Giving Back & Other Favorite Charities!

Just a quick plug for a few charities, old and new, that I found!

Yesterday, I spoke about giving more in the coming year, and today, as I was browsing the Internet, I found a great way to do that! We've all heard (or seen the commercial on TV) about GlobalGiving.org, and that's great. But, this website provides us with actual goods, clothes, lotions, potions, jewelry and all sorts of things....its a website where you can shop for really unique items (and a few every day necessities as well) for a great price (not bank-breaking prices like a lot of those "charitable-sell" sites). Check it out, and keep it in mind this year for all of your female gift-giving needs:

www.globalgirlfriend.org

My favorite things I found on there were:

Feeding the hungry in my own country is my charity of choice this year. Food banks all across the nation have seen an increase in need and in demand. With people losing their jobs and their homes, something as precious and necessary as food on the table is harder to obtain.

Feed a U.S. Family for Only $25:
http://www.globalgirlfriend.com/gifts/item.do?itemId=32360&siteId=344&sourceId=32524&sourceClass=SuggestedItem&index=2

Honestly, there are so many millions & millions of Americans who go to bed hungry every night. Men, women and children of ALL ages living right here in the United States. How sad. I'm all for global giving, but I think it's really difficult to uplift the world when we fail so many times, at uplifting our own. And I know we're all on a budget, but for just $25, you can feed a family for four for a week or two. How incredible is that? Don't have $25, fine, just donate whatever you can to your local food bank, or Feeding America.org (Formerly America's Second Harvest). So, instead of cluttering our homes with more stuff we probably don't need, I suggest we start feeding those in need. Just my opinion. And by the way, yes, I did donate to my local food bank while shopping at the grocery store last month--couldn't get much easier than that, I was already there to begin with!)

Plant Some Trees: they provide oxygen as well as beauty and wonder!
http://www.globalgirlfriend.com/gifts/item.do?itemId=32652&siteId=344&sourceId=32250&sourceClass=SuggestedItem&index=3

Recycled Mouse Pads--most of us use them everyday, why not make it better for our environment?
http://www.globalgirlfriend.com/gifts/item.do?itemId=31968&siteId=344&sourceId=32524&sourceClass=SuggestedItem&index=1

Underwear: these are pretty cute and look really comfy, I think I'll order myself a pair! (It beats paying $20 for a single pair at those expensive lingerie shops! By the way,I will be frequenting those for my wedding night, but still,these underwear just look cute!)
http://www.globalgirlfriend.com/gifts/item.do?itemId=32524&siteId=344&sourceId=34468&sourceClass=SuggestedItem&index=4

Women's Health: imperative to a woman and her family's success
http://www.globalgirlfriend.com/gifts/item.do?itemId=32250&siteId=344&sourceId=1096&sourceClass=Category&index=20

Beautiful Note Card Set: for those few and far between hand-written notes!
http://www.globalgirlfriend.com/gifts/item.do?itemId=31900&siteId=344&sourceId=1093&sourceClass=Category&index=13

Some really cute clothes--dresses, skirts, tops:
http://www.globalgirlfriend.com/gifts/item.do?itemId=31907&siteId=344&sourceId=31968&sourceClass=SuggestedItem&index=3

http://www.globalgirlfriend.com/gifts/item.do?itemId=31887&siteId=344&sourceId=31907&sourceClass=SuggestedItem&index=1

http://www.globalgirlfriend.com/gifts/item.do?itemId=34365&siteId=344&sourceId=31887&sourceClass=SuggestedItem&index=2

http://www.globalgirlfriend.com/gifts/item.do?itemId=34570&siteId=344&sourceId=34365&sourceClass=SuggestedItem&index=5

http://www.globalgirlfriend.com/gifts/item.do?itemId=31076&siteId=344&sourceId=34570&sourceClass=SuggestedItem&index=1

http://www.globalgirlfriend.com/gifts/item.do?itemId=31902&siteId=344&sourceId=1124&sourceClass=Category&index=13

http://www.globalgirlfriend.com/gifts/item.do?itemId=32525&siteId=344&sourceId=1124&sourceClass=Category&index=4

Earings:
http://www.globalgirlfriend.com/gifts/category.do?categoryId=2604&link=Store_GGF_LeftNav_2604&siteId=344

Global Education: I think-make that, I know-- the State of Nevada (and America) could use some of its own rescuing in terms of education, but still, millions around the world don't even have the opportunity to go school at all, so here are some ways to help:

Build a School in Nepal:
http://www.globalgirlfriend.com/gifts/item.do?itemId=30691&siteId=344&sourceId=1096&sourceClass=Category&index=40

School Shoes:
http://www.globalgirlfriend.com/gifts/item.do?itemId=29107&siteId=344&sourceId=1096&sourceClass=Category&index=5

School for Girls in Afghanistan:
http://www.globalgirlfriend.com/gifts/item.do?itemId=29377&siteId=344&sourceId=1096&sourceClass=Category&index=1

School Uniforms:
http://www.globalgirlfriend.com/gifts/item.do?itemId=28032&siteId=344&sourceId=1096&sourceClass=Category&index=21

Other Global-Centered Gifts that Give More: from Habitat Preservation, Clean Water Assistance, Education, Animal Rights/Protection & Conservation, to Child-Birth, Helath-Needs, Farming & More.
http://www.globalgirlfriend.com/gifts/category.do?siteId=344&categoryId=2704&page=1&view=75&link=Store_GGF_View_75

Some of my other favorite charities include:

Heifer Organization: even though I'm a vegatarian, it's obvious that people and animals need one another! This is a great organization I first heard about back in 2003, in Sociology class; it was the best thing I learned in that class! Check it out!
http://www.heifer.org/

Street Teens (to help kids on the street in Vegas--a very tough town, honestly a problem in a my own backyard--but this organization, or some form of it, really should be in every city!):
http://www.streetteens.org/

Feeding America (America's Second Harvest):
http://feedingamerica.org/?show_shov=1

And of course, ANY organization that helps sick children scores high in my book, being that I am a former (and sometimes still) chronically sick "child," myself.

St. Judes Children's Research Hospital: okay, so they receive millions in donations every single year, especially around the holiday season. But, still, they do great work. And the ability to get your sick child help even if you don't have any money, that simply cannot be overlooked. This is a charity I donate to every single year!
http://www.stjude.org/stjude/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=f2bfab46cb118010VgnVCM1000000e2015acRCRD

Shriner's Children's Hospital: kind of like St. Jude's, except they deal with all illnesses, not just cancer. Burns, cleft lips, spinal chord injuries, etc...
http://www.shrinershq.org/Hospitals/Main/

UCSF: "consistently ranked one of the nation's top hospitals." And, where I had 90% of my 30+ surgeries performed, a truly outstanding hospital that is a great place to xperience not such fun stuff! If you look long enough, you might even find information about my incredible surgeon, Dr. Michael Harrison...
http://www.ucsfhealth.org/childrens/

Okay, so there's my heads up charitable contribution (suggestions) for 2009!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

In Light N' Love,
-Sarah Liz :)

P.S. Thank you, Lord, for the awareness of others less forunate than myself and the opportunity to give in whatever way I can! As always, thank You for my blessings too! :)