Network for Good

Network for Good has a secure, convenient donation system that makes it possible to give to any charity, anywhere, anytime online. Enabling you to research and give to any of 1.2 million charities, in one place online at www.networkforgood.org – They also store your donation history for taxes and save your favorite charities lists. The website was founded in 2001 by America Online, Cisco Systems, and Yahoo.

Network for Good passes along more than 95% of donations direct to charity

For example, if you want to donate to earthquake victims in Haiti, you go to the network for good site and click on “Help Survivors of quake in Haiti“ and there are seventeen organizations listed for you to make your donation through (including the American Red Cross, CARE, Doctors without Borders, UNICEF, World Vision, etc. ) You click on the organization, make your donation, and Network for Good keeps track for you.

Network for Good automatically provides an on-screen and e-mail receipt for each transaction you make. When you make a donation, be sure to save and/or print the confirmation e-mail you receive from Network for Good for your tax records.

You can also use this site to volunteer for local charities. Put your zip code in the search box and they will list organizations near you that need your help.

New Beginnings

It's a brand new year: why not resolve to be a little kinder, give a little more, make the world a little better? The New Year offers each of us a chance to redefine ourselves- to chip away some of our flaws, to magnify some of our talents- providing us with a new lease on life. What better time to extend the gift of life to another by donating blood? It doesn't require a lot of time, energy, or resources, yet this simple act of service can be a matter of life or death.

This New Year, resolve to make a difference in the world by giving someone the gift of life. Call your local Red Cross and inquire about how you can donate blood.

Simple Acts of Service...you can do it, yes you can.

In 2008, 61.8 million adults donated approximately 8 billion hours of service. This represents 26.4% of adults who volunteered through or for an organization to address pressing needs such as hunger, homelessness, illiteracy, environmental disasters, and other community concerns.

Were YOU one of them? Why not?

If the opportunities we present on this site are too demanding of your time, go to:
youngmothersservingothers.blogspot.com (you don't have to be a young mother - that site has things ANYONE can do. ) Check it out, pick something, and you'll feel less guilty.

You can't do everything for everyone, but you CAN do SOMETHING for SOMEONE.

How to decide WHAT Charity you should support - and HOW best to support it:

Sometimes, the hardest part of volunteering can be finding an opportunity that fits your personality. Below are some great tips to help you get involved, and to make your volunteer experience a more enjoyable and rewarding one.

Click on this link for tips on: How to Volunteer

or this link: Tips to Help You Get Started Volunteering

Do You Have Time and/or Money, But Don't Know Where it Would Do The Most Good???

Here is a list of our favorite charities (also endorsed by Extreme Makeover). When times get tough, such as now, charities need your help more than ever. We're sure you will find something on this list that will tug at your heartstrings.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America—Helping children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with measurable impact. Big Brother and Big Sisters vision is successful mentoring relationships for all children who need and want them, contributing to better schools, brighter futures, and stronger communities for all. www.bbbsa.org

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Boys and Girls Clubs of America—Inspiring and enabling all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. Club programs and services promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence. Boys & Girls Clubs are a safe place to learn and grow—all while having fun. They are truly The Positive Place For Kids. www.bgca.org

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Youth Service America (YSA)—Resource center that partners with thousands of organizations committed to increasing the quality and quantity of volunteer opportunities for young people, ages 5-25, to serve locally, nationally, and globally. Founded in 1986, YSA's mission is to expand the impact of the youth service movement with communities, schools, corporations, and governments. YSA envisions a global culture of engaged youth who are committed to a lifetime of service, learning, leadership and achievement. www.ysa.org

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American Red Cross—Providing free assistance to victims of natural disasters nationwide and helping people prepare themselves, family and community for emergencies, "Together, we can save a life." The American Red Cross has helped people mobilize to help their neighbors for 125 years. Last year, victims of a record 72,883 disasters, most of them fires, turned to the nearly 1 million volunteers and 35,000 employees of the Red Cross for help and hope. Through more than 800 locally supported chapters, more than 15 million people each year gain the skills they need to prepare for and respond to emergencies in their homes, communities and world. Almost 4 million people give blood-the gift of life-through the Red Cross, making it the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The Red Cross helps thousands of U.S. service members separated from their families by military duty stay connected. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, a global network of more than 180 national societies, the Red Cross helps restore hope and dignity to the world's most vulnerable people. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work. www.redcross.org
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Habitat for Humanity International—Based in Americus, Ga., is an ecumenical Christian ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since 1976, Habitat has built more than 200,000 houses in nearly 100 countries, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than one million people. Together with Habitat for Humanity, your family can help others realize the dream of home ownership. Visit www.habitat.org to find out how you can make a difference.

