Charities Blog

Giving Something Back

Spirulina To Help The Jobless

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Many environmental foundations are researching the potential of going into spirulina farming as a livelihood project for people in areas with high unemployment.
Why? this green food is not just fantastic for the health, but it is also easily farmed in ways that actually benefits the environment, so it seems like a natural path would be to help those who can grow it was well.
If you havent heard about this superfood, read on:

Spirulina, blue-green algae, is well documented as a safe human food. It was consumed by Mexicans as a food for centuries during the Aztec civilization and more recently by people in the Lake Chad area of Central Africa. Spirulina is the staple diet for the Lesser Flamingoes in East Africa.

Hundred of scientific articles published in the past 30 years have found Spirulina to be safe and nutritious. In the past 20 years, Spirulina has been widely consumed by people in about 70 countries.

Spirulinas advocates say that it is a low fat, low calorie, cholesterol-free source of protein containing all the essential amino acids. It may contain antioxidants, and therefore help to defend against “free radicals”, which are believed to be a major factor in aging and can lead to ailments like cancer, arthritis, and cataracts. Many believe that it helps combat problems as disparate as diabetes, cancer, ADHD, anemia, atmospheric pollution and radiation poisoning. Another potential benefit: gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which is said to be present in spirulina, dissolves fat deposits, helps prevent heart problems and reduces “bad cholesterol”. The National Cancer Institute USA has additionally announced that sulfolipids in spirulina are remarkably active agains HIV. Regular intake of spirulina could even increase anti-viral activity, stimulate the immune system, reduce kidney toxicity, improve wound healing, and reduce radiation sickness, believers claim.

Spirulina production in open systems is frequently chosen for industrial production due to its low production cost, easy handling and high production of biomass. This method uses a pond with a central islet, a motor operating a paddle wheel which allows continuous displacement of the liquid culture in the peripheral channel. During the growing season ponds are harvested every day. In the peak summer sun, harvesting occurs 24 hours a day, around the clock, to keep up with the explosive growth rate. (so reported by a spirulina farm in California)

Spirulina is an excellent food for the rapid recovery from malnutrition and related diseases.

U.N. World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed:

“For WHO, spirulina represents an interesting food for multiple reasons, rich in iron and protein, and is able to be administered to children without any risk. We at WHO consider it a very suitable food.”

[tags]spirulina,who,malnutrition,nutrition,health[/tags]

Fundraiser Software Raises Over $5 Million

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A company that helps others fundraise has now raised a pretty penny themselves for their own business needs. Auctionpay, the innovative fundraising sofware that has been offering solutions for nonprofit organizations . Since 2002, the company has formed partnerships with over 4,000 schools and organizations in the United States. Through its sortware, $400 M has been distributed in donations to various non-profits and schools.

The $5.5 M was given by two US companies, Maveron LLC in Seattle, and Appian Ventures in Denver. The money raised is meant to further the expansion and development of the software to reach a larger global community in the non-profit world.

Auctionpay’s software involves event management solutions where organizations can process donations quickly and efficiently, being able to handle auctions online and auction item procurement services.

50,000 Teddy Bears For Charity

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Following up from the last post, I just read a press release that the Ronald McDonald House Charity gave 50,000 teddy bears to needy children all around the world.

A great thing I think, because although food, medicine, clothing and so on are pressing needs, theres nothing like a teddy bear to brighten up a child’s life. So last May, the charity made and gave 50,000 teddy bears to Ronald McDonald Houses all around the world.

Together with Build-A-Bear-Workshop‘s “Stuffed With Hugs” program, the only store of its kind around the world when children can make their own teddy bear – anybody could virtually walk in (the first 200) any of their stores located in the US, Canada, Asia, Europe and Australia, and make a teddy to be given to needy children.
In turn, thousands of children participated in creating teddy bears for their less fortunate counterparts around the globe. What a wonderful way to spread a hug.

The Good Stuff

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One of the best ways to give is to give in kind. This usually means that we can look around at the things we have and give to charity the things that we don’t need, don’t use or don’t like. Often this means we are getting rid of our old things.

Now there is nothing wrong with giving away what we don’t need. Better that someone else benefit from it, right? It’s just…why give something that we already know is damaged beyond repair? Why give shirts that are so full of holes they aren’t good for anything but rags?

You will do more good and give less work to the organization’s teams (believe that they are very busy) if you give good items, not trashy pieces. For example, go ahead and give up your old shirts but do make sure that they are still wearable. Maybe you can give the ones that you just outgrew.

Please refrain from giving clothes that are stained with grease, blood or similar stains. Even though many products are coming out in the market that claim to be able to remove any stain, we know that the charity organizations or the recipients usually can’t afford it.  Please be generous enough to give clothes that they can be proud to wear even if it isn’t brand new.

If you want to give an old grill now that you have a new one the children in the orphanages or families will surely appreciate it. It would surely be appreciated if you would take the time to clean it up and give all its parts. It would spare them the expense of having to replace the missing pieces if you still have them.

Your kindness is much appreciated but please give these charities your respect. The recipients may be in need but they do have their dignity and would appreciate  your treating them as people, not just as receptacles for the things you no longer want or need.