<p>I am doing my end of the year giving. Three of my favorites are Kiva, the Nature Conservancy and an organization called Modest Needs that gives money to people for such things as car repairs or dentures with the idea that these are people who are falling between the cracks. I am looking for a charity that would benefit Hurricane Sandy people. Any ideas for that? And what are your favorite charities?</p>
<p>I am a big supporter of the local food banks, as they buy food in bulk and manage corporate donations more efficiently than individuals can do on a very large scale. </p>
<p>If you want one that is making a difference for Hurricane Sandy victims on the Jersey Shore, The Food of Monmouth & Ocean Counties has done a good job of providing prepack meals and other food to hard hit areas:</p>
<p>[Foodbank</a> of Monmouth & Ocean](<a href=“http://www.foodbankmoc.org/]Foodbank”>http://www.foodbankmoc.org/)</p>
<p>The website says they can provide 3 meals for every $1 donated.</p>
<p>I give most frequently to our county food bank. I also like Partners in Health.</p>
<p>Doctors Without Borders</p>
<p>Sevenly (which is more of a charity-wrangling .org, not a charity itself, but I love the idea of a different charity each week)</p>
<p>our local food bank </p>
<p>Heifer project </p>
<p>This year, instead of giving to charity as a gift, we’ve hung on to all the solicitation mail and on Christmas Eve we’re going to go through them as a family and decide how much to give and to which groups. Looking forward to it.</p>
<p>I volunteer at a charity thrift store that supports programs for local developmentally disabled adults. In addition, I give to that as a charity. I also donate to a local charity that runs a food bank, and clothing exchange for less fortunate folks…in our area. This year, I donated to Hurricane Sandy, and Newtown funds as well.</p>
<p>Family and Children’s Aid, Danbury, CT
Off the Streets, Bethel, CT
Brotherhood in Action, Bethel, CT
Dorothy Day Hospitality House, Danbury, CT
St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Memphis, TN</p>
<p>Catholic Charities. If you don’t object to donating to a Catholic organization, the one for Brooklyn and Queens is a good one to donate to for Sandy victims. [Changing</a> Lives… Building Communities - Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens](<a href=“http://www.ccbq.org/]Changing”>http://www.ccbq.org/)</p>
<p>The Single Parents Resource Center [Programs</a> & Services](<a href=“http://www.singleparentusa.com/Pages/ProgramsandServices.aspx]Programs”>http://www.singleparentusa.com/Pages/ProgramsandServices.aspx)
This is a wonderful organization. Its message is that most kids are better off with their bio parents and we should all give a little help to their parents rather than send the kids to foster care. Works a lot with teens who are in shelters to keep them busy and off drugs. Runs programs for incarcerated parents helping to ease their return to their families. One of my favorites among its programs is the Single Fathers group. There are fewer single fathers and it’s harder for them to find each other. </p>
<p>Yorkville Common Food Pantry [YCP</a> - Programs](<a href=“http://www.ycp.org/programs.html]YCP”>http://www.ycp.org/programs.html) This is the biggest food pantry in NYC. What I love about it is that it not only serves meals, it lets people “shop” for groceries. Amazingly well run place.</p>
<p>Fisher House provides housing to the families of injured vets and also helps fly them to and from the vet hospitals during the lengthy rehab. They use something like 98-99% of all funds for the vets, very low overhead/admin costs.</p>
<p>My favorite charity is Partners in Health. I donate to PIH and the United Way through payroll deduction, and I donate smaller amounts to various charities that friends are involved with. But this thread is moving me to also find a more local charity such as the ones mentioned here.</p>
<p>I just donated yesterday to St. Louis Children’s Hospital through local radio show “Cornbread’s Kids Crusade.” The money raised this year is going to Children’s Hospital’s Brain Injury Center. </p>
<p>Recently, I also donated to the STOP Sports Injuries campaign which is geared toward prevention of pediatric sports injuries. </p>
