The giving season
Cindy on December 9th, 2008
“And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! – Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
Our country’s economic recession is making it twice as tough for charitable organizations to do their part. With that in mind, members of my own extended family are making donations to favorite charities and non-profits — the Royal Oak Animal Shelter, The Salvation Army, The Boys and Girls Club of South Oakland, and the American Heart Association — in lieu of exchanging Christmas presents this year. Who needs more stuff, anyway? And what better time to help others in need?
Along the same lines, my friends Anne and Elaine of Wise Women Coffee Chat are sponsoring the most generous contest I’ve heard about this year. They’re asking everyone to nominate their favorite charities or non-profit organizations at http://wisewomencoffeechat.com/2008/12/easy-as-1-2-3-money-for-your-favorite-charity/.
As Elaine explains it, “One charity will be randomly selected to receive an automatic $100 donation and will receive a supplemental donation dependent on the number of comments it receives.” Anne and Elaine are so excited about the contest that they’re extending the deadline to December 17th. It only takes a few minutes to visit the site and nominate your favorite charity. (Don’t forget to include a link to the organization’s site).
And please pardon my shameless plug — for another good cause. I want to remind everyone that I’ll be donating proceeds from the sales of new copies my book, Writing Home, to organizations serving homeless men, women, and children in my community. This has been a holiday tradition of mine since Writing Home was first published. The more books I sell this December, the bigger the check I can write at the end of the year to organizations such as the South Oakland Shelter and the Welcome Inn warming center. I’m deeply grateful for your support. – Cindy La Ferle
