Charities Blog

Giving Something Back

Purchasing Handcrafted Products for a Cause

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People who have had tough luck over the world are usually given another chance by people who believe in preaching proactive development. Disabled and jobless people who have hidden talent if given the proper breaks have chances to build on such opportunities, helping them take on life a lot more positively.

Handcrafted Products

Products usually done by hand, weave or patience passes the usual quality that people look for. While people still prefer their usual brands, a lot of masterfully producing people have had their share of working for their keep by offering their works to people who check out the individual talent of these lesser fortunate people daily.

Some would do it for charity, while some are doing it because of the fine craftsmanship. Whichever the reason for purchasing some good labored products is concerned, the opportunity to produce and earn income from their actual efforts is what people will always be open to anywhere in the world.

[tags]handcrafter, man made, labor, opportunity, charity[/tags]

Christmas Charities Tops the List for Fund Raising Events

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The holiday season is without question the busiest season of the year for gift giving and shopping for new stuff that any person can afford. However for some people, bringing Christmas to them is much more rewarding rather than self satisfaction in the form of cash and gifts.

Tanay Rizal Children

It is true that not all people, especially children from orphanages, are lucky to spend and appreciate the Yuletide season with their loved ones. However, each person in the world can do their part in trying to fill the empty void that these unfortunate people go through.

Spare cash, belongings and other items that may not be even used may be more appreciated by people who do not encounter them everyday. Thus, once the Yuletide season is here, it is not St. Nicholas who can make children happy in thought, but people who take pride in bringing joy to these needy creatures who have lost faith in the spirit of giving.

[tags]charities, orphanage, christmas[/tags]

Out With The Old, In With the New Year

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The year is ending and a new one is about to begin. Many changes have taken place in your life. It’s time to clean up; out with the old and in with the new.

While you’re at it, don’t throw away your old stuff. They may seem like nothing but junk to you but some of them could still be useful to other people. Now that you’ve redecorated and have a brand new plasma TV, your old couch and TV may be of use to someone else. You can bring these to the nearest Goodwill branch so that someone else can use your old stuff.

Sort out the stuff you no longer have use for and bring them over to your local charity. You get to clean out your closet of all your extra clutter and do a good deed at the same time. That’s a great way to welcome in a new year.

New Year Charity

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For those who would enjoy the beautiful as well as the uncommon charity, participate in the Penang Golden 2007 New Year countdown and celebration in Penang, Malaysia. Instead of the usual fireworks display, the celebration will culminate with the release of thousands of balloons.

According to event organizer, Adelyn Lim, Managing Director of CreatiVision D.C. Sdn Bhd, the decision to switch from fireworks to  balloons was made in consideration of  those portions of the country that are still  recovering from the effects of the flood.  In fact, the funds raised during the event goes to the flood victims.

If you’d like to participate, simply go to the party and purchase a balloon at one of the kiosks specially set up for this purpose. A balloon will cost RM3. If you’d like to give donations, those too would be accepted. You can even make donations by cheque. Just make sure that it is payable to the Malaysian Red Crescent Society and write “For Flood Victims” at the back.

All proceeds of the event and all donations will be handed over in a ceremony on Jan 5 to the Red Crescent Society.

Taylor Made Nuts

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deluxe_mixed_nuts_sm.jpgYou don’t have to be rich to be…not my girl as the song goes. Rather you don\’t have to be rich to be charitable. It is a matter of having heart and being aware that there are people in need around you everyday. The great part is that you can help, even by giving a little.

One family who has taken this to heart is the family of Fran Taylor. They have a booth in the Columbus Leigh Mall where people buy all sorts of nutty treats. Little do the people buying know that the money they spend on chocolate covered almonds and cinnamon pecans goes to charity.

Fran Taylor has been a philanthropist says she has been an avid philanthropist all her life. She comes from a poor background so she knows the needs. She has owned Lancaster Income Tax and Book keeping for the last 40 years and that is her main source of income. She, her husband Dan, and her daughter and son-in-law, Vicky and Gary Stovall operate the Taylor Made Nuts booth simply to raise funds for the various charities that they get involved in.

Christmas and Community

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With Christmas time comes the more visibly felt spirit of giving. More people are feeling generous and more charities come forward to ask for your assistance, making the most of this time of year. Question is, how do you know that the money that you give actually gets to the people who need them?

One of the best ways to make sure that it goes to those you truly feel are in need is to give to a local charity that you like. You really don’t have to go very far. Your church or local clubs may already have something. Choose one that sponsors a cause that you agree with and find out if can visit some of the recipients or inspect some of the sites (in cases where construction of any sort is involved). If they accept donations for distribution, they may also need volunteers to help pack these gifts up in boxes. You’ll be able to see for yourself the work that the organization actually does this way. You might even be able to go along as they deliver some of the boxes.

If your community has a Christmas gathering, get involved. There are many organizations that set up community christmas celebrations where the low income families can gather for a christmas meal and the kids can receive toys. It can be a lot of fun as well as be very fulfilling.

Christmas Baskets

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Christmas is just around the corner and yes, there will be quite a few people without anything to celebrate this special night with. For a number of people, they just can’t afford to spend that much on their meals. They barely have enough for other necessities so Christmas may seem like just another day.