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Keep America Beautiful—Beautifying America by focusing on litter prevention, beautification and community improvement, and waste reduction. Keep America Beautiful involves millions of volunteers each year in hands-on community improvement activities, where they learn how to take personal responsibility for improving their local community environments and their quality of life. We teach young people how to care for, preserve, and protect our environment. www.kab.org

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Take Pride in America - Helping preserve our nation's landmarks. A national partnership established by the U.S. Department of the Interior that aims to engage, support and recognize volunteers who work to improve our public parks, forests, grasslands, wildlife refuges, cultural and historical sites, local playgrounds and other recreation areas. Together we protect and enhance the special legacy all Americans share—our public lands that cover more than one in every three acres across the Nation. www.takepride.gov

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The Nature Conservancy—Preserving the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. www.nature.org

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The Make-A-Wish Foundation® - Grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy. Born in 1980 when a group of caring individuals helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, the Foundation is now the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 72 chapters in the U.S. and its territories. Granting more than 12,000 wishes a year and 132,000 wishes in the United States since inception, the Make-A-Wish Foundation celebrates '25 Years Making Wishes Come True" in 2005. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit www.wish.org and discover how you can share the power of a wish®.

Note: did you know there is a foundation to make wishes come true for adults with life-threatening illnesses? go to: dreamfoundation.org

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Special Olympics— Call and sign up to volunteer at the Special Olympics. If you have teenagers, sign them up as well (They may scoff, but I promise you, once they go, they'll want to go every year.) Helping to offer a shining example of what people can achieve given the opportunity to unlock their potential and discover ability. www.specialolympics.org

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Toys for Tots is a great way for whole families to learn the value of serving others

Toys for Tots—Offering new toys to needy children during the holidays through a program of the United States Marine Corps Reserves. The principal Toys for Tots activities which take place each year are the collection and distribution of toys in the communities in which a Marine Corps Reserve Unit is located and in communities without a Reserve Unit that has a Marine Corps League Detachment or group of men and women, generally veteran Marines, authorized by Marine Toys for Tots Foundation to conduct a local Toys for Tots campaign. Local Toys for Tots Campaign Coordinators conduct an array of activities throughout the year, which include golf tournaments, foot races, bicycle races and other purely voluntary events designed to increase interest in Toys for Tots, and concurrently generate toy and monetary donations. www.toysfortots.org

Make This Month Special

The Special Olympics is an organization that offers individuals with disabilities the opportunity to compete in various sports events against others of like capabilities. Because it is organized in such a way as to allow most athletes to end the day with at least one medal (Gold, Silver, or Bronze), the Special Olympics fosters self-esteem and a sense of accomplishment. It is exciting to cheer on your athlete and see the rewarding smile as he or she wins an event.

As a volunteer, you have the unique opportunity to make personal connections with the athletes and share in one of the crowning moments of a person's year. It requires only one afternoon of your time, yet it makes a profound impact in the lives of those you serve. Of course, the athletes aren't the only winners... the sense of joy these athletes exhibit is contagious. We promise you will feel so good that you'll want to return every year.

Join the more than 700,000 Special Olympics volunteers around the world by contacting your local program. (Simply go to specialolympics.org and click on "Volunteer" Then go to the bottom of the page and click on "Program Locater" to find your state chapter.) You can volunteer for a specific event, as an athlete escort, or in a myriad of other venues (see their website for complete information). If you are currently unable to volunteer but would still like to support this organization, the Special Olympics' official fund-raising drive takes place throughout the month of January. We hope you will consider supporting them any way you can.