Putting things into perspective
The 2008 holiday season has been an eye-opener. Not because of tough economy but because of the selfishness of some people. Shoppers were busting down doors, hurting people and even killing one man at a Wal-Mart all because they wanted to get the best deals on electronics and other merchandise. What if people were that motivated to help charities and others?
Often people just forget how fortunate they really are. This time of year we all get swept up in getting presents for our friends and family that we become “too busy” to think about and help people we don’t know.
If you’re worrying that you didn’t get enough presents or that you won’t get a Wii, it’s time to STOP. Here are some quick facts on hunger and poverty to put things in perspective and show how fortunate you are.
- EVERY 30 seconds an African Child dies of malaria.
- More than 800 million people go to bed hungry everyday, 300 million of them are children.
- Every 3.6 seconds a person dies of starvation.
- More than 1 BILLION people don’t have access to clean drinking water.
- 134 million children from 7 to 18 have never been to school.
- 3 BILLION people live on less than $2.50 a day.
- 1 BILLION children live in poverty, there are about 2.2 billion children in the world.
- 1.6 BILLION people live without electricity.
Feel guilty for not thinking enough about others and taking things for granted?
These facts were not meant to rain on your parade, they’re meant to motivate you to help. It’s certainly not too late to do it. Here is a quick and easy list of 29 charities that are in need. They’re broken down into categories so you can understand what and who they support and so you can donate to something you’re passionate about.
Remember; even if all you can spare is $5 please do so. That $5 can mean the difference between someone being happy or sad, or the difference between someone living or dying.
Sports & Fitness
- Special Olympics
The Special Olympics is a non-profit organization that helps people from across the world with intellectual disabilities become more fit, more productive, and more proud of themselves.
Special Olympics site | Donation page
- Right To Play
Right To Play helps children of disadvantage areas improve their health, fitness, life skills through sports and play.
Right To Play site | Donation page
- Back On My Feet
Back On My Feet helps homeless people in a different way. They don’t provide food or shelter but they do provide healthier lifestyles and empowerment through running. Back On My Feet organizes runs and a positive community around running. This community helps the disadvantage men and women stay happy, opens up opportunities for employment, and helps them move in a better direction.
Back On My Feet site | Donation page
- Boys & Girls Clubs
The Boys & Girls Club gets kids off the streets and into a safe environment. BGCA helps children become productive and grow into excellent citizens.
Boys & Girls Clubs site | Donation page
Technology
- One Laptop Per Child
Here is 1LPC’s mission statement: ”To create educational opportunities for the world’s poorest children by providing each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning. When children have access to this type of tool they get engaged in their own education. They learn, share, create, and collaborate. They become connected to each other, to the world and to a brighter future.”
One Laptop Per Child site | Donation page
- Grahamtastic Connection
Grahamtastic Connection was founded by Leslie Morissette after she lost her young son, Graham, to cancer. One of the things that kept him in a positive mood was access to a laptop and internet while in the hospital. So Leslie created this foundation to help bring more laptops with internet access to seriously ill children. The laptops give them the ability to keep up with their school work and keep their mind off their sickness.
Grahamtastic Connection site | Donation page
- Federation of American Scientists
The Federation of American Scientists was founded to use science and technology for the betterment of humanity.
Federation of American Scientists site | Donation page
Education
- Ethiopia Reads
Ethiopia Reads provides the children of Ethiopia with books to foster creativity, dreaming, and to create an interest in learning. They believe that reading is the path to a better life.
Ethiopia Reads site | Donation page
- Adopt-A-Classroom
We all know that the American education system is lacking compared to other developed nations. The US is the richest nation in the world, but often students and teachers lack the necessary resources to grow and excel. Adopt-A-Classroom provides students and teachers with access to these resources.
Adopt-A-Classroom site | Donation page
- Jacaranda Foundation
The Jacaranda Foundation takes on two major takes on two major goals; providing education and preventing AIDs in Malawi. Their main focus is to help children orphaned by AIDs.
Jacaranda Foundation site | Donation page
- “I Have A Dream” Foundation
I Have A Dream Foundation encourages children of low-income surroundings to strive for higher education. The foundation provides them with tuition and the skills to succeed.
I Have A Dream Foundation site | Donation page
- Wikipedia
There’s no need to explain what they do. All of Wikipedia’s content is available free to everyone. Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales could have charged for access or placed ads all over the site. This would have made him billions, but he put content and people first. The site runs on donations and needs help to continue.
Wikipedia site | Donation page
Health & Medical
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
St. Jude’s accepts children not based on how much money they have, but based on their sickness. The hospital and the doctors don’t just want to treat cancer and other life-threatening disease, they want to find cures. St. Jude is a research hospital and their discoveries help sick children across the world.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital site | Donation page
- Doctors Without Borders
Doctors Without Borders main goal is to bring volunteer medical professionals to areas of the world stricken by war and disease to provide advanced medical aid to those in need. They have no political or religious agenda or prejudice; they just want to help the sick and underprivileged.
