"Giving Back" Tuesdays

Christmas is just 9 days from now - yikes! While giving back is important all year round, the Holiday season is an especially wonderful time to give to those in need. While it feels great to receive gifts during the Christmas season, nothing compares to the feeling you get when you've helped make a difference in someone's life; even the smallest gesture can mean the world to someone less fortunate. I've rounded up several different charities offering many different ways to give back...

10 Charities to Give to Over Christmas

• Toys for Tots


• Operation Christmas Child
  
• Alternative Gifts International


• Angel Tree


• The Holiday Project


• Christmas SPIRIT Foundation


• My Two Front Teeth


• Inter Action
  
• Hunger Plus, Inc.


• Save the Children

Do you have a special charity that you'd like to share or do you have any great ideas on other ways to give back during the holiday season?

PHOTO CREDITS: ALLPOSTERS.COM

"Giving Back" Tuesdays

~10 Ways to Give Back on Thanksgiving~

I found a fantastic list of ways to help others this week, especially with Thanksgiving right around the corner. "This year, take the time to give thanks for all that’s good in your own life—and to give to others who may not share the same luxuries. Here are 10 ways to help the less fortunate this Thanksgiving..."

1. Donate to a nonprofit that helps the hungry
2. Donate a Thanksgiving basket
3. Hold a food drive
4. Volunteer at a soup kitchen
5. Send a phone card or care package to a soldier
6. Hold a Thanksgiving charity bake sale
7. Donate to a charity that helps the homeless
8. Deliver Thanksgiving dinners to housebound people
9. Visit hospital patients
10.Take part in a charity Turkey Trot or 5K run

Click here to read the details on each of the 10 ways to give back on Thanksgiving. Photo from AllPosters.com.

"Giving Back" Tuesdays

I wanted to dedicate today's post to all of the brave men and women who are overseas fighting the war. We must never forget all of those who have dedicated their lives to protect and serve our country. Our military needs our support! Give 2 The Troops is an organization who's "goal is to show our troops that communities in every state support and appreciate them. Since December 2002, we've supported approximately ONE MILLION deployed U.S. troops with loving care packages and letters from all over the nation. This was made possible only with the help of tens of thousands of generous and patriotic friends in the U.S. and abroad. To date, we've sent more than 70,000 enormous boxes and more than 16 million letters and cards from caring citizens. This is the least we can do to show our troops how much we care about them. Our troops need to know that we support and appreciate the sacrifices they make for us, our families, and our future. This is about giving back to those who give all."™

Give back by donating a care package to a soldier in need...they need everything from toothpaste, batteries, snack foods, socks, pre-paid phone cards, etc... to hand written cards and letters to brighten their day. With Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner, our troops need our thoughts, prayers and support while they spend the holidays away from their families and friends. Click here for more information on how you can help!

PHOTO CREDITS: GIVE TO THE TROOPS GALLERY & ART.COM

"Giving Back" Tuesdays

"Voting is a right that, throughout history, many have fought for and sacrificed everything to achieve. It’s a right that people continue to fight for and that millions of people throughout the world still do not enjoy. As Americans, we have the great privilege to live in a free society

and voting is the right that makes us free."

Give back to our country today by voting. Take advantage of our precious right to vote for the next leader of this country! Are you voting today or have you already? Leave a comment if you have!

QUOTE FROM VOTESPA; IMAGES FROM ART.COM

"Giving Back" Tuesdays

"UNITY" by MONICA STEWART

I recently received an email from one of my blog readers, Kara Butterfield, and she introduced me to a charity that she and her sister Tahnya are very involved with. It's a non-profit charity called The Progressive Women's Association. This organization works voluntarily to "Stop Violence Against Women in Pakistan." Thousands of women and young girls are beaten, raped, severely disfigured, burned alive...most of the time, by family members or by their husbands. Discriminatory laws combined with harmful customary laws and practices deny women their human rights in Pakistan. Women are considered second class citizens.

The Mission of the Progressive Women's Association:

P.W.A. is a voluntary non-government, apolitical organization formed in 1986.

- To advocate for women's rights violations
- To fight discriminatory laws against women
- To provide and encourage political empowerment for women
- To expose hidden domestic violence against women
- To evolve strategies for the empowerment of women

By organizing wardrobe exchange parties, Kara and Tahnya donate $5 per article of clothing exchanged to the charity. Kara says, "a small token of our big belief in PWA's fund raising efforts to bring a stop to the horrific violence some women are subjected to, often by their immediate family." Click here to find out more on P.W.A. and how you can help with this very important cause.

