One thing's for sure, Liz O.: when I see yellow snowmen, I think "you're in" trouble.
- Related Wreckage: Whirled Peas
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Also, I know it's a pain entering your info with each donation - believe me, I do! Unfortunately, almost no one accepts Paypal donations - and John and I are not comfortable collecting your money to give ourselves. So please, don't let the extra minute or two of data entry prevent you from giving. The sites are secure, the companies are reputable, and I'm personally trusting each one with my own info and credit card number.
Finally, many of the charities, including this one, have no immediate tracking ability for donations. We will contact each individual charity at the end of the day to try to get our numbers and will try to post them when we know.
Today's charity, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, is where many doctors send some of their sickest kids and toughest cases. It's a place where cutting-edge research and revolutionary discoveries happen every day. Most importantly, all patients accepted for treatment at St. Jude are treated without regard to the family's ability to pay.
So you know: we'll try to have a good variety of charities featured over the next two weeks, but keep in mind this is mostly about encouraging everyday generosity, and remembering those in need. If you don't agree with our choice one day, then please, go give that dollar somewhere else!Also, I know it's a pain entering your info with each donation - believe me, I do! Unfortunately, almost no one accepts Paypal donations - and John and I are not comfortable collecting your money to give ourselves. So please, don't let the extra minute or two of data entry prevent you from giving. The sites are secure, the companies are reputable, and I'm personally trusting each one with my own info and credit card number.
Finally, many of the charities, including this one, have no immediate tracking ability for donations. We will contact each individual charity at the end of the day to try to get our numbers and will try to post them when we know.
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128 comments | Post a Comment
This is a great charity, we've done the bakesale and attended one of their Taste of the Nation events. Tons of fun, tons of good food and all for a good cause.
Music National Service is a non-profit organization that is like PeaceCorps, but it brings music to needy and underprivelged children.
Pleace check it out at:
www.musicnationalservice.org
Jen, i LOVE the great american bakesale!
You should have just said "Urine" trouble. Teehee.
Hmmm. There are either a lot of dogs in that neighborhood or those snowmen were made by drunken frat boys with weak bladders.
Just sayin'.
Please consider adding the Humane Society of the United States!! They are a fantastic organization dedicated to the welfare of all animals.
Thank you!!
D'oh! Share Our Strength won't let you donate just a dollar :(
hmmmmmmmmm, says "Gift amount is invalid"
"And since we've no place to go... Yellow Snow! Yellow Snow! Yellow Snow!"
This is fun, sort of like two weeks' worth of Christmas mornings, waiting to see what's under the tree. (Though I do look forward to Cake Wrecks every day!) But yesterday, I had a pretty good time looking up people's suggestions on Charitynavigator.com. I learned a lot about some charities I've been meaning to look into, and found some others I'd not yet heard of. And it was nice reminder of how much we really have, even when times are tough. :)
For the sites that don't track how much Cake Wrecks donators have given, I wonder if the charities track how many have come to their site from Cake Wrecks? It would be great if you could post progress reports, at least for the charities who can track that info - seeing how much other Wreckerators have given is inspiring, and will I think lead to more contributions.
What a fantastic idea you guys have with this - you will truly make a difference for so many people this year, by providing inspiration and a vehicle for easy generosity!
Seriously - who in their right mind thought this was ok? They should just put little doggie prints next to the snowmen and go with the theme... :)
If I could suggest a few charities...I would have to say the ASPCA, the Humane Society of the United States, or Pilots N Paws. The ASPCA and HSUS are well known, but Pilots N Paws is less well known. It is a group where private pilots volunteer their planes and services to bring abandoned animals to loving forever homes. Their website can be found at http://www.pilotsnpaws.org/ and they could definitely use donations to offset the cost of transport.
Almost made it to halfway yesterday!
So, I'll see you this afternoon! I actually get to see the slide show this time.
There *is* cake... riiiiight?
Come on! Everyone knows you NEVER eat yellow snow!
Great charity! Unfortunately they don't allow you to donate just $1. The lowest you can go is $5. Might be a problem for some people.
Thanks for organizing this. It is a pretty amazing thing to be apart of.
I just went to the charity site today and tried to give, but it says my gift amount is not valid! Sorry, Share our Strength, I can't afford $25 or more...
Is anyone else having this problem?
The link you provided won't let you donate anything below $25.00
Maybe it connects to the wrong spot on their website.
...So, are these supposed to be Jamacian snowmen? (based on color scheme) What exactly is the green package they are holding in their hands?
