Ten Great Ideas for Giving
After writing my post Rethinking Christmas, I was contacted by an individual who works for one of the charities below, and he asked if I had any ideas for spreading the word about the charity he represents and other great organizations, as well. I thought there’s no better way to spread the word than to write a blog and link to Oh Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday! The list below represents ten great charities that I either have personal experience with or want to and offers great places for those wanting to make a donation as a Christmas gift or to begin giving or volunteering this coming year.
1. Charity: Water builds wells in order to provide clean water to individuals in developing nations. A gift of $20 can provide one individual clean water for 20 years!
2. Blood: Water Mission works within the communities in Africa to fight the HIV/AIDs battle and the water crisis. This organization recently reached its goal of building 1,000 wells-that’s 1,000 communities that now have clean drinking water!
3. Compassion International helps release children from the grip of poverty while spreading the Gospel through sponsors’ gifts of $38 per month. In addition to sending money, a sponsor gets the chance to build an invaluable relationship with a child through the letters that he or she sends.
4. World Vision is another great organization that, by offering individuals the chance to sponsor a child, tackles the evils of poverty and injustice throughout the world while spreading God’s love.
5. The Make A Wish Foundation brings hope to children with life-threatening illnesses through their wish-granting program.
6. Cross International is a Catholic organization whose mission is to provide for the poorest of the poor through various relief projects. One such project is lifting orphans off the streets of Mozambique into homes of families willing to adopt these children with help from donations. Currently, they offer a Christmas catalog to give families life-changing gifts.
7. Partners International is another great Christian organization reaching out to communities around the world. Their Harvest of Hope catalog offers a great chance to buy a gift for those who truly need one this Christmas. Individuals can browse through their catalog and choose buy gifts ranging from a house for a family in Bangladesh to a bull with plow in seeds for a family in Ghana to cereal and milk for a child in Senegal.
8. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society works to raise money to fight blood cancers. A few years ago, my husband trained and raised money to participate in a Team-In-Training Triathlon. Team-In-Training provides a great opportunity not only to raise money for a worthy cause, but to challenge individuals to do something they may have never thought they could do.
9. Livestrong is dedicated to cancer research and improving the lives of those affected by this horrible disease. Cancer has touched too many of my friends and relatives, and I pray for the day when we find a cure.
10. Second Life is an upscale thrift store in the Atlanta area dedicated to giving second chances to homeless pets by using the cash they earn to support various rescue organizations. I recently learned of this organization through a friend and immediately thought of my own dad who has a soft spot in his heart for all animals.
What organizations would you add to this list? Leave a link in the comment section below!
Originally published at https://jennifervdavis.com on December 14, 2010.
