Help Online for Hard Times
During these difficult economic times, it's inspiring to see so many organizations coming to the assistance of those in need. Here's a list of a few websites where you can go to help in an immediate and personal way:
SmallCanBeBig.org - SmallCanBeBig.org is a new online model for charitable giving designed to help local families on the brink of homelessness by harnessing the power of small, direct donations. The site works with well-regarded Massachusetts charities to identify families in need and provide people who’d like to give a uniquely personal way to help – 100% of every donation goes directly to address a specific expense or urgent bill that gets a family back on their feet —typically situations where a single, urgent payment for mortgage or utilities is needed. Visitors to the site can then browse the stories of the families in need and donate as little as USD 1 toward helping one of them through Google Checkout. The entire amount of any donation goes directly to helping the selected family, and once that family's one-time need is met, its story is removed from the site. Donors, meanwhile, can track their donations online and check back on the status of the families they've helped. Family-to-Family - Family-to-Family links middle class or well-to-do families to less privileged counterparts in poor rural areas of the United States. There are two options for sponsoring a family: send shipments of food and other essential items—such as warm winter gloves, over-the-counter medicine or shampoo—once a month or send a gift certificate or check in the amount of $35 earmarked toward the purchase of food each month with an essential item. Families also are encouraged to write letters to get to know one another, making the mission all the more personal. To date Family-to-Family has over 700 families linked to each other across the country supporting 13 needy communities located in 10 states with monthly shipments of food and friendship.
Rosa Loves - Rosa Loves t-shirts are created to help a specific person, family or community. The story of those in need is told on each t-shirt through the graphical design on the outside and the story is also a written on the shirt's inside, just over the wearer's heart. Profits from shirt sales go directly to the need and after the projected amount has been reached, Rosa Loves stops printing and selling the shirts, making them part of limited edition. Instead of donating to larger charity organizations that were already established and had financial support through other ways donations go to specific individuals with needs in the community - like Helen Coley, a woman raising three grandchildren who lost her home of 27 years to a fire. Proceeds from the sales of the t-shirts went to rebuilding the Coley household. If you know of any more organizations out there that are providing immediate and personal help to people during these difficult times, please let me know!
SmallCanBeBig.org - SmallCanBeBig.org is a new online model for charitable giving designed to help local families on the brink of homelessness by harnessing the power of small, direct donations. The site works with well-regarded Massachusetts charities to identify families in need and provide people who’d like to give a uniquely personal way to help – 100% of every donation goes directly to address a specific expense or urgent bill that gets a family back on their feet —typically situations where a single, urgent payment for mortgage or utilities is needed. Visitors to the site can then browse the stories of the families in need and donate as little as USD 1 toward helping one of them through Google Checkout. The entire amount of any donation goes directly to helping the selected family, and once that family's one-time need is met, its story is removed from the site. Donors, meanwhile, can track their donations online and check back on the status of the families they've helped. Family-to-Family - Family-to-Family links middle class or well-to-do families to less privileged counterparts in poor rural areas of the United States. There are two options for sponsoring a family: send shipments of food and other essential items—such as warm winter gloves, over-the-counter medicine or shampoo—once a month or send a gift certificate or check in the amount of $35 earmarked toward the purchase of food each month with an essential item. Families also are encouraged to write letters to get to know one another, making the mission all the more personal. To date Family-to-Family has over 700 families linked to each other across the country supporting 13 needy communities located in 10 states with monthly shipments of food and friendship.
Rosa Loves - Rosa Loves t-shirts are created to help a specific person, family or community. The story of those in need is told on each t-shirt through the graphical design on the outside and the story is also a written on the shirt's inside, just over the wearer's heart. Profits from shirt sales go directly to the need and after the projected amount has been reached, Rosa Loves stops printing and selling the shirts, making them part of limited edition. Instead of donating to larger charity organizations that were already established and had financial support through other ways donations go to specific individuals with needs in the community - like Helen Coley, a woman raising three grandchildren who lost her home of 27 years to a fire. Proceeds from the sales of the t-shirts went to rebuilding the Coley household. If you know of any more organizations out there that are providing immediate and personal help to people during these difficult times, please let me know!