<p>Lastly, I just donated to an organization out of California called “Advocates for Injured Athletes.” This group has a mission to teach athletes life-saving skills and knowledge so they may help their fellow athletes in an emergency. Also, their goal is to (eventually) place a certified athletic trainer in every high school in the country. It’s a longshot, but it’s a goal that I too hope happens in the near future!</p>
<p>Fisher House
Catholic Charities
St. Vincent de Paul</p>
<p>Well, mine is obviously my own - [url=<a href=“http://www.friendlywaterfortheworld.com%5DHome%5B/url”>http://www.friendlywaterfortheworld.com]Home[/url</a>]</p>
<p>I leave Christmas Eve to work on a plan to ensure safe drinking water in 35 orphanages in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (where they spend up to 35% of their income on waterborne illnesses.) Then it is on to a potential project by the side of the Thar Desert in Rajasthan. People there get only about eight inches of rain a year. They store it in underground tanks, where it is bacteriologically contaminated. We can fix that. Then on to South India.</p>
<p>I also like the Collateral Repair Project in Jordan - amazing work with Iraqi refugees. Also Coffee Strong, which counsels soldiers and returning vets, and Rebuilding Together that refurbishes homes of folks who can’t afford to fix them up themselves.</p>
<p>Blessings to all!</p>
<p>I’m on the Board of a local organization in my area that supports family services under one roof including food bank. Thanks to all who donate to their local food bank. Our organization provides rent assistance and other help to those who pass a drug screen. Food is given to anyone and everyone. There are children at the local school who are worried about food during the school holiday. They come to the cafeteria every morning looking for breakfast (which we are going to start providing in January). It’s heartbreaking. I’ve told them they can go (even children) to the foodbank at any time and there is food which will be handed to them.
Please give to your local foodbank.</p>
<p>The Girl Scouts of Connecticut are setting up a scholarship/campership fund for Connecticut girls to be able to attend camp next summer. This is in memory of the 8? girl scouts that were killed at Newtown and is to help any girl in Newtown or affected by Sandy to be able to attend camp next summer. </p>
<p>[Girl</a> Scouts of Connecticut: Support: Individuals](<a href=“Donate | Girl Scouts”>Donate | Girl Scouts)</p>
<p>I am finding this fascinating. There are so many great organizations. Mini, you sound incredible.</p>
<p>I donate to united way via payroll deduction and I specify that my funds go towards abused people. I don’t remember the name of those specific organization but it seem to be for a good cause.</p>
<p>I prefer to donate my time and monetary donations to local charities. You can check a website like charity navigator to see the percentage of funds going directly to the cause that you wish to support. Many clearinghouse organizations take about 17% off the top for administrative fees and salaries.</p>
<p>Two of my favorites are:</p>
<p>[Mazon:</a> A Jewish Response to Hunger](<a href=“http://mazon.org%5DMazon:”>http://mazon.org), which gives aid to foodbanks around the country regardless of affiliation</p>
<p>[American</a> Jewish World Service](<a href=“http://ajws.org%5DAmerican”>http://ajws.org), which works with grass roots organizations primarily in third world countries on issues of community development</p>
<p>I donate to the non-profit I started, hawaiicopd.org. We are trying to raise awareness and improve treatment for people affected by emphysema and chronic bronchitis. It is now the 3rd leading cause of death in the US and 2nd leading cause of disability. I also donate time to US COPD Coalition and other organization, including our Department of Health, Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and other organizations.</p>
<p>My personal favorite is our regional food bank. I also gave to the local meals on wheels and a local food bank.</p>
<p>New for us this year is our school nurse program, with all money going to nursing wages, as the hospital runs the program out of their foundation.</p>
<p>As a single donation this year, we have given the high school band program the money needed to replace the performing and marching band uniforms that are almost 30 years old. And we have no child in band…but our program is fantastic and provides opportunities for many children to participate in local and state performances. Worthy in our eyes!</p>