A friend of mine is on a community service committee for work where she is accountable to organize one charity event per month. The charity event can consist of raising money or volunteering their time. Upon joining this committee she contacted me for ideas, resulting in a new idea for me to add to my blog.
As we near the holiday season...Thanksgiving only 5 days away...I thought what better time than to share different ways to give back. For some people money is the easiest, where as for others donating their time is best. Below is a list of different organizations I found to be insightful and interesting.
I encourage everyone to make it their goal to participate in at least one event per year. By giving back you appreciate what you have in a whole new way while making someone else’s life that much better.
"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill
VOLUNTEER MATCH
http://www.volunteermatch.org/ : VolunteerMatch.org is an online resource connecting individuals with non-profit groups in need. The website is easy to navigate. You simply visit their website, click "Find a place to volunteer", type in your zip code and / or Keywords and hit enter. You are then provided a list of organizations in need ranging from onetime events to long term commitments.
FOODBANK OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
http://www.foodbankofsocal.org/ : Food Bank of Southern California is located in Long Beach, CA. They provide food to the "poorest of the poor" and in emergency situations. Their Mission and Belief is "to provide basic sustenance and proper nutrition to hungry citizens." They believe no individual should go hungry, not even for a day. Ways to participate in their organization would be to either host a Food Drive or Volunteer. When you volunteer you participate in collecting, sorting and repackaging food, running special events, as well as, fundraising projects.
SOMEONE CARES
http://www.someonecareskitchen.org/ : Someone Cares is a soup kitchen and tutoring center located in Costa Mesa, CA. They feed up to 300 individuals 7 days a week. Meals consist of vegetable soup, salad, side dishes, bread, dessert, mile and water. The individuals who visit their kitchen include the homeless, unemployed, working poor, senior citizens, and most importantly children.
They also provide tutoring to children grades K - 3 in hopes of promoting education resulting in a financially secure future.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
http://www.habitat.org/ : Habitat for Humanity
is an organization dedicated to building "simple, decent and affordable" housing for low income families. As a volunteer you will help build a new home under trained supervision for a family in need. To date, Habitat for Humanity has developed over a million homes in over 3,000 communities.
HANNAH'S SOCK'S
http://www.hannahssocks.org: I was first introduced to Hannah's Socks on a Chlorox Bleach ad while reading one of my favorite magazines. I was instantly drawn to the organization because of the story. The organization began when a Hannah, a 4 year old girl, was working with her mom at a soup kitchen. Hannah saw a man with no socks and she asked her mom if she could give the man her socks. The very next day Hannah's and her mother purchased and distributed 100 pairs of socks to those less fortunate. This story was an inspiration on how simple gestures and kindness of the heart can turn into something incredibly powerful. Today Hannah's Socks is now a successful non-profit organization serving Northwest Ohio.
If you were to participate with this organization you have the option to donate socks, money, or your time.
Thank you for taking the time to read through my list of organizations. I will continue to add to this list in future postings.
