As you probably already know, I am extremely passionate about making a positive difference in the world. After all, my sister and I did lead a student group in college called "Students Making A Difference", still one of my proudest achievements.
I've briefly mentioned before that I believe each and every one of us has beautiful and unique talents and abilities, and that is each person's jobs to maximize those gifts. I also believe it is each person's responsibility to share those with others to help create a better world.
We can all make a difference somehow. It doesn’t matter if it is big or small. There are countless things you can do, and a great number of causes.
There are so many causes, in fact, that it may be hard to choose one. That's a "problem" I've come to terms with recently. There are so many areas that I want to help out with, from education, poverty, homelessness, women's rights, eating disorders, depression, animals, and the environment. On top of that, for some things like poverty, you then have to pick if you want to focus on that locally or overseas in a 3rd world county, like where I visited in Tanzania, Africa. It can be a bit overwhelming and possibly even make you feel too small to really make a change...in fact, that is a reason why so many people don't volunteer. Don't be that person! You can make a difference! Whether it is to one person (who will often spread your gift to others) of a million, know that you helped make the world a little bit of a better place and ultimately helped fulfill your mission in life.
With that, you don’t have to choose just one cause, but maybe just put one in the forefront. Have a primary cause, a secondary cause, and so on.
When I finally looked deep inside myself, as well back on my life, I knew my main focus needed to be on empowering people, especially women, to reach their full potential. That why I started this blog, and also volunteer coach for Girls on the Run. In addition, since I suffered from anorexia and depression when I was younger, I also serve on the board for Hudson's Coalition for Children's Mental Health. Finally, as an animal and nature lover, as well as a recent vegetarian, I've started to do a lot more with that, mainly by making conscious consumer decisions.
On this page, check for updates on different charities, volunteer opportunities, and little ways you can make a big difference!
*************************************************************
Click HERE to see Why I love GOTR!
How to shop and make a difference:
http://rachelnypaver.blogspot.com/2013/10/choosing-to-make-difference-by-choice.html
How could I not highlight this beautiful young woman on my page?:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-october-8-2013/exclusive---malala-yousafzai-extended-interview-pt--1?xrs=playershare_fb
***************************************************************
January Charity of the Month
Unicef http://www.unicefusa.org/
I was over budget this month. I knew I would be. I get my December paycheck in January and December is a work down month. Plus I had a few extra health bills to pay and car money. So I was a bit tight with money, but new it was nothing compared to what others face. Also, since I didn't have much to give, I wanted to give to a charity where my money would go far. For these reasons and because Unicef is well known and prove charity, it's where I chose to donate for January.
February Charity of the Month
Girls on the Run of Greater Summit (SoleMate Campaign)
https://www.raceplanner.com/donate/Taking-Flight-for-GOTR See below.
March Charity of the Month
Pencils of Promise (read the book to see how it began!) - Donations go to building schools in impoverished countries. Very well developed program. http://pencilsofpromise.org/
April Charity of the Month
Redcross: Nepal- how could I not?
Also, as money was tight and I couldn't give a whole lot, I also made sure to sign a few petitions for causes I care about on Change.org.
May Charity of the Month:
Mountain2Mountain- because I won the geography lottery when I was born.
http://www.mountain2mountain.org/about
4/26/13
Here a few of my favorite women's charities:
Girl Up http://www.girlup.org
Mission: Girl Up is an innovative campaign of the United Nations Foundation. We give American girls the opportunity to become global leaders and channel their energy and compassion to raise awareness and funds for United Nations programs that help some of the world’s hardest-to-reach adolescent girls.
Steve, his daughter Marie, and I have “change for charity” containers we decorated at our house. Each December, we donate the money to charity. This year we chose to donate to“Girl Up”. Yes, it was a small amount, but a small amount can make a big difference in another country, and many small amounts can amount to making a big difference! Through their website, I have also sent a few emails to congress to advocate for change. It literally takes 30 seconds!
Women for Women International http://www.womenforwomen.org
Mission: Women for Women International supports women in war-torn regions with financial and emotional aid, job-skills training, rights education and small business assistance so they can rebuild their lives.
This is such a wonderful organization! I highly suggest you check out their website, but in the simplest of terms, the money raised is given to women in 3rd world countries who then enter a year long program to learn business skills and job training so they can earn their own living. I was first introduced to this organization by a friend, Crystal, when I attended her charity run for the Women for Women. She then ran and completed the 135 mile Badwater Ultramarathon, donating all the money she raised to the organization. (Go Crystal!) I then learned more about their incredible work when reading Half the Sky.
And finally…
Girls on the Run http://www.girlsontherun.org/
Mission: We inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.
I tell everyone I know that I love Girls on the Run and I wish the program was around when I was in school! It combines my passion of running with helping girls embrace who they are and realizing their potential. I’ve now been a volunteer coach with the organization for 3 seasons and it has been an extremely rewarding experience for me. This year I have even had the opportunity to share experience with my boyfriend’s daughter in 3rd grade, which is undoubtedly making a relationship even closer. There are several ways to become involved such as volunteer coaching, donating money, becoming a Sole Mate, or volunteering at the 5k.
No comments:
Post a Comment