500 for my 50th - support Lost and Found Youth #donate #birthday #charity #support

I'm kinda following the trend lately among my friends.  Instead of asking for presents for my 50th birthday (which is later this month), I decided to ask for your support for a local charity.  Lost and Found Youth in Atlanta helps LGBTQ youth up to age 25 find help and support.  It was a charity recommended to me by the Free Hugs Atlanta group.  A group I joined this past year in time to go to Gay Pride Parade. 

Anyway, my goal is to raise $500.  I'd love to get more, but I'll start here.   You can go to my donation page here: https://give.everydayhero.com/us/500-for-my-50th .

Peace of Thread #charity #localmade @peaceofthread

I went out to the Lilburn Farmer's Market last Friday.  While I was there, I came across a booth with lots of cool, handmade bags/purses.  I really liked several, but when it comes to purses, I like a longer strap.  This is the one I ended up getting.

The coolest thing about it, though, is that it's a local charity called Peace of Thread.  These are created by refugees in the Clarkston, GA area.  I love supporting local and I like helping local charities as well.  When you purchase one of the bags, you get a card that tells you something about the person that made the bag.  This is my card:

If you'd like to get more information about it, you can find them on their website: http://www.peaceofthread.com  on facebook: http://facebook.com/peaceofthread  or on twitter @peaceofthread

Maker Monday and creating blessings bags to give to those in need

To follow on my rant with doing what you can, while this isn't necessarily for the kids at school (though it could easily be given to a child/adult at school).  I have two of these in my car ready to go at any given time.  They're called "Blessings bags" and they give some temporary comfort to someone in need.  

They're not hard to create and you can fill them with what you think is appropriate.  I take my time and spread the cost out so that I'm not feeling pinched in the wallet.  Most of it comes from the Dollar Tree stores, though sometimes I find a real good deal elsewhere.  The bags are those I get from festivals or events (there's almost ALWAYS someone giving those away as a promotion).  Some of it, like the hand towels, I'll find in bulk and divide up.

This bag is my "female" bag.  I keep meaning to add feminine hygiene to it, but it's otherwise ready to go.  It's only "Female" right now as the gloves are pink and the socks are sized for women.  Otherwise, it could be for either.

This one is my "male" bag.  I found the gloves/cap on sale at Dollar General.  The blankets are on sale at Wal-Mart.  The rest I bought in bulk at some point and am still dividing up.

They ride in my car 24x7 generally. The only thing I have to watch as to make sure the food doesn't expire.  I rarely have the bags in my car long enough for that to happen.  If it comes down to it, though, they make great emergency kits to keep in the car as a "just in case".

Holiday Gifting Guide part 1 @HeartofHaiti #Trade-Not-Aid @Macys

When it comes to holiday shopping, my family can be difficult to find things for (to put it mildly).  This year, I'm looking at gifts for the adults that mean more than just a "normal" gift.  Gifts that give back are the primary items on my list.  When thinking of those gifts, you can go for National Wildlife Federation or other charity, or you can do something like Macy's Heart of Haiti/Rwanda Path to Peace.

In 1994, Rwanda was torn apart by a brutal and swift genocide—in roughly 100 days, close to one million Rwandan citizens were murdered. In the aftermath, the population of this small African nation was nearly 70% women. Faced with an uncertain future, these women turned to their past and reclaimed their unique heritage of weaving. Drawing strength from this common history and ancient art form, brave women from both sides of the conflict organized groups of weavers, in an effort to rebuild their communities and their lives... together. This July marked the 20 year anniversary of the genocide.

Macy’s went to Rwanda in 1995, in an effort to help support the struggling economy. This year also marks the 10 year anniversary of the Macy's Rwanda Path to Peace collection. Today, the Path to Peace project is larger than ever, employing over 2,500 weavers and impacting tens of thousands of lives. Focused on trade, not aid, the Rwanda Path to Peace project puts the power of opportunity into the hands of the women of Rwanda, providing not only sustainable income but the chance to take an active role in the shaping of their future.

I was given a bread basket from this program.  It is handwoven and made of sweetgrass and raffia and is absolutely lovely.  There are quite a few gifts that give hope, all part of a fair trade collection.  Macy's has programs that support Heart of Haiti, which helps the Haitians that are still rebuilding from their major earth quake a few years ago, FEED which helps to feed children around the world, and RWANDA Path to Peace.  It's an awesome thing that you can give a gift to family and still give back at the same time.

You can find out more about Rwanda Path to Peace and its items by following Heart of Haiti's social channels at @HeartofHaiti on Twitter and www.facebook.com/heartofhaiti on Facebook.  You can check out the products that Macy's carries here:  Gifts that Give Hope

 Have you considered purchasing a gift that gives back for your list?

“I am a  member of the Everywhere Society and they provided me with this product for review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.”

New Year - New Charities?

I had a discussion with my mom over the holidays about charities that we support.  It put me to thinking about which charities I actually support during the year and which ones I have supported consistently.  Unless I've forgotten one, here's my (fairly short) list:

Adopt A US Soldier - I've had a soldier (or two) sponsored consistently since December 2010.  I've always supported the military.  For years I sent boxes to my sister when she served elsewhere, then when she returned she gave me names of friends to send boxes to.  After a while I found a site (now closed down) where you could purchase a package and send it to a soldier anonymously.  Eventually I found this organization and have stayed with them since.  If I had the time and time management skills I'd need, I'd volunteer to be a local representative.

Zoo Atlanta - I bought my first membership when I was in college.  I have maintained membership since then, just expanding it out to include family.

Toys for Tots - My kids and I give a toy (or two or three) to this one yearly and have since I had kids.

Lily's Cloak Thrift Store - A part of the Lilburn Co-Op.  I'm not as consistent as I could be here, but we do take used items to the thrift store and food stuff to the cooperative.

We usually do a local book bag/school supply drive yearly (we missed this year, some how).  My daughter and I have done Operation Christmas Child.   For the past couple of years, we've supported the Latvian Angel Project.  At various points I've donated to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Wounded Warrior Project, National Parks and Operation Overcoat.  Most of my charities tend to be locally based or go specifically to local chapters.

The problem I've had is that reading about various charities you hear about this, that or the other thing that makes them unappealing.  Generally, handling of funds going primarily to overhead/management instead of to those who need it most.  That really bugs me. I understand that the bigger the charity, the more people it has to employ to make sure it runs efficiently and consistently.  However, it should be well balanced enough that there is an actual benefit to it instead of just being an employer.

Are there any other good charities out there that you support?