"That was supposed to be snow peas, not pee snow!"
Hm, why'd the charity change? (Namely, is there a reason I *shouldn't* donate to the other one?)
Also, I forgot one great charity I didn't mention.
http://www.greenbeanscoffee.com/coj/
Cup of Joe for a Joe sends a cup of coffee (like, real stuff!) to a solider in the Middle East, where comforts are few and it's probably been 6 months since they'd had anything to eat or drink that wasn't rehydrated.
Oh! And because I can't keep my head on straight today, I meant to also say: Cup of Joe for a Joe accepts PayPal. :D
Hey guys,
I had to tweak today's charity since Share our Strength doesn't take dollar donations. Bummer.
john
I'm on board...I only wish I could give more than a $1 a day.
Share our Strength got $5 from me, and St. Judes got $20. I don't mind donating twice.
Angel Flight (angelflight.org) coordinates free air transportation to people who need it so they can access health care. They've got a lot of people and organizations working together - pilots volunteer their time and pay for the planes and fuel themselves, and airports give them priority on the runways and waive landing fees.
Hrm... They let me donate 1 dollar, but i had to type in the 0 cents as well. (1.00)
(click "other" in the first box)
I know you already have a whole bunch of charity suggestions but I would like to recommend 4 paws 4 ability as one of them. They train dogs (both rescued and donated) to be helpers for both kids and adults. They are one of the few programs that will train dogs for children. They also accept both pay pal and network for good as sources for donations and will accept 1$ dontaions. Here is their donation page; http://www.4pawsforability.org/donation.html . I hope you will consider them. Thank you,
Kirstin
Is it just me, or can anyone else see the mutant hand coming from the side of the cake?
I haven't had my full fix of caffeine yet, so my eyes could be playing tricks.
St Jude's is a fantastic charity. I donate every year. They send updates and newsletters on the progress being made, it phenomenal.
You can create a fund raising page for Share Our Strength at http://www.firstgiving.com/6421 with no minimum donations!
I renominate Share Our Strength!
I would like to suggest the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. I work at a K-8 Catholic school in St. Paul, MN that has about 350 students. Within the last year 2 of our students were diagnosed with Lymphoma. The first little boy would have been in fourth grade this year. He was diagnosed with Burkitt's Lymphoma in May of this year. Unfortunately, he passed away in October. Around the time of his death, we found out that a 6th grade boy had just been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Fortunately, Hodgkin's is much more well known and manageable, so his prognosis is good and he is doing well. There are more forms of non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (like Burkitt's) that are still more difficult to treat. More research needs to happen. Both Leukemia and Lymphoma are common among children. I hope you consider this society for your project.
One Laptop Per Child lets you give via Paypal! They don't really seem to have a tracking mechanism from what I can tell, but I am pretty sure they will let you give a dollar.
I regularly donate to the ASPCA, the Humane Society of the US, the National Anti-Vivisection Society, and just recently to Operation Migration.
There are so many organizations for humans, but animals need our help, too.
What a great idea to share, Jen!
I'm in for at least $2 per day in honor of my husband who is currently hospitalized and fighting for his life after a freak accident. I'd give more, but I'm spending $20 a day in expenses to be by his side.
Thank you Jen for giving me something to believe in during this nightmare in my life.
Come on wreckies! This is awesome!
Terri
word verify: 'recal' a government order taking all poo cakewrecks off the racks
If they wanted the snowmen to stand out from the white background with the use of yellow, they got their wish this holiday! Couldn't they pick another color, like blue (or poiple?) Or even just claimed there were 3 snowmen against a white backdrop, and sold a blank white sheetcake? Ugh!
Thanks for letting me get that out of my system! That said, St. Judes is a charity near and dear to me. What a legacy Danny Thomas has left for us, named for the patron saint of lost causes! Truthfully, any child sent there will be getting the best in care available to them-- and a least a modicum of hope. *wiping away tears*
I love what you're doing. I'm on board! ^_^
I am pastor of a church in Memphis, home of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. At my church is a 10-year-old who was diagnosed with a glioma (brain tumor) last December. Because of donations like yours, all of his treatments and medications are free -- and he is doing great! Thank you for your support!
I'm pretty sure that there are still Halloween decorations on the display window! I see pumpkins, creepy hands, and a candy corn.
St. Judes is a great charity and I think this is a great idea!
Wow, that's scary. What's up with the disco sprinkles around the suspicious snowmen? This would be a great gag gift cake.