A big thank you to Kara for contacting me with this fantastic charity to feature on "Giving Back" Tuesdays. If you would like your favorite charity featured on Giving Back Tuesdays, or if you have a topic that you'd like me to explore, please email me - it would greatly appreciated.

"Giving Back" Tuesdays

GRACE IN MOTION

For today's giving back tuesdays post, I'd like share this wonderful email my best friend forwarded me. It's a great reminder that we are all important, valuable and loved, even when we don't feel like we are.

This should probably be taped to your bathroom mirror where one could read it every day. You may not realize it, but it's 100% true.

1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.

2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way

3. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.

4. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.

5. You mean the world to someone.

6. You are special and unique.

7. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.

8. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.

9. When you think the world has turned its back on you take another look.

10. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.

"Happiness keeps You Sweet, Trials keep You Strong, Sorrows keep You Human, Life keeps You Humble, Success keeps You Glowing, But Only God keeps You Going."

"Giving Back" Tuesdays

Today's featured charity is Quilts for Kids. Their Mission: "To transform unwanted and discontinued fabric into quilts that comfort children in need." Quilts for Kids, Inc. transforms discontinued designer fabrics into quilts that comfort children with cancer, AIDS, and other life-threatening illnesses as well as battered & abused children. Among the different ways you can help, one way is by sending any fabric that you're no longer using, don't need, don't want....get that extra fabric out of your craft room / design studio / stock room...and get it to this organization so they can keep on making beautiful quilts for children in need! And not only are you helping a child, you are also helping save millions of pounds of fabric from landfills. What a great cause and a simple way to give back to a child who is struggling in their young life. Click here for more information.

FABRIC VIA VOLKSFADEN & PHOTO "AWAY WE GO" VIA ALLPOSTERS.COM

***belle maison give-away***

For today's "giving back" Tuesdays post, I wanted to give something away to one lucky visitor/reader of my blog. I recently did a post about upcoming design books that have not yet been released and received a ton of comments about the new Domino Book of Decorating. Everyone is so excited about this book (myself included), that I decided to give someone a chance to win it! All you have to do is leave me a comment answering one question: what do you feel is the most important room in a home and why?

Thank you for participating! I really value your input and comments. Good luck to all :)

The winner will be announced Friday Night (September 19th).

"Giving Back" Tuesdays

Often when I'm researching different charities to share with you, I can't help but wonder how legitimate and honest some of the organizations really are. Even if the charity is well known and popular, it's always a good idea to look further into the organization to make sure your money is going where promised. The nations largest and most-utilized evaluator of charities, Charity Navigator, has a team of experts that assess the financial health of over 5,000 of America's best-known charities. This website is full of detailed information on just about every charity out there, so before you pop that check in the mail to your favorite cause, look them up on this website to learn more about where your money is really going.

According to Charity Navigator, the Top 10 Charities Stockpiling Your Money are:

1 American Forest Foundation
2 St. Louis Art Museum Foundation
3 Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
4 Historic New England
5 Christian Ministries Foundation
6 California Academy of Sciences
7 The Federation, Jewish Communities of Western Connecticut
8 American Indian College Fund
9 Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
10 Peter G. Peterson Institute for International Economics

In their own words, "we support a charity's need to build endowments and save for tough times and emergencies. But charities shouldn't just save money to save money. These 10 charities have tons of money. But are they getting the biggest bang for your buck? Each has stockpiled at least two years of reserves in the bank. Each has grown its revenues at least 25% for each of the past 3 to 5 years. Despite those deep pockets, these charities operate stagnant operations, expanding their programs by less than the rate of inflation (3%). Shouldn't all that cash be used more aggressively?"

I don't mean to put a negative spin on giving back, I just want to bring awareness to everyone to be smart about donating! I don't want to be taken advantage of when trying to do good and neither should you. Now on a positive note, the Top 10 Best Charities Everyone's Heard Of (according to Charity Navigator):

1 American Red Cross
2 The National Christian Foundation
3 PATH
4 Conservation International
5 The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International
6 American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
7 City of Hope
8 World Wildlife Fund
9 The Nature Conservancy
10 Direct Relief International

"Giving Back" Tuesdays

Today I'm posting in support of Nie Recovery. Please read the details below of this family that is in desperate need of our thoughts, prayers and support...

