Gift it forward, With Last Minute Holiday Gifts!

Posted in Encouragement, Holidays, Pay It Forward by rea curry

Still hunting for the perfect last-minute holiday gift? No need to wait on your local shipping company or post office, or deal with the holiday crowds, you can gift it forward this year.

Tis the season to give! be a do-gooder.

here are some recommendations of charity’s or organizations you can donate to:

Greater Good Networks – buy goods and funds are paid to a benefiting organization

The Giving library – Browse nonprofits. Find your passion. make donations to non-profits that match your interests.

Bars of Hoap – artisan soaps made with 100% natural ingredients. All proceeds go towards helping entrepreneurial women in Haiti.

St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity that fights childhood cancers. A donation helps fund research for cures.

Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders – Your donations can help in the fight against the deadly ebola epidemic.

Heifer International – gives livestock and other animals to empower people to earn an income and feed themselves.

Ten Thousand Villages – offers goods from local artisans in 28 different countries.

Feeding America – A gift of cash or food to your local food bank will help feed some of the millions of Americans, including children, seniors and active duty military, who go hungry, according to a

Shopping for a Change – works with artists around the globe, paying them up front for their products and work.

WhyHunger‘s – John Lennon inspired Imagine scarf will help you imagine a world without hunger a little bit easier. All proceeds go towards fighting childhood hunger.

Re:loom – sells uniquely crafted rags made from recycled materials. All of their products are hand woven by employees who were homeless at one time or in risk of becoming homeless. All proceeds go towards employee wages and benefits.

Green Gifts – offers an array of eco and wildlife friendly gifts that are perfect for your green friends or ways to remember loved ones.

A do-gooder’s holiday gift guide: 5 gifts that give back.

If you have an etsy shop here’s 5 ways you can give back.

Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/16/living/do-gooder-holiday-gift-guide/

20Dec2014

Gift It Forward / Pay It Forward this holiday season.

Posted in Encouragement, Holidays, India, Pay It Forward by rea curry

Some of us have everything we need, so what do you get the person that has everything? I like to give gifts that give back. I feel like I have so much to be thankful for, and that others deserve the same. I choose to be filled with gratitude and open my heart this holiday season. It fills me with love, warmth, and I feel a sense of purpose that I can bring joy to someone and put a smile on their face.

Gifting it forward is my way of paying it forward each holiday season. I am not looking for any type of recognition, I just want to do what I can to make someone’s holiday season that much merrier. I may not be rich, I work hard just like everyone else, but I have a roof over my head, food on my table, clothes to keep me warm in the blustery winter weather. Not everyone can say that.

Last year in 2013 I sponsored a 4-year-old girl through a local organizations called DFC Department of Children and Families. My instructions were to purchase at least 1 clothing item and 1 non-clothing item and or learning toy. I found some great deals on little things for her so I was able to purchase 2 pairs of leggings, a Merida doll and a learning toy.

This year I decided to go with something that had been weighing on my mind. India holds a special place for me. I have family there, and I wanted to do something to help the future generation. I wanted to give someone the chance to better them self. I kept thinking there must be a way to help support an underprivileged girl. To give her a chance in life. I wanted to be able to provide an opportunity, the tools to succeed in life utilizing the gift of knowledge and support. As a woman who put her own self through school, I feel quite strongly about other girls being able to go to complete school, rise up, and make a better life for themselves and their families.

Facts: One-fifth of the world’s out-of-school girls are in India, and among those that enroll in school, only 3 out of 10 finish 10th grade. Only 65% of India’s women are literate.

I had thought of starting my own organization if something did not already exist. I wanted a way to give back and support many girls in such a way. I wanted a way to make an impact. After much research I found such an organization, Nanhi Kali, already in existence. They help people like me provide a girl the chance to improve her future. Sponsoring a girl child in India provides her a new beginning. Lets work towards making poverty history, promote literacy and higher education, and support the education of under-privileged girl children in India.

If you’d like to do the same here are some details for two ways to donate through Nanhi Kali. Its worth noting that both not only ensure that such girl children get access to quality education but also complete 10 years of it. Academic support towards improving learning levels, material support to provide access to quality education, tutors, uniforms, bags, books, shoes, pencils, notebooks, even hygiene materials so she can attend school with dignity and social support to ensure that she doesn’t drop out. This Christmas send a girl to school, be her Santa.

The Girl Store – Gift her school supplies.
Site gives the flexibility to the donor to donate any variable denominations of payments. You can buy a girl one or all of the items needed to send her to school for a year.

Nanhi Kali Sponsorships – Sponsor her education.
Support the education of under-privileged girl children in India where you can look forward to receiving a detailed profile of the “Nanhi Kali” [little bud/flower] along with her photograph and regular updates of her progress.

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#behersanta
#payitforward
#giftitforward

To Follow or Learn more:

Tweets by NanhiKali

https://www.facebook.com/ProjectNanhiKali
http://www.the-girl-store.org/shop
http://donor.nanhikali.org/DonateNowMfusa.aspx

I am in no way affiliated with the site or organization. I am someone who believes in their mission, wants to make a difference and offer you alternative gift ideas for any time.

24Dec2012

Christmas Shubhashayagalu

Posted in Holidays, Spirituality, Yoga by rea curry

Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Shub Christu Jayanti , no matter how you say it, I want to wish you and your families all Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

According to Norad Tracker Santa has already made his way about 1/2 around the world. He’s a busy guy. I’ve watched my two all time favorite holiday films “Miracle on 34th street [the original version from 1947] and The Nutcracker Ballet. I’ve planned out tomorrow’s menu which for those who are curious will consist of veg biryani, kesari bath, and paliya or samosa.

