{Show some charity LOVE} February Give Back recap!!!

Wow, can I just say that I love you guys?

You all have such big hearts, and really inspire ME to give back, which I guess was a selfish reason why I even started Give Back in the first place!  I want to be motivated to give more!!  I feel like I'm sometimes so small in a world with so many hurts, but I am convinced that one small action can make a huge difference.  I just love your ideas for your charities and causes near to your hearts, and am excited to start shaping more Give Backs in the future!!

Here are small excerpts of the lovely comments on the February Give Back post {check it out here for it all!!}


"i love that i can support community action in utah by giving them all the stockpile items i accrue through couponing and taking advantage of the free stuff i get at drugstores using coupons"

{I just LOVE this idea!  Does anyone else use coupons?  I must admit I started using them about a year and a half ago, and the savings do create more opportunities to give!  Great idea!!  Let me know if you want to get into it!  I'll direct you to some really helpful sites I use!!!}

"Our charities are the american heart association and the american lung association - helping out with those diseases that are the leading causes of death in men and women in the US. Also locally the MI humane society - advocates for animals. I make cat nip toys and donate food to them also. We only have rescue animals!"
{so true!  Heart health is so important, and very preventable!!  I bet your cat toys are adorable too :)}


"...One non-profit charity with which I haven't yet gotten as involved as I'd like is To Write Love On Her Arms. They spread awareness about depression, self-mutilation, and bullying, and spread the message that "you are not alone." Their cause in general is super near to my heart..."

{I'll have to look this up!  With all the buzz around bullying, this seems like such a great organization.  So many great ideas!!!}

"I support Save the Children- a worldwide organisation dedicated to helping kids with education, health, poverty, human rights etc.
They work consistently with communities as well as travelling to areas affected by natural disasters (such as in Haiti).
I really admire what they do!"
{Save the Children is a really great one!!  They have their hand in so many great programs and movements!!  Thanks!!}

"The first charity that comes to mind is the volunteer work I do with Special Olympics: http://www.specialolympics.org/ as practices for the Spring Olympics have recently started up again. "The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.""
{Great one!!  And such an easy one to get involved with!  As a high schooler, I played volleyball and coached track for our local Special Olympics!  Such a great learning opportunity and a great organization!  Thanks for mentioning it!!}

And this next comment is part of March's Give Back!!

"The issue that has been on my heart since I heard of it, and until a few years ago I didn't even realize existed anymore, is slavery. Slavery is illegal everywhere, but it exists EVERYWHERE (even in the United States) and there are actually more slaves now around the world then there has been at any other time in history. This is actual slavery, where someone is forced to work by threat of violence and not payed. One source I read said that 50% of human trafficking (the modern term for slavery) was children. 75% to 80% of human trafficking is for sex. And yes, millions of children around the world are being sold to be abused sexually. That's the thing that breaks my heart the most."

Thanks so much Gale, for putting this on my heart.  We have a local group of abolitionists and a woman in my community who works so hard to bring awareness to human trafficking and what we can do to help.  So, I'm off to put together a month of awareness and focus on modern-day slavery.

And thanks to you all for your suggestions and charities near to your heart!  I can't wait to incorporate your ideas in the upcoming months!

Please please please shoot me an email if you have any suggestions or ideas!  I'm all ears!!
Happy weekend!!!