Giving a Gift That Touches Lives Beyond Borders
Generosity Can Affect People in Remote Regions of the World
Giving gifts is something that most of us do throughout the year, contributing to charities and nonprofit organizations of our choosing. During the Holiday Season there is an obvious increase in focus on giving gifts. Whether or not we give gifts throughout the year or at the Holiday Season, we want our gifts to have meaning and impact upon those less fortunate. There are thousands of nonprofit organizations and charities across the country doing outstanding work supporting a wide variety of social causes and ultraistic purposes. The following organizations are just a representative sample of the thousands of worthy organizations doing remarkable work around the world.
· One Laptop Per Child
· Good Shop
· Cell Phones For Soldiers
· Hero Miles
· My Name is Mary
· Gift Of Hope
One Laptop per Child
One laptop per child is an organization that provides a laptop to children in remote areas of the world to enable them with the opportunity to learn. The XO laptop has special features including a computer screen that is visible in full sunlight, operates on just 4 watts of power, can be recharged by solar power, has operating software called Sugar, is rugged to meet the needs of the children living in harsh conditions and is wireless, providing access to the world wide web. The XO laptop was developed to provide an affordable computer to give access to children in order to enhance the learning experience. There are several methods of contributing, one is a single contribution of $199.00 which buys one laptop for a deserving child in remote areas of the world; or, you can contribute $399.00 and receive a laptop for your child as well; or if you financially blessed, there is the laptop 100 and laptop 1000 program. Differing rates per laptop are available for these programs. There is perhaps no other program that has such a dramatic effect on the lives of children living in remote areas of the world.
Good Shop
Each of us has a favorite charity or organization that we feel comfortable contributing to during the year. Good shop has made it possible for each of us who choose to shop with them on line to choose our charity and a percentage of the purchase proceeds will be donated to the named charity. Up to 30% of the purchase proceeds will be donated to the named charity.
Cell Phones for Soldiers
We all want to make a difference and that is what two young teens have done when forming cell phones for soldiers in 2004. Thirteen year old Brittany Bergquist and 12 year old brother, Robbie formed the organization in order to help troops overseas make free phone calls through the distribution of prepaid calling cards. More than 3,000 collection sites have been established for the collection of cell phones no longer in use by consumers. The phones are recycled and prepaid phone cards are distributed to the troops. If that isn’t heroic enough, the teens hope to raise nearly 9 million dollars in the next 5 years in order to provide video phones with prepaid service to troops.
Hero Miles
Operation Hero Miles was created in 2003 by Congressman Ruppersberger in cooperation with the airlines. The program is a simple program in concept. Frequent flyer miles are donated to the Fisher House Foundation and free airline travel is provided to the families of troops currently hospitalized recovering from injuries on the battlefield.
My Name Is Mary
Mary Fisher’s organization has taught African women with AIDS to make jewelry to sustain themselves and to improve their lives in African villages. This jewelry, Abataka jewelry can be viewed on the website provided above. The proceeds of the jewelry is changing the lives of these African women. You can meet these women on the website and review their short biography.
Gift of Hope
This organization offers you numerous recommendations as to the amount of the gift and what the gift donation will be used for. For example, giving a gift of $26.00 will provide 3 malarial bed nets for a family; or, a gift of $50.00 will provide partial funding for an artesian well; or, a gift of $38.00 will enable a child to buy books, notebooks, and school supplies; or, a gift of $20.00 will immunize a child. The website presented above outlines additional recommendations for gift giving.
Whether you take the time to further investigate the fantastic work these organizations perform or whether you give gifts to your favorite organization or charity, the gift of giving goes far beyond the monetary value of the gift. Giving changes lives, cures and prevents illness, educates the illiterate, immunizes against diseases, clothes children and is the face of hope for many.
Giving a Gift
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