Saturday, May 1, 2010

Kids of Kilimanjaro

Website: http://www.kidsofkilimanjaro.org/

Donate online: Yes

Donate by mail: Yes

Kids of Kilimanjaro is a non-profit school lunch program serving the Monduli District of Tanzania, East Africa where Mt. Kilimanjaro is located. Before Kids of Kilimanjaro, tens of thousands of students were not receiving lunch as part of the school day. Since our involvement more than 10,000 children are receiving lunch on a daily basis!

Mission:
To encourage, promote and foster an in-school meal program for the children of Tanzania; To provide support relating to extracurricular and co-curricular activities for the benefit of the school children in Tanzania; To engage in fundraising relating to any or all of the above activities; To sponsor special events relating to any or all of the above activities.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

CHOICES, Inc.

Website: http://www.choicesfostercare.com

Donate online: Yes

Donate by mail: Yes

CHOICES is a complete support system for youth, their family and our foster parents. Our mission is simple – CHOICES fosters a meaningful quality of life for youth and families. We inspire hope, strengthen foundations, and enrich environments through supportive individualized services. We value the strength of family relationships and our staff embodies this vision to improve a youth’s quality of life every day that we work with them!

MISSION

CHOICES, Inc. fosters a meaningful quality of life for youth and families. We inspire hope, strengthen foundations, and enrich environments through supportive individualized services.

GUIDING PRICIPLES

CHOICES is committed to the safety, stability and success of youth & families

Teamwork and positive relationships are vital

Continuous improvement is essential to meet our high quality standards

Financial accountability is imperative

Passion motivates our performance

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Clinton Bush Haiti Fund

Website: http://clintonbushhaitifund.org/

Donate online: Yes

Donate by mail: Yes

The earthquake that rocked the coast of Haiti killed or injured a devastating number of people. Even more were left in need of aid, making this is one of the great humanitarian emergencies in the history of the Americas. In the aftermath of the disaster, President Barack Obama asked President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush to raise funds for immediate relief and long-term recovery efforts to help those who are most in need of food, water, shelter, medical care, and support. In response, the two Presidents established the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund (CBHF) to identify and fulfill unmet needs in the region, foster economic opportunity, improve the quality of life of those affected over the long term, and assist the people of Haiti as they rebuild their lives and country. Presidents Clinton and Bush oversee the CBHF through their respective nonprofit organizations, the William J. Clinton Foundation and Communities Foundation of Texas. One hundred percent of the donations made to the Clinton Foundation go directly to relief efforts. Ninety-nine percent of the donations made to the Communities Foundation of Texas go directly to relief efforts.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

City of Hope

Website: http://www.cityofhope.org

Donate online: Yes

Donate by mail: Yes

Approximately 10.5 million Americans have cancer today and nearly 1.5 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2007. Earlier detection and improved treatment have helped improve cancer survival rates for the second consecutive year, but there is still much work to be done.

That's where City of Hope comes in. Ranked as one of "America's Top Cancer Hospitals" by U.S.News & World Report, City of Hope is a new model cancer center, combining leading edge science with compassionate care.

We need your help to find a cure.

Friday, January 8, 2010

The Ali Forney Center (AFC)

Website: http://www.aliforneycenter.org/

Donate online: Yes

Donate by mail: Yes

As the visibility of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people grows in our society, more and more LGBT teens are finding the courage to come out of the closet.

Tragically, as many as 25% of these teens are rejected by their families, and many end up homeless on the streets. Homeless LGBT teens are more likely than straight homeless teens to be subjected to violence on the streets, and in the homeless shelter system. They suffer from inordinate rates of mental illness, trauma, HIV infection and substance abuse.

The Ali Forney Center (AFC) was started in June of 2002 in response to the lack of safe shelter for LGBT youth in New York City. We are committed to providing these young people with safe, dignified, nurturing environments where their needs can be met, and where they can begin to put their lives back together.

AFC is dedicated to promoting awareness of the plight of homeless LGBT youth in the United States with the goal of generating responses on local and national levels from government funders, foundations, and the LGBT community.

Message From The Director

New York City can be a brutal place for homeless youth and tragically, many young lives have been destroyed. At AFC, we are making a difference by rescuing kids from the dangers of the streets and placing them into our safe, homelike environments.

AFC is working hard to provide our youth with the support and nourishment they need to succeed and thrive. We cannot do this work alone. We need the help and support of the broader community to make NYC a safer place for homeless LGBT youth. Thank you for your support and interest.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Greenschools

Website: http://www.projectgreenschools.org

Donate online: Yes

Donate by mail: Yes

greenschools is non-profit organization whose mission is to create Greener & Healthier learning environments through education and awareness. We make the connections between having healthy bodies and a healthy planet.

