October 15, 2008
I am a naturalized citizen of the United States, and I had emigrated to New York from the Philippines when I was but two years old, so essentially I am a New York girl through and through. I have to say, as one who has had all the benefits of a good education, the access to all our technology and the ability and freedom to pretty much do whatever I want to as long as I work hard and stick to my goals, it’s not difficult to drone through life with woes and complaints about crappy cable service or pens that run out of ink mid caffeine fueled writing rampage. It’s not hard to forget the fact that so many mothers in the very same world we live in can’t even gather together enough money to keep their children from starving or from dying from an infection caused by the only water source they have available – contaminated drinking water.
So you may ask yourself what you could possibly do, or maybe you feel that the amount you can contribute is just such a small amount that it’s not even worth it to make an attempt at helping those stricken with poverty and have little or no way nout. Sure, you can sit there and say you can’t do a thing, because hey, you can’t make that trip with Habitat for Humanity to Guatemala, you can’t join the Peace Corps to go help the situation in Darfur, it’s not possible for you to uproot your family to become a missionary. But hey, the green stuff talks and we all know that even completely legitimate and helpful non-profits need a substantial amount of money to cover operating and business expenses. Even a few dollars can help. Instead of spending $2 every day on those triple chocolate glazed and chocolate filled donuts that are just going to make you fatter and much unhealthier, not to mention clog your arteries, save that money and aim for putting half of your donut fund into a charity of your choice. (Hell, I need to work on that too!)
A great website that you can check out is CharityNavigator.org, which gives charities a score from 1 star to 4 stars (the highest rating) and shows a breakdown of a charity’s expenses, or Give.org, which labels good charities with a seal of approval. To help international causes, you can give to charities like ADRA.org, an organization that makes it part of their mission to provide nutrition, healthcare and basic education, as well as promote and stimulate economic development by providing families with the training in the necessary business and basic math and reading skills, as well as small loans so that families have the stepping stool they need to pull themselves out of poverty. Support organizations like Ten Thousand Villages, which promotes the sale and purchase of fair trade products and treasures created by artisans all over the world.
You can sign up with Kiva.org, where you can lend as little as $25 to entrepreneurs and mompreneurs (not unlike many of us) in third world countries who need a few hundred dollars to get their local business up and running.
To help right here in the US, especially in times like these, don’t forget to donate a few non-perishables (it’s time to clean out that pantry!) to your church or temple’s food drive or give to charities like the Center for Economic Progress, not just a charity but a movement to help people take control of their financial situations, not through handouts, but through proactive coaching and counseling (I believe this has a trickle down effect, and the more people who become responsible with theirfinances, the better it is for everyone). The Center also provides basic tax training for small business owners. Many of us might have to tighten our belts a bit this Christmas season, but we still have food on the table, still have our homes and our cars and our cable TV service and our PS3s and LCD flat screens. Why not lend a helping hand with a small donation? You can’t heal a family stricken by poverty in one day, but the efforts of many can make a big difference. Remember: what goes around comes around.
Technorati Tags: Blog Action Day, good charities, poverty, charity, economic development