We are anticipating a white Christmas after all. Christmas will be low key in my house. Morning yoga, a cup of hot cocoa, a few gifts will be exchanged over Skype video chats with family around the world. Things are a little different than in the past, however its nice to still recognize the holiday and even start new traditions.

I must close for now, its time for a round of yoga. I gotta keep that depression at bay. So I ask you dear ones:

How will you celebrate?

What are some of your specific annual holiday traditions?

9Dec2012

31 days of Giving: Donating to Chartity Instead of Christmas Presents

Posted in Encouragement, Holidays by rea curry

Better late than never! I meant to get this post prepared and published on the 1st of December. Obviously that did not happen so I will say it again better late than never, especially when giving is involved.

This year when my husband asked me “What do you want for Christmas? I don’t know what to get you“. I told him to save his money and that he didn’t need to buy me anything. I don’t need anything really. I’ve been feeling the call to give back, somehow someway. I started researching charities to donate to and in case you too are feeling in the spirit of giving, I have complied a list to help make it easier. These are ones that simply stood out to me at the time of research. Since there are 31 days in the month of December, that’s how I picked my magic number of charities to share. Not all items cost you monetary units and some are even gifts that give back. When you buy gifts for your family and friends the money goes back into the related program. This list is by no means the end all be all, so if you know of a charity out there worth adding or have an idea, please comment below.

31 Days of Giving

Operation Christmas Child – Touch the lives of Philippine children living in dire conditions by creating a shoebox filled with goodies and items of need for a boy or girl.
Jaipur Foot – Rehabilitates the physically challenged by providing alritifical limbs to the beneficiaries free of charge.
Face Aids – Give life-saving meds to an HIV-positive pregnant woman in Rwanda. Vital drugs to help prevent transmission of the virus to her baby.
Save a Pet – Save a cat or dog from a from a high-kill shelter, provide them vet care and medicine so that they can become adopted.
Pencils of Promise – Sends one child to a new school in a developing country who would not be able to attend school otherwise.
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence – Donate your old cell phone to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence which will refurbish and sell it, then use the proceeds to get survivors back on their feet.
A Message From The Heart – Send a Teddy Bear to a deployed child of a marine with a voice message recorded by the parent that will play when the paw is pressed.
Drive to End Hunger – Picks up the grocery tab for a senior who is struggling to put food on their table.
Embrace – Protect newborns in India and keep nine babies alive with a genius incubator like invention.
Fight Breast Cancer – Help women get free mammograms.
Fender Music Foundation – Give a guitar to a struggling music program.
Princess Project – Donate your old formal gowns so a teenage girl can have a dress and go to her prom.
Heart of Haiti – Give gifts that give back: Heart of Haiti gifts from Macy’s provide steady work for many Haitians.
The Water Project – Provide access to safe, clean, sanitary water for African villagers.
Reading Village – Help pay school fees for rural team leaders teaching younger children to read in order to break the cycle of poverty.
Clean the Air – Defends our breathing supply from polluters. Dirty air can cause asthma attacks, take a stand against proposals that can weaker then Environmental Protection Agency.
Unicef – Give gifts that give back: Shop for a cause and help children in need. Improve their lives, provide health care and immunizations, clean water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more.
Volunteer Match -Make a difference in your own zipcode and be matched with with ways to improve your own neighborhood, such as working at a food bank, clowning around with seniors or coaching a girls’ soccer team.
Vital Voices -Supports Egyptian women who have fought hard for change, and provides them a voice in their country’s future.
Toms – Give gifts that give back: Toms offers two options. 1)Prevent blindness. Buy Toms Sunglasses ($135 and up) and give someone in Asia sight-saving treatment. 2)Toms Shoes will give every child in need a pair of shoes for every pair you purchase.
Global Literacy Project – Pass along your favorite books [yes even ones like twilight] to deprived youth, helping them learn to read.
CauseOn – Similar to LivingSocial and Groupon, Causeon offer’s up daily deals, however it also contributes 20% of its revenue from those deals to a charitable cause.
Equality Now – Put sexual abusers behind bars! Guarantee the rights of women and girls. Helps provide legal support, counseling and job training to victims pursuing cases against their assailants around the world
KrochetKids – Keep women in Uganda working and educated when you purchase a cute crotchet hat for $35 or less!
Afghan Institute of Learning – provide two Afghan girls to take computer lessons for six months.
Stand for the Silent – Stop bullying. This Program addresses the issue of school bullying with an engaging, factual, and emotional methodology.
Conservation – Preserve our Oceans, save them from overfishing and pollution.
Artists for Peace and Justice – Pay a students bus fare. Donation will help a child from the slums of Haiti to a new school for two months.
Give an Hour -Buy a counseling session for a soldier returning home after serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Care for a Chimp – Care for a chimp orphaned or harmed by hunters or pet sellers. A small donation buys food and care.
Women for Women – Help women in war torn countries start a business. Your donation buys a sewing kit for a woman so she can earn a living as a tailor.

I am throwing a few bonus ones in here just for the heck of it, and also in case any of the above links become overwhelmed you’ll still have sites to choose from because giving and making a difference in someone’s life really does mean that much to me.

Causeon – 20% of the site’s proceeds go to a variety of charities in your community. You can get coupons to
Greenbelt Movement – Aid a women while stopping deforestation, donation pays a gal in Kenya to plant a tree.
Why Hunger – Put a salad on a kids plate. Your donation will help needy kids grow produce, both for their family’s fridge and to sell at farmers’ markets.
Career Gear – Empower men who are low-income to overcome barriers and achieve self-sufficiency. The charity provides them a suit, access to a Job Readiness Program, a Professional Development Series and MAST, a mentoring program.
Memorial Scholarship Foundation – Open the doors of opportunity to a young person in pursuit of higher education.
JustGive – Give gifts that give back: and the site offers an advanced search and information on nearly 1.8 million charities.