The mission of the greenschools program is to create healthier/"greener" learning environments in schools.

By stating healthier & "greener" learning environments we are looking at the individual's body as an environment, as well as the physical space of the school.

We will specifically address issues relating to:

1. Indoor Air Quality
2. Healthy Food and Habits/Nutrition
3. The 3Rs: Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling

We aim to protect the health of every individual in our schools and our planet by teaching how to make more environmentally respectful and responsible decisions.

Why GREEN our Schools?

There is a lot of talk these days about "The Greening of our Schools". Some schools are jumping in headfirst and see the need for change. Other schools are not quite there yet, and are waiting for things like funding, parent buy in, and community support. The truth of the matter is that we can wait no longer! Our students, our teachers, our staff, and our planet are not as healthy as they could be, and it is our job to do something about it!

Did you know the average American spends 90% of their time indoors? Did you know The World Health Organization estimates that the environment significantly affects more than 80% of major diseases? That includes childhood cancer, diabetes, and asthma. In addition, more than 1/3 of diseases in children under the age of 5 are caused by environmental exposures. Did you know that 1 in 3 people are affected by allergies? Did you know 1 out of 13 people have asthma, and that asthma is the number one cause of school absenteeism?

According to The EPA, more than 53 million children and 6 million adults in the united States spend their days inside our elementary and secondary schools. How can we turn our backs and not address important issues like Indoor Air Quality, Nutrition, and Global Warming? How can we expect our students to learn, and our teachers to teach in environments that are not up to par?

It is impossible to solve a problem until we understand the complexities and the root of what are dealing with. All of these important issues fall under the GREEN umbrella. These are the issues that green schools, a non-profit organization whose mission is to create Greener & Healthier learning environments, addresses. We believe in order to bring about positive change; the first step is always education.

greenschools offers a variety of educational programs for those involved with the school community. The greenschools organization trains administrators, staff, students and community members on topics that matter! greenschools offers practical advice, projects, student assemblies, alternative fundraisers to selling junk food, wrapping paper, and magazines, and more...

Executive Director and Founder, Robin Organ, knows all too well the dangers of environmental exposures and their effects on human health. Just a few years ago, Robin Organ nearly died from repeated anaphylaxis and toxic overload. Robin had always suffered from allergies and a weakened immune system. Little did she know that one day, her immune system would overflow to the point where she became ALLERGIC TO EVERYTHING [chemicals, foods, fabric, cleaning supplies, vitamins, etc.]! Robin and her 2 young daughters have suffered immensely due to environmental illnesses, but please read on because this story has a HAPPY ENDING. Due to the work of numerous doctors [holistic + traditional] and authors, Robin was able to learn the tools to choose health for herself and for her girls. All three girls are living a much healthier lifestyle and were able to get off much medication that was repeatedly prescribed. Like many other families, the Organ family became educated in practicing environmental controls and in reading labels. They were able to implement simple strategies around their home that made a difference.

Robin was inspired. After teaching for nearly a decade, Robin saw greenschools as her way to give back this learned education to those involved with the school community. greenschools has helped numerous schools get rid of toxic products and GO GREEN with non-toxic cleaning products. greenschools has also helped schools implement safer practices and policies when it comes to the health of our children and our planet.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Toys For Tots

Website: http://toysfortots.org/

Donate online: Yes

Donate by mail: Yes

MISSION:
The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.

GOAL:
The primary goal of Toys for Tots is to deliver, through a shiny new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to needy youngsters that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders.

OBJECTIVES:
The objectives of Toys for Tots are to help needy children throughout the United States experience the joy of Christmas; to play an active role in the development of one of our nation's most valuable natural resources - our children; to unite all members of local communities in a common cause for three months each year during the annual toy collection and distribution campaign; and to contribute to better communities in the future.

ACTIVITIES:
The principal Toys for Tots activities which take place each year are the collection and distribution of toys in the communities in which a Marine Corps Reserve Unit is located and in communities without a Reserve Unit that has a Marine Corps League Detachment or group of men and women, generally veteran Marines, authorized by Marine Toys for Tots Foundation to conduct a local Toys for Tots campaign. Local Toys for Tots Campaign Coordinators conduct an array of activities throughout the year, which include golf tournaments, foot races, bicycle races and other purely voluntary events designed to increase interest in Toys for Tots, and concurrently generate toy and monetary donations.