As promoted by Julia in her blog: The World is My Oyster
The holidays (between the thankfulness of Thanksgiving and gift-giving of Christmas) are a time for us to realize not only how lucky we are (and if you're reading this, just by having access to a computer you're luckier than probably about 90% of the world's population), but how many other people need a hand just to make it from day to day. Especially now, when those in need are no longer just abstract starving children in the third world (which sounds insensitive, but that's actaully the way many of us perceive problems in the third world - as abstract), but an increasing number of people in our very own "developed" nations, with whom we have contact every day, who find themselves in dire straights, it's a time to think about what we can be doing for others to try to improve their situation in the little ways we can, and to make the world a better home for everybody.
I got this wonderful list of outlets for your inner philanthropist from JennyMac over at Let's Have a Cocktail (so I can't take credit for compiling the list of sites), and I thought it would be a good idea to try to pass around these resources to as many people as possible so we can all try to do a little bit for someone else. Feel free to copy the list and post it yourselves; the more this information gets around, the more people will do it. And for even the most cash-strapped among us, there's an option to make a loan (see number 25) that you'll get back So there's no excuse to not make a effort for the greater good :). (And for those without even the liquidity to make a loan, you can donate your used books, clothes, time, or even your blood!)
Here's a list of different ways you can make your contribution. As a Scottish proverb says, "charity begins at home, but shouldn't end there." So get outside your homes and give some charity.
Small Donations and Related Goodness
...
27. A $35 donation to Sleeping Children Around the World www.scaw.org provides a BedKit that consists of a mat or mattress, pillow, sheet, blanket, mosquito net (if applicable), clothes outfit, towel and school supplies for a needy child.
...
You can see Julia's entire list of philanthropical causes at her blog post.