Doctors Without Borders site | Donation page
- Soles 4 Souls
Soles 4 Souls provides shoes to the poor. Why shoes? Because they are the most powerful form of transportation; they can get people to work and keep kids active.
Soles 4 Souls site | Donation page
- Ronald McDonald House
Put aside any views you have on McDonald’s, because the Ronald McDonald House helps sick children and their families stay together and beat whatever disease the child may be fighting. They provide families with shelter near the hospital where the child is staying. This keeps the family bond strong and the child happy so they can fight their disease with all their strength.
Ronald McDonald House site | Donation page
- Malaria No More
Malaria No More’s goal is simple: to end malaria caused deaths. And the goal IS attainable. They know the tools that can prevent malaria, they just need the funding to obtain these resources and get it to those in need.
Malaria No More site | Donation page
- Wounded Warrior Project
The Wounded Warrior Project helps soldiers who were severely hurt in battle. The organization gets the soldiers and their families back on their feet by assisting the soldiers with establishing a successful career in the civilian world.
Wounded Warrior Project site | Donation page
- Fallen Patriot Fund
The Fallen Patriot Fund helps soldiers who were seriously hurt in Operation Iraqi Freedom as well as their families and the families of soldiers who died while fighting. The Fallen Patriot Fund assists in lessening the financial burden brought on by being wounded.
Fallen Patriot Fund site | Donation page
- Direct Relief International
Direct Relief International provides medical help for those affected by natural disasters, war, and poverty. They understand that better health is the key to better wealth, both in spirit and financially.
Direct Relief International site | Donation page
Culture & Society
- WriteGirl
WriteGirl empowers high school girls through writing and self-expression. They bring a variety of writing genres to the girls they mentor and teach; from screenwriting to journalism.
WriteGirl site | Donation page
- Do Something
Do Something supports and encourages young people to take up causes they know are important. They convert sayers into doers.
Do Something site | Donation page
- ACCION
ACCION is a microfinance organization that provides poor business men and women with microloans and training. They only help those who are helping themselves and the economies of the communities they live in.
Homeless & Hungry
- Habitat For Humanity
Habitat For Humanity provides housing to poverty stricken people; regardless of race, gender, or religion.
Habitat For Humanity site | Donation page
- Save the Children
Save the Children assists children in the United States and across the world to achieve rights, improve literacy, and give them support during crisies.
Save the Children site | Donation page
- Action Against Hunger
Action Against Hunger helps 5 million people throughout the world. Their goals are to provide programs in nutrition, secure food, better the public health, and improve water and sanitation.
Action Against Hunger site | Donation page
Natural Disasters
- Make It Right Foundation
Make It Right is helping rebuild the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans. The community was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and was thought to be destroyed forever; unfixable. But Make It Right is providing affordable and eco-friendly homes to the families affected in the area.
Make It Right Foundation site | Donation page
- The First Response Team of America
The First Response Team of America doesn’t wait for the government to take action after a disaster strikes. They know that people need help right away.
The First Response Team of America site | Donation page
- Search Dog Foundation
Search dogs are often overlooked but they are a vital part of any disaster rescue. The Search Dog Foundation trains dogs for rescue missions and creates rescue teams that are ready to be deployed when needed.
Search Dog Foundation site | Donation page
If none of these charities interest you, please do your own search or visit Charity Navigator: http://www.charitynavigator.org/ and The Better Business Bureau: http://www.bbb.org/charity/ to find other reputable organizations.
*Poverty and hunger facts from:
http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/documents/3-MP-PovertyFacts-E.pdf (PDF)
http://www.care.org/campaigns/childrenpoverty/facts.asp
http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats
Photo from publik16
4 Responses to “Putting things into perspective”
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[...] to put things into perspective, one of my favorite bloggers Andrew Galasetti of Lyved wrote this great article about how awesome it is here (or rather how bad it is in other places) and what we can all do to [...]
I decided to give my support to the St. Jude Children’s Hospital. When I was a child I was in and out of the hospital numerous times. No doctors could figure out what was wrong with me but thankfully it was nothing serious.
But I do know what it’s like to stay in a hospital for an extended period as a child, and I know that St. Jude is providing a comfortable place for the children.
-Andrew
Thanks for this interesting post! To research charities, there’s also http://www.greatnonprofits.org/ where you can read reviews of nonprofits. The reviews are written by people with first-hand experience with the nonprofit – their clients, volunteers, board members, donors.
Happy holidays!
Perla Ni
CEO
GreatNonprofits.org
Hey Perla,
Thanks for informing us of your site! It looks great. It’s tough to find charities we can trust and the pursuit often pushes people away from donating.
-Andrew