Take a page out of Anthony Robbins’ Basket Brigade. All you need to do is find out who in your own community may be in need of some help this Christmas. Put together what they would need for a good christmas meal and place them in a basket or box. If you want to add some other stuff, feel free to go ahead and be generous. You’ll be amazed at how much a difference it can make.

The next step is to deliver the baskets and boxes. It is best to keep it anonymous as some people’s pride won’t allow them to accept what they perceive as charity. You can often work through your local church. They’ll take care of making sure that your gift goes to those who need it.

Get your community involved too. In Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, the fire brigade is collecting non-perishable items from anyone in their community who is willing to contribute. They’ve stationed themselves outside supermarkets and groceries so that people can actually donate immediately after shopping. The two teams have made it a competition amongst themselves in fact to raise more than the other; but the true winners aren’t the firefighters, it is the people to whom everything will go.

What are your plans for Christmas? Can you spare a canned good or two?

Holiday Giving: Thrive

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Up next in the charities to consider for the upcoming season of giving is Thrive, a UK charity which helps the diasbled and mentally ill through gardening. Unlike other charities which supply medicine, food or fund research, Thrive helps people by providing a purposeful activity which helps them to cope with a difficult period in their life.

Thrive

Mission: Thrive is a national charity, founded in 1978, that makes use of gardening to change the lives of disabled people.

Gardening is a wonderfully flexible medium through which an individual can accomplish many things. Some may be immediately apparent, such as rebuilding strength after an accident or an illness, or providing a purposeful activity which helps people to cope with a difficult period in their life. Some may be less obvious such as helping to improve literacy through a simple task such as labelling a plant or reading a seed packet. There are some disabled people who simply want to enjoy gardening but need practical advice and skills to get started or to progress.

Focus: To research, educate and promote the use and advantages of gardening that can be accessed by anyone and everyone with a disability.

How They Help: Thrive’s activities are varied but all focus on championing the benefits of gardening to individuals and organisations, as well as teaching techniques and practical applications so that anyone with a disability can take part and enjoy this activity. Underpinning Thrive’s work is a research programme which provides evidence, improves understanding and supports the development of appropriate skills.

Online Donations? yes

Protecting Your Holiday Donations

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Christmas is coming!! People are in the mood for giving, and all around you there are more ways than ever to do so. At the office, in your neighborhood, at school….simply everywhere you look there is a good cause that becomes apparent during the holidays.

As wonderful as that is, there is unfortunately also reason to be wary. Just look at the recent death of the Crocodile Hunter. Sadly, some swindlers saw the opportunity to turn tragedy into cash, and the same rings true during this year-end yuletide season.

How do you see to it that you and your donations are protected?

Bennett Weiner of the Wise Giving Alliance, a national charity-monitoring organization affiliated with the Council of Better Business Bureaus gives some sound advice:

“The vast majority of charities out there are responsible and accountable, but people shouldn’t forget that while everyone is thinking about helping the needy and charitable giving, there are cons out there who hope to take advantage of them”

Weiner said con artists will try low- and high-tech means to get people’s money. One old con that’s still around involves someone calling on the phone and asking for money for a known charity and emphasizing that they accept credit card donations.

“Normally you wouldn’t think of giving your credit card number to a stranger on the phone,” he said. “But this is for charity. So people get taken in every year by this gimmick.”

The way to avoid such a scam is to ask for printed material about the charity. That will give you time to check out the charity — and confirm the address — before you send a donation, preferably by check, he said.

A high-tech scam generally involves an e-mail that contains a link to a named charity.

“If you open the Web site, it looks like the charity’s Web site, but it’s a false front,” Weiner said. “The con artist is trying to get your credit card number or other information for ID theft.”

Jody Wahl, president of the National Association of State Charity Officials, which is made up of state government officials who oversee charities, said a major concern at the holidays involves solicitations by lesser-known charities. Sometimes these groups adopt a name or slogan similar to a well-known group or a logo that mimics one from a better-known charity.

Weiner of the Wise Giving Alliance said there are a number “red flags”

Excessive pressure. Someone demanding an on-the-spot gift should raise concerns.

Overly emotional appeals. The solicitor brings tears to your eyes but doesn’t tell you much about the charity.

Unknown appealer. You don’t recognize the name of the money-raising group. Before giving any money, check out the charity, both Weiner and Wahl advise. Go to the charity’s Web site and find out exactly what it does, who serves on its board, how it spends its money.

Then go to the Web site of a private monitoring group such as the Wise Giving Alliance and read their report on the charity, or try a national site like Guidestar, which keeps track of the Form 990s that charities must file with the Internal Revenue Service.

Helping Needy Families Through HALO

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With the holiday season fast approaching, theres no better time to start giving. Christmas charities are now beginning to launch their annual campaigns, which we’ll be looking into in the next few posts.

One charity to start early is HALO or Holiday Angels Loving Others. This charity which started five years ago, was formed to help brighten the lives of families in need for the holiday season. This comes in the form of food and gifts, of which there are three ways to help: through donations, volunteering, or adopting a family.
A project of the Catholic Charities, the charity allows both individuals and corporations to help, monetary donations of which are tax deductable. Pam Richcreek, Assistance Coordinator at Catholic Charities explains:

“HALO truly promotes community involvement…The clients like it because they feel a sense of belonging to the community and it provides the personal touch for the adopters, because they actually meet the families they are donating to”

[tags]charities,christmas,halo,catholic charities,families,holidays[/tags]