Charity Giving Tips When Natural Disasters Strike

What do hurricane Katrina, Haiti and Chile earthquakes and the Japan tsunami all have in common? Each natural disaster saw huge world reaction resulting in nations giving their time, resources and money to help the people affected. Thousands of people spend their time and income trying to help organizations who were working to help the people involved.

Most likely more natural disasters will occur and countries will call on people to help provide food and supplies. One of the best reactions is that people will turn to charities to help meet the need. Here are some charity giving tips to consider before texting or sending out your check.

When looking to give money to a nation devastated  by an earthquake or tsunami, do a little research to find a well-established charity in that country that was already working in the nation. Avoid giving to newly founded charities.

In order to make sure your donation goes to a family affected by the Haiti earthquake, designate where your investment needs to go through that organization. A charity will normally let you know what individuals are lacking in their struggle with their loss. This tells the charity you want the donated money to go to the family instead of somewhere else.

Check out the charity by researching what the organization does and where its money goes. You should check out the charity’s website. Many websites such as Charity Navigator are available help you figure out this information. Ask yourself what the charity’s nature of work and their focus for help with the disaster. For example, do they provide medical care? Do not be afraid to find the answers to your questions before giving online. This is something noble to do before you throw out the free samples that come in the mail, the Rocawear clothing that you bought without trying it on, or the second hand toys your kids don’t play with anymore.

 

Filed Under: News

Are You Aware of the Children?

One one thousand.

Two one thousand.

Three one thousand.

Four one thousand.

A child just died.

It’s true. Every four seconds, a child dies somewhere in the world. Children, young and defenseless as they are, need to be taken especially good care of. Starvation, war, disease, natural disaster; all of these things take their toll on human life. They can be extremely traumatizing to a young child. Of course, adults are in need around the globe as well, and they need your help just as much. It is the responsibility of every person to do what they can to help other human beings, specifically young ones.

Kars for Kids, an American-based non-profit organization, is doing their part in helping the children of the world. By donating your car to them, you are providing needed funds to a camp in upstate New York where children are given a Jewish education. By simply handing off your old or unused car, you can give these children exciting camping experiences and a meaningful education.

Needy children can be helped in so many ways, there’s no reason for you not to do something or make some gesture. There are plenty of good charities in the world worth donating to. These organizations work to provide daily care to children around the world, build schools for them to receive an education, strive to provide basic needs like clean water, nutritious food (and enough of it) and emotional support. Are you sure there isn’t something you could spare? Money is obviously one of the first things to come to mind, but what about other commodities? Clothing? Your time or efforts? Your car?

With everyone in the world doing their part—donating what they can—the earth can be a better, happier place, especially for the children. Right now, 22,000 children die every year; one every four seconds. If we all do our part, we can change that.

Filed Under: General, News Tagged With: , ,

Tweets From the Streets

A deceptively simple scheme involving the humble cell phone is running in New York. It gives homeless people the chance to reach out digitally to a world which, when confronted in the flesh, is often uncomprehending or hostile towards their plight.

With no access to the communication methods that most people take for granted, the homeless cannot broadcast their point of view easily. This is why a group of interns at an advertising firm launched their project. Boasting the imaginative title, “Underheard,” the program provides prepaid cell phones to a small number of homeless New York dwellers.

With 24-hour access to the Internet, the subjects who initially received the phones were encouraged to Tweet regularly. After some basic coaching on the ins and outs of tweeting, the newly empowered homeless individuals – all men – soon had their own followers on Twitter. By means of these 140-character messages, a vivid picture began to emerge of the reality of living on the streets in New York City, an environment which contains many dangers, not least from plummeting winter temperatures.

Only modern technology could enable them to reach such a wide audience. One source of statistics – the Youth Service Opportunities Project – reports that an incredible one out of every 20New Yorkers has known homelessness at some time. City authorities report that during 2010, the overall figure for the homeless in New York rose by a staggering 50 percent. Nevertheless, the 21st century has seen lower numbers overall than previous decades.

The advantage of pre paid cell phones hardly needs stating. Underheard’s lucky recipients naturally are at liberty to communicate as they choose. To date, however, each has followed instructions to adopt Twitter, and the upshot is that anyone in any location around the world can tune into the thoughts and impressions of this handful of individuals, who have thus gained the status of minor celebrities.

Filed Under: News, Society Tagged With: , , , ,

Getting charitable help

We live in tough times. A slumping economy has driven up the unemployment rate in recent years. Too many people are struggling to find a job, stay in their homes and feed their families. There are options out there that can make a positive difference in your life, if you are in a tough situation.

If you turn to a charity for help, here is what you need to do to make sure your needs are taken care of right away:

1. Identify what you need.

Asking for help is a major step all by itself. It is not enough to simply ask for help though. You must identify what kind of assistance you need. Charities will have a difficult time assisting you unless you can be specific in in your needs. Virtually any nonprofit group is dedicated to a specific cause and if they know what your needs entail, they can direct you to the right place to get help.

2. Prepare required documents.

If you need help from a charity, you must be prepared to offer proof that you need help. If you want financial assistance in paying bills, for example, you must be prepared to present documentation like proof of residence, a valid ID card, past pay stubs and a copy of the bill you need to pay.

3. Save required documents.

Keep a personal record of all documentation related to charity assistance. This will serve as a safety net to convince potential donors of your need for assistance. Always be honest in conveying your true needs. If they do not believe your request is valid, you may be asked to provide proof that your current circumstances demonstrate a need for help.

Filed Under: Charities, News Tagged With: , , ,
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