End of year giving...

lookingglass

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At the end of every year DH and I take stock and decide who we are going to donate too, and this year we've come up with a few good places.

1. Child's Play: http://www.childsplaycharity.org/
Child's Play was set up by Gabe and Tyco of Penny Arcade fame. This charity is set up to send toys and games to children in hospitals so that they have something to do in their long stretches of inactivity. I've been following this for the four years, and can remember when they ran it out of their apartment. This little grass roots effort has grown and grown over time.

2. Cleveland APL: http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/OH290.html
It's the APL, and I love them. This organization does such good work in our area.

3. The Kiva: http://www.kiva.org/
This is a really interesting charity, because one loans their money. Micro-credit won the Nobel Peace prize in 2006 for economics, and as you look at the page you can see why. Most of these people only need a few hundred dollars to get their business off the ground. Loaning $50.00 can really change lives, and you can see it happen.

Please let me know where you donate, and post a link if you can. I'd love to see where you give!
 

pat

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jean-ji

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The global one I give to is Heifer International
I like giving bees, sheep and trees.


I prefer to give locally, to non profit, all volunteer organizations.

My local ones are the Canine Sanctuary (we got Sam there, don't let the name throw you).

The People to People fund. The local paper collects donations and gives to people who need help, like paying a utility bill, people behind in payments because of illness etc. They always have a few short paragraphs every day during the season from people they have helped in the past.
 

gingersmom

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Unfortunately, I just don't have anything to give this year, not like I normally do. Gas and heating oil are both over $3 a gallon, and it's killing me.


I put $4 in the kettle yesterday for Salvation Army, and I am buying three presents for some poor children. One wants a CD Walkman, another wants a RC Car and the third wants something else I can't recall at the moment.

My local bank has an "angel tree" every year, so I always take at least 3-5 angel tags and buy a nice gift for each of them.

Unfortunately, that is the best I can do this year.
 

theimp98

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normaly i give stuff to people i know who need things,
i did buy a couple of coats for coats for kids, I brought some turkey and stuff for a couple of people i know who did not have enough money for a turkey dinner for thanksgiving.

normally i also buy stuff for my extended family who need stuff

but to groups, i normally dont give them stuff.
 

mykatzrpurrfect

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We have a Second Chance Animal Shelter close by and we like to give to them each year. We also gathered some coats together for a local coat drive. I am hoping to get to Walmart to buy some gift cards for the shelter as well. I have gotten so many requests for donating this year I feel overwhelmed! Mary GW
 

natalie_ca

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When I was working I would do my donations in December and give to the following charities:

The Winnipeg Humane Society (They are all a beneficiary in my will)
The Heart and Stroke Foundation
The Lung Society

I also gave to the Humane Society periodically through the year too.

Since I've been on disability I haven't been able to make those donations though
When I get back to work and get some of my finances sorted out and some bills caught up I'll resume those donations again.
 
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lookingglass

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Originally Posted by GingersMom

Unfortunately, I just don't have anything to give this year, not like I normally do. Gas and heating oil are both over $3 a gallon, and it's killing me.


I put $4 in the kettle yesterday for Salvation Army, and I am buying three presents for some poor children. One wants a CD Walkman, another wants a RC Car and the third wants something else I can't recall at the moment.

My local bank has an "angel tree" every year, so I always take at least 3-5 angel tags and buy a nice gift for each of them.

Unfortunately, that is the best I can do this year.
Honey, you are doing what you can. There is no guilt in giving. What you are doing is an inspiration.
 

rosiemac

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Originally Posted by GingersMom

Unfortunately, I just don't have anything to give this year, not like I normally do.
I put $4 in the kettle yesterday for Salvation Army, and I am buying three presents for some poor children.
Unfortunately, that is the best I can do this year.
Betsy, every little helps no matter how small it is
 

margecat

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I usually donate to the Salvation Army, both by check, and in the kettles at Christmas. I haven't seen any kettles yet this season--I wonder if customers of the stores have complained (this happened a few years back at the local mall--the bell-ringing "Got on their nerves"--what $#%#%s--so the mall forbade the Salvation Army). In the area I live in, there used to be a secret "Santa" donor, who always put gold coins (thousands of dollars' worth over the years) in a Salvation Army kettle anonymously--I LOVE that idea! It used to make headline news in the local newspaper each year.

Years ago, I used to make stuffed animals and dolls to donate to charities.

Lately, I've also been buying/donating to a cat rescue on eBay, Felinefriendz of Nebraska--lovely people. I recently "loved" 3 cats for a month--Chester and Tillie, the "tripod" cats (amputees) and Violet, a very under-sized little lady, cute as a button. I also buy feral cat feedings, .95 each, so they can buy food for the feral cats. They also ask for spaying & neutering donations (I think $5 each). I try to buy my birthday & Christmas gifts and cards from them, too.