"On Saturday, August 16, 2008, Stephanie Nielson was in a plane crash with her husband, Christian Nielson, and his flight instructor, Doug Kinnear, near St. Johns, Arizona. Doug Kinnear passed away soon after arriving at the Maricopa County Hospital.

Christian & Stephanie remain in critical condition at Maricopa Burn Center. Christian has sustained burns on over 30% of his body. His wife Stephanie’s body was burned over 80%.

For the past four years, Stephanie has welcomed us into her charming abode through the NieNie Dialogues. Far from being a product of creative editing, the Nielson’s don’t just shine through the selective lens of a blog. They are ingenuous examples of family devotion, eternal romance, and Christ centered faith. This site is dedicated to their welfare & recovery."

Stephanie and Christian have four small children and have months and months of recovery ahead of them. I'm blown away by all of the support that's been given just through the blogging community! If you'd like participate in donating to the Nielson Family, click here to view several different options to do so.

Stephanie's sister, who is author of the blog C Jane Enjoy It, put "tragedy" into perspective with these words..."I am starting to believe that there is no such thing as tragedy. There is only opportunity for growth, and should you accept it, the reward overcomes the sailing of the hardship."

P.S.- the three winners of my pay-it-forward post from last week were Robin from avant-garde, Sarah from yes, lemon pie. and Trina from la la lovely! Thank you ladies for participating :) And to everyone else, please visit these three lovely blogs when you have a moment! Have a fantastic Tuesday.

"Giving Back" Tuesdays

Instead of featuring a charity or organization this week, I was inspired to post about a very simple yet extremely powerful way of giving back...to "pay it forward." Fifi over at FifiFlowersDesignDecor did a recent post about paying it forward and made a fun little game out of it that I'd like to try...here's how it works: The exchange focuses on doing an act of kindness without expecting anything in return other than that the recipient will, in their turn, pass the kindness along and pay it forward. I am going to agree to send something cute, fun and thoughtful to the first 3 blog owners who post a comment on this entry. In turn, those three will post this information and pick 3 people they want to send something to and so on. (Due to postage costs, I can only pay it forward within the United States - sorry!). If you are interested in participating, be one of the first 3 blog owners to leave a comment! The little something that is sent can be something you made, bought, were given or found. Just make sure it's something that will make the person smile! There aren't any cost restraints but try not to go crazy! If you'd like to join in, be one of the first 3 people to leave me a comment. By doing this, you must promise me that you will then post about this on your blog, link to me, and then send something to the first three people who sign up to play along through your blog. It's a small way to bring a smile to someone's face! Can't wait to send some fun items to the three lucky winners :) Thanks Fifi for inspiring this post and for reminding us all that it's the little things we do that can really make someone else's day!

"Giving Back" Tuesdays

I have always had a passion for animals and it breaks my heart to think about any animal being neglected, abused or abandoned. My husband and I adopted our kitty Oliver from our local animal shelter and it felt great to give the little munchkin a chance at a good life. So many other animals aren't as fortunate.

This week's charity of choice is Animals for Adoption -"Creating More Humane Communities for People and Pets." A little about their organization: "Animals are abandoned daily, starving and neglected. To prevent this, our programs educate pet owners, assist the impoverished, promote adoptions and improve shelter conditions nationwide." They have three different national outreach programs to help educate pet owners and potential adopters on how to treat and care for their animals; Assess-A-Pet, which is a nationally known temperament test that identifies congenial, family pets in shelters, aiming to keep adopters and their communities safer by matching families with safe pets that create permanent, loving relationships; Train-to-Adopt is a program committed to the Quality of Life for all dogs in shelters. Individuals and shelters can certify and learn to train shelter dogs to enhance adaptability and carry out behavioral exercises to keep shelter dogs calm, sane, and content; Training Wheels is a national mobile outreach program that brings trained shelter workers, dog trainers and volunteers to people's homes, providing them with whatever help they might need (education, financial, etc.) in a proactive and non-punitive way. Often people who most need help with their pets are least able to access and afford that help. Through the various Training Wheels® programs, pet owners are often able to keep their pets and avoid having to relinquish them. To learn more about this wonderful organization and how you can help, click here.

