Giving Globally, Regionally, & Locally

I apologize for the re-post. . . somehow this post completely disappeared from my blog.  I’m still baffled.  But I wanted to keep this available.

The news from Haiti is so horrible.  I thought that this site, which talks a little about how you can give most effectively when there’s a disaster far away, was interesting.  It’s one of many links that I found from readingAndrew Sullivan’s blog, The Daily Dish.  I love this blog so much–it’s got a great mix of the serious and the goofy.  But what I love most is that when something huge happens internationally, he finds these compelling, intelligent first-hand accounts, like a missionary in Haiti blogging about how he tried to  dig girls out of the rubble, or raw footage and tweets from students protesting in Iran .  People say that the world is all connected now with technology, but I don’t think that I ever felt it until I started checking out his blog–now I feel it viscerally.  He’s unbelievably prolific, so you might not have the time or inclination to keep up with it, but it’s easy to do a keyword search, too.

Meanwhile, closer to home, the Berkshire Bank is giving away 4 grants of $5,000 each to area non-profits.Anyone can vote (once) on which institution should receive a grant, and the ones with the highest number of votes will win the money.  You can click the link to vote now.  Then, if there’s a local non-profit that you want to plug, please plug away in the comments.

In my own neighborhood, we’ve recently lost Laura, a friend & mom of four daughters.   Her sister Anne is selling Barefoot Books as part of a benefit that she & others have organized for the local Gilda’s Club, an organization that supports people with cancer and their family and friends.  If you’re not familiar with Barefoot Books, the books are great, so even if you’re not sure if you’d like to buy, you should click & browse.  Laura says that last year this Gilda’s Club was in danger of closing because they rely solely on donations, and any of her book sales in January will go toward supporting it.

Short on cash?  Maybe you can give blood.  I was at the Crosstown Plaza donation center yesterday and I couldn’t help chuckling because it’s got to be my favorite volunteer activity.  Seriously.  First, people ask, in all seriousness, if anyone’s paid to have sex with me lately–wow!  I feel cuter already!  Then, I lie down quietly for a little while.  There are even magazines if I’m in the mood.  Finally, I am served cookies & juice or coffee.  And sprinkled throughout:  profuse praise & thanks.  No, honestly. It’s my pleasure