The Art of Donation
I've a splendid idea. For Christmas (or whatever holiday you observe), a donation is an ideal gift. Especially for someone who doesn't really need anything. My donation recipient of choice is usually Habitats for Humanity (having lost my "family" home at a tender age, I feel an certain affinity for President Carter's vision). But most recently? I've considered Heifer International, World Vision and The Children's Safe Drinking Water Program. They're all outstanding.
Heifer's dollars seem to really stretch. A flock of chicks is just $20 bucks. Those chickens lay up to 200 eggs a year, feeding poor families a year's worth of eggs or allowing them the chance to earn a very real income. Also, there's the "Gift of Honeybees" for $30 that provides bees, hive
and training. Did you know that bees are fast disappearing worldwide? Without bees, crops are done. No more to be had!!! If it's the "green" issue that hooks you. So "bee" it. The quote that got me though, in reference to one man's buffalo in a third world country? He said, "If I die, my family will weep for me. If my buffalo dies, my family will starve." ...so the "share" of a water buffalo gift for $25? I'm considering that one. Or the tree seedlings donation of $60. I'm a tree hugger. No doubt. The world could always use more trees to combat the greenhouse effect. But these trees foster healthy crops by preventing erosion on steep hillsides, feeding livestock and the land.
My inclinations toward Heifer.org aside, here's some info regarding World Vision. For world communities, a donation of $50 reaps the equivalent of $700 foreign worth of equipment toward stocking a school. Holy crap, people! Maybe I should say, "Holy Goodness, people." But, if you prefer that your dollars help others here in America, every $50 worth of World Vision's "kids in the USA" donation reaps a $350 exchange in necessities - clothing, diapers, that sort of thing. Wow. Wow. Woweeeeeeeeeeee.
I think our donation dollars will be spent on pure drinking water. My husband loved the idea and so do I. We take our drinking water for granted. Most Americans (because of our "socialistic government" program of Public Water and Sanitation) never even have to worry about it. I hope you'll take a moment to at least watch the video on Children's Safe Drinking Water. You'll see why we're so pumped, pun intended, about what a difference those donation dollars can make. It's truly phenomenal. Unbelievable really. Scary. Having watched the video, you'll see how unacceptably horrible it is to imagine life without pure water. In all of my horrible experiences, palatable (let alone safe) water was never a problem.
No, I'm not rich. I'm not a philanthropist. I'm not even employed. But, I've asked my husband to donate, in my name (in lieu of a Christmas present). One of the reasons I'm overweight (besides the man that loves to cook for me) is the hunger I experienced as a kid. You'll not find me complaining about food - if it's hot enough or if it's not tasty enough... ANY food, if you've ever been without, is an outright blessing. Having lost a home to fire, my experience explains my affinity for Habitats For Humanity and others like it. Yes, times are tough today. But not nearly as tough as they could be. Believe me. I've been there.
If you've ever been a waiter, you probably tip well. If you've delivered papers in the dead of winter, you probably give a bonus to the paper boy. Good intentions. It's usually experience that goes a long way in nudging a person toward taking concrete action. But, even if you've lived a charmed life, empathy or even fear can breed benevolence. Please consider giving for the holidays.
Signed, Preachy Freakin' Suze (who'll now get off her high horse and give you a freakin' break)
p.s. - If you read this whole blog entry, you must be a saint! (or a relative) I promise to try something lighter next time, k?
Update!!! My brother wrote to let me know that it was really Millard Fuller that founded Habitats for Humanity. Thanks, Scott. Jimmy is the name that's synonymous with Habitats but it's Millard's baby. Go, Millard! Don'tcha love that name?
Heifer's dollars seem to really stretch. A flock of chicks is just $20 bucks. Those chickens lay up to 200 eggs a year, feeding poor families a year's worth of eggs or allowing them the chance to earn a very real income. Also, there's the "Gift of Honeybees" for $30 that provides bees, hive
and training. Did you know that bees are fast disappearing worldwide? Without bees, crops are done. No more to be had!!! If it's the "green" issue that hooks you. So "bee" it. The quote that got me though, in reference to one man's buffalo in a third world country? He said, "If I die, my family will weep for me. If my buffalo dies, my family will starve." ...so the "share" of a water buffalo gift for $25? I'm considering that one. Or the tree seedlings donation of $60. I'm a tree hugger. No doubt. The world could always use more trees to combat the greenhouse effect. But these trees foster healthy crops by preventing erosion on steep hillsides, feeding livestock and the land.
My inclinations toward Heifer.org aside, here's some info regarding World Vision. For world communities, a donation of $50 reaps the equivalent of $700 foreign worth of equipment toward stocking a school. Holy crap, people! Maybe I should say, "Holy Goodness, people." But, if you prefer that your dollars help others here in America, every $50 worth of World Vision's "kids in the USA" donation reaps a $350 exchange in necessities - clothing, diapers, that sort of thing. Wow. Wow. Woweeeeeeeeeeee.I think our donation dollars will be spent on pure drinking water. My husband loved the idea and so do I. We take our drinking water for granted. Most Americans (because of our "socialistic government" program of Public Water and Sanitation) never even have to worry about it. I hope you'll take a moment to at least watch the video on Children's Safe Drinking Water. You'll see why we're so pumped, pun intended, about what a difference those donation dollars can make. It's truly phenomenal. Unbelievable really. Scary. Having watched the video, you'll see how unacceptably horrible it is to imagine life without pure water. In all of my horrible experiences, palatable (let alone safe) water was never a problem.
No, I'm not rich. I'm not a philanthropist. I'm not even employed. But, I've asked my husband to donate, in my name (in lieu of a Christmas present). One of the reasons I'm overweight (besides the man that loves to cook for me) is the hunger I experienced as a kid. You'll not find me complaining about food - if it's hot enough or if it's not tasty enough... ANY food, if you've ever been without, is an outright blessing. Having lost a home to fire, my experience explains my affinity for Habitats For Humanity and others like it. Yes, times are tough today. But not nearly as tough as they could be. Believe me. I've been there.
If you've ever been a waiter, you probably tip well. If you've delivered papers in the dead of winter, you probably give a bonus to the paper boy. Good intentions. It's usually experience that goes a long way in nudging a person toward taking concrete action. But, even if you've lived a charmed life, empathy or even fear can breed benevolence. Please consider giving for the holidays.
Signed, Preachy Freakin' Suze (who'll now get off her high horse and give you a freakin' break)
p.s. - If you read this whole blog entry, you must be a saint! (or a relative) I promise to try something lighter next time, k?
Update!!! My brother wrote to let me know that it was really Millard Fuller that founded Habitats for Humanity. Thanks, Scott. Jimmy is the name that's synonymous with Habitats but it's Millard's baby. Go, Millard! Don'tcha love that name?
posted by Suze at
4:30 PM
1 Comments:
Nice. I also checked out another comment on http://www.prlog.org/10084021-aidtochildrencom-and-world-vision-team-up-to-raise-funds-for-myanmar-children.html. Thanks for the link. Wonder why it's not "aidtochildren.org" though.
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