PHOTO CREDITS: ALLPOSTERS.COM

"Giving Back" Tuesdays

"Giving Back" Tuesdays are all about taking a moment from our busy lives to give to a good cause and make a difference. I've enjoyed researching different charities and organizations to highlight once a week in an effort to raise awareness for various causes. This weeks charity is Miracle Flights for Kids. "Founded in 1985, Miracle Flights for Kids® is a national, 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization dedicated to helping very sick children overcome financial obstacles that prevent them from accessing proper medical care and second opinions." Miracle Flights for Kids flies children with serious cancers and debilitating diseases to specialized medical treatment centers across the US, as many times as needed. This enables sick children and their parents to receive the help they need, no matter the location. What a fantastic way to help those in need! Click here to learn more about how you can help.

Giving Back Tuesdays

I missed the last 2 weeks of posting on giving back...but today, I'd like to share a charity called One Buck for the Planet. Their philosophy is to make giving back SIMPLE. All it takes it $1...really, that's it! Here are a few words from their site, " Launched in February 2008, One Buck for the Planet is a nonprofit organization based in San Diego, California, USA. Our idea is simple. Let’s provide a fun, low-cost, and innovative way for individuals and businesses to reduce their footprint and make a huge difference for our planet. Instead of pricey annual memberships or time-consuming volunteer commitments, we’re asking for you to donate just One Buck (US$1) to your favorite cause and to convince all the people you know to join your ripple." They've handpick a group of our planet's top caretakers and all you have to do is tell them where you'd like your dollar to go. Click here to view a list of their top picks! I like this simple concept of donating to a good cause. It's a good reminder that it doesn't take much to contribute to making a difference in this world...something small is better than nothing at all and if we each give a little once in a while, I believe we can make a big impact. Click here for more info...

PHOTOS FROM ALLPOSTERS.COM

Giving Back Tuesdays

The 29-Day Giving Challenge - "Give a little each day. Make a big impact." Give one thing away each day for 29 days and see how it impacts your life to focus on giving...

I was visiting the blog FifiFlowersDecor and read about her commitment to take this 29-Day Challenge. As soon as I clicked on the link to the website, I immediately felt a conviction to take on this challenge. I have been spending so much time focusing on myself, dealing with the fact that I was recently laid off and focusing on the business I'm launching; I feel this challenge comes to me at the perfect time. I'd like to step outside my comfort zone and busy schedule, even if for a few minutes, to focus my energy and heart on someone else. I couldn't find a reason NOT to take the challenge - I felt there wasn't any excuse to not give a little more of myself, every day for 29 days! So, I begin my 29-Day Giving Challenge today. If you'd like to give it a try and join me, you can begin anytime you're ready. Click here to get started!

Here are the details...you can start your own personal 29-Day Giving Challenge anytime; your 29 gifts can be anything - money, food, old sweaters, smiles, your time, kind words or thoughts; you can share your journey with others in several ways, one being through the community network where you can post your personal experiences and read other's stories...click here to read more about the rules. I'll post updates periodically about my progress and how this challenge is changing my life :) And please let me know if you've decided to take on this challenge as well! I'd love to hear your experiences and stories!
Image Credit: Allposters.com

Giving Back Tuesdays

This is the first post of a new weekly feature I've created. Every Tuesday, I'll dedicate a post to "giving back." Topics will range from featured charities and organizations that help with various causes; home design resources that donate portions of their profits to a good cause, etc. I did a post a while back about how important I feel it is to give back to the community by donating time and/or money to help make the world a better place.

The first organization I'd like to feature is The Nature Conservancy. Their mission statement: "To preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive." Since their founding in 1951, they have protected more than 117 million acres of land and 5,000 miles of rivers worldwide and operate more than 100 marine conservation projects globally. Among the many different ways to donate and give, they have an "Adopt and Acre" program that is dedicated to protect the rain forests of Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. The Osa Peninsula is one of the most beautiful and diverse habitats, home to lush rain forests, beautiful beaches and some of the most precious creatures God has created. The expansion of urban areas, farming, tourism, illegal logging, and poaching are destroying the rain forests and natural habitat for animals such as the jaguar, puma and sea turtle, among many. With just a $50 donation you will help protect and restore one of the world's most extraordinary regions that is slowly diminishing. Click here for more information on how you can give back.

All of these photos are from the Osa Penninsula, Costa Rica. The beauty of the land and the vibrant colorful creatures takes my breath away! Photo credits: The Nature Conservancy.