Sunday, December 04, 2011

Happy Holidays

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I no longer give holiday gifts. People that I know are fine with the items they have, and usually buy what they want or need throughout the year.

Instead, I give to organizations that help others in the United States and around the world.

This year, the organizations I'm donating to in honor of friends, families, and colleagues:

Heifer International
To End Hunger & Poverty
Heifer's mission is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and care for the earth. By giving families a hand-up, not just a hand-out, we empower them to turn lives of hunger and poverty into self-reliance and hope. With gifts of livestock and training, we help families improve their nutrition and generate income in sustainable ways. We refer to the animals as "living loans" because in exchange for their livestock and training, families agree to give one of its animal's offspring to another family in need. It's called Passing on the Gift – a cornerstone of our mission that creates an ever-expanding network of hope and peace.


Kiva
We are a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world.



Project Night Night
To provide Night Night Packages, free of charge, to homeless children from birth to pre-teen who need our childhood essentials to feel secure, cozy, ready to learn, and significant. Each Night Night Package contains a new security blanket, an age-appropriate children's book, and a stuffed animal - all nestled inside of a new canvas tote bag. Project Night Night establishes a foundation for lasting change through the hands-on volunteer opportunities that we provide to tens of thousands of individuals each year.


ProLiteracy Worldwide
ProLiteracy champions the power of literacy to improve the lives of adults and their families, communities, and societies. ProLiteracy envisions a world in which everyone can read, write, compute, and use technology to lead healthy, productive, and fulfilling lives.



Room to Read
We work in collaboration with communities and local governments in developing countries to develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, and support girls to complete secondary school with the life skills they’ll need to succeed in school and beyond.