.

Vivian Manning-Schaffel: Tea Party Angels is a fun, innovative fund-raising program for mothers and daughters that raises awareness and money for the underprivileged, while giving girls the opportunity to host their very own tea party.

Fresh from the Tea Party Angels launch party in NYC, Tea Party Angel, supermodel (and momlogic fan!) Christie Brinkley and Tea Party Angels founder Cheryl Beck sat down with momlogic to tell us about Tea Party Angels and how you guys can earn your own set of wings:

Momlogic: Cheryl, how did you come up with the tea party idea?
Cheryl: There's so much movement around helping girls' education around the world. I really feel passionate about it -- and I wanted to use my creativity and marketing talent to put something together and give back. I tried to come up with something that would be like a party in a box -- something really easy in terms of a fund-raising opportunity.

ML: Christie, aside from being here today, you and your daughter host the Tea Party Angels video. How did you get involved?
Christie: They tracked me down and I'm so thrilled and honored that they did. I really feel that our kids should be giving back, and that girls are overlooked. They really don't understand the power that they have. Girls and women are naturally nurturing, and so to actually tap into that power and give them a way that they can literally change the world is so amazing. It's wonderful for our daughters to come to understand that they can make a difference.

ML: A girls-helping-girls-by-doing-something-girly concept? What a win-win!
Cheryl: I thought if there are girls that need help around the world, then what better opportunity than to have girls in the U.S. helping them and really learning that all girls don't have the same privileges that we have. There are so many girls that don't even know that girls in other countries don't have schools. So, part of our mission is to spread awareness, and that will foster the spirit of wanting to give back in charity. But it has to start with an understanding that these girls don't have the same basic necessities.

Christie: The event actually illustrates to them how they can help people. It's not just an abstract concept. They can learn about the chain of events that happen when they get involved. They learn that they can either stay in front of a computer or TV set, or go out to an event and raise some money -- which in a third-world nation is a ton of money -- and they can see what happens when a girl their age is exposed to a book, a school, a library ... it opens up an entire world of opportunity and possibilities.

I just think it's so wonderful. I was shocked to learn that no one else has empowered young girls. It's amazing how many kids really want to help. We just need to provide them with a formula. The tea parties are a really fun formula -- they can see their friends while giving back and making a difference.

ML: What are your goals for Tea Party Angels?
Cheryl: I want thousands and thousands of mothers and daughters hosting tea parties across the country. Even if the tea party raises a little bit of money, it'll add up to millions and really make a difference.

Setting up one of these tea parties is easy-peasy. Through the Tea Party Angels website, you can learn how to set things up, order the party goods, and choose to donate to charities like Room to Read, Central Asia Institute, The Orphaned Starfish Foundation, and Miracles In Action.

Christie Brinkley and Tea Party Angels

Vivian Manning-Schaffel has written for Babble, Parenting, The Advocate, The New York Post, Business Week and a variety of other publications and lives and works in the heart of breeder Brooklyn with her husband and two kids. She authors two pop culture blogs: The Mad Mom and A Hag Supreme, and is on the web at vivianmanningschaffel.com.