I also buy/declutter/make and donate items to a local cat shelter, for them to sell.
 

margecat

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Originally Posted by MyKatzRPurrfect

We have a Second Chance Animal Shelter close by and we like to give to them each year. We also gathered some coats together for a local coat drive. I am hoping to get to Walmart to buy some gift cards for the shelter as well. I have gotten so many requests for donating this year I feel overwhelmed! Mary GW
I used to hit KMart the day after Christmas, and snap up the winter hats, gloves and scarves to donate to a homeless shelter, as the stuff is 50% off then. That way, I could afford to buy more--and they'll still need them after Christmas.
 

lunasmom

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I use to always participate in the Toys for Tots or if the company I worked for adopted a family for the season.

I basically either try and support the local community through their farmer's market (unfortunately the one here closes in October since its outside) or purchase wreaths and such through the boy scouts or some organization raising money. In fact I saw one earlier today. I may have to drive by that place again tomorrow or next weekend.
 

kittkatt

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Originally Posted by Pat & Alix

The second is Second Harvest: http://www.secondharvest.org/how_to_help/donate_funds/ the ultimate in "recyling" and a common sense approach to ending hunger.
That's where I used to work.
I LOVED that job!
It's a good organization, and they help so many people.


I haven't been able to donate much of anything lately, b/c I'm not working and am in the process of trying to get my disability..
But I used to donate to (of course!) animal-related organizations, and any organization that helped to feed the poor and unfortunate. The past few years times have been tough, so the best I could do was buy a few cans of staples to donate to a food bank or something, or buy a toy or coat for a kid.

Since I have no money to give this year, I've been going online to "click for cans", and also clicking online at the Animal Rescue Site, etc. It's not much, but it's the best I can do for now..


~KK~
 

marie-p

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I give all year long to Doctors Without Borders.

For the holiday season, I am buying donation cards to all my family. I'm getting some from Unicef, Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders. Some others will get donation through http://www.canadahelps.org/ so they'll get a gift certificate for money they can give to any charity they want.

In the new year, I'll also look into giving to Clowns Without Borders. No, seriously, there is such an organization.
They go to refugee camps and other difficult situations and bring the people some joy.
Unfortunately their Canadian website is down right now, so I don't know where to contact them.
 

booktigger

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I give all year round to 3 animal rescues, 2 purely cat, and one multi-animal (ranges from cats to racoons - it is a retirement shelter that takes animals on that cant be rehomed). I dont buy X MAs cards anymore, i donate the money - think it is going to the multi-animal rescue this year, and I bought some kitten food and toys for the two rescues I foster for, as well as chocs for the staff. I donate bric a brac throughout the year too, as well as my time.
 

pookie-poo

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I always make a donation for Hospice or Visiting Nurses at every funeral I go to.

Our O.R. adopts a family every Christmas. This year it's a single mom, with 6 children. We all go crazy buying for them. Everything on the list is always purchased (and then some!), as well as food for the holidays, gas cards, donations for heating at Consumers Power, etc.

I also donate money and supplies to the local SOS Animal Rescue. http://www.sosanimalrescue.org/
 

icklemiss21

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Originally Posted by MargeCat

I usually donate to the Salvation Army, both by check, and in the kettles at Christmas. I haven't seen any kettles yet this season--I wonder if customers of the stores have complained (this happened a few years back at the local mall--the bell-ringing "Got on their nerves"--what $#%#%s--so the mall forbade the Salvation Army). In the area I live in, there used to be a secret "Santa" donor, who always put gold coins (thousands of dollars' worth over the years) in a Salvation Army kettle anonymously--I LOVE that idea! It used to make headline news in the local newspaper each year.
According to the Salvation Army's director on the news last night it is because they don't have enough volunteers to run the kettles and they can't leave them in stores because they get stolen.

We don't have much money this year, so donating is limited to the animal shelter I volunteer at, the local food bank and the coats and blankets request from a nearby homeless charity.

We prefer to give locally and see where our money is going.

I also have a small portion of my paycheque taken monthly which gets given to the chosen charity of the year, this year was United Way, we raised over $3 million over the year for them.
 

krazy kat2

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I am too broke this time of year to give to a charity that most of the money does not even make it to the people in need, but to "administrative costs." I give money all year long to animal charities and donate items to Goodwill. If I have any money to spare at all, I will buy a sweater or warm socks ang give it to someone in a nursing home that otherwise might be cold or get no gifts at alll. I am so sick of children's charities when there are so many others in need. What about the elderly that work their whole lives to end up stuck in a nursing home when they become inconvenient? Many of them lose beloved pets because they can no longer are for them. (I suspect that was what happened to Okie.) I would much rather give my money to them. Personally, I go out on Christmas and feed ferals if I can find any. That has been a long standing tradition for me, and one of the few I have.
 
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lookingglass

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Originally Posted by MargeCat

I used to hit KMart the day after Christmas, and snap up the winter hats, gloves and scarves to donate to a homeless shelter, as the stuff is 50% off then. That way, I could afford to buy more--and they'll still need them after Christmas.
That's a fantastic idea! Thank you for sharing!
 
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