Ok, donated to both. I just typed in the amount with cents (2.00) for strength.org, worked fine. Thanks so much for organizing this!
~anne
hi jen and john!
i love your website and it is great that you are encouraging people to give.
i work for a non-profit and i wanted to tell you that the reason most charities don't accept $1 donations is that it usually costs more to process the donation than that. usually a $5 or more donation would be better because the organization actually gets to keep some of it after the cot of processing the gift and reporting it.
As a survivor of childhood cancer who was received AMAZING treatment from St. Jude, I want to thank everyone who donates today!
As Frank Zappa warned, don't eat the yellow snow. I'm sure he'd extend that to yellow-icing snowmen, too.
I would like to point out that St. Jude's is a major reason that any hospital, anywhere knows how to approach treating children with terrible diseases like cancer. Just sayin'! Yay, St. Jude's!
Although it is commendable to get people to donate even $1, a lot of charities won't accept that small of a donation because the cost to simply process the donation is more than $1, so you are, in effect, costing the charity more than the dontation is worth. Those that do accept $1 donations are hoping that with the contact information, these donors will give more in the future.
Please consider giving $5, especially if you don't plan on giving to the charity again.
Great charities...both are wonderful. They both received $10 from us today.
I hope you can track the giving, it would be wonderful to see how great an effort we can do together. Maybe we can entice other popular bloggers to follow suit....are you reading this Perez?
I think To Write Love On Her Arms would be awesome. They're a non-profit dedicated to helping with suicide prevention and drug addiction, as well as many other things. They serve a great cause!
Unfortunately I'm too young to have a credit card and can't donate :(
Have you considered the Joyful Heart Foundation to donate to? It's a great charity!
I would like to second (or third) the suggestion that you donate to http://www.4pawsforability.org because I have seen first had the amazing things that therapy dogs can accomplish. My husband and I are considering getting such a dog for our family and after doing a ton of research I know 4 Paws is where we would go.
Whatever organizations you choose, this is such a great way to get people into the spirit of giving this holiday season. A round of applause for you!
I feel blessed that I'm in position to be able to donate to both charities, so they both got my support today. Don't know about $1, but Share was able to take a $10.00 donation (I took the advice of previous posters and typed in the full amount with the cent zeros)
I nominated the Orphan Foundation of America yesterday. Just thought I'd let you know that they do take donations from the web(http://orphan.org/index.php?id=9), through Paypal (which seems to be the preferred method) or credit card.
And they will take a $1 donation (Just tried it to be sure)
Thanks again for this brilliant idea.
John and Jen!
Thank you for doing this - Awesome! I didn't get through many of the suggestions last night - bless your hearts for reading and considering each submission. Like other readers, I decided to give $2.50 per day - that's only $35 total.
I have another suggestion to add to the list and I pray it will make the cut. My 18-year-old son graduated high school last May and decided to put off starting college for one year so that he could volunteer for a year. He chose a homeless ministry in Louisville, KY called HOPE - which is part of Jefferson Street Baptist Center. Louisville, KY has one of the highest per capita rates of homelessness in the nation (because there are many services and ministries available to the homeless there - and so many migrate to Louisville).
From their site: "Jefferson Street Baptist Center exists to serve and glorify God through a Christ-centered ministry that meets the physical, emotional, spiritual and educational needs of homeless and hurting people in the greater Louisville area." I'm sure that some of your readers would be uncomfortable with this charity because it is openly Christian - and I love that you encourage us to donate somewhere else on those days when we don't agree with your choice - just so we're giving.
Please consider helping the homeless in Louisville get back on their feet. My son is Caleb Butler. The website is http://hopeforlouisville.com/. If you click on the donate button and then click beside his name, it will make tracking the donations easier - but the money goes into the same pot and helps the ministry equally. Caleb doesn't make anything personally from anyone's donation. The other website is http://www.jeffersonstreet.org/
Thank you so much for considering this ministry!
Jill Butler
Project Tiger is a group that is trying to educate people in India so they won't kill tigers anymore. It is one of the only tiger charities that focuses on keeping tigers in the wild. Right now there is no way to reintroduce tigers from zoos into the wild because of all the poachers. So keeping the tigers that are already there is vital for their survival. Here's the website (open it in IE, as firefox messes it up): http://projecttiger.nic.in/introduction.htm
Watch out where the huskies go!
Related Bud Lite Commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWLhkuuD-Nk
I'd like to recommend that you add NARHA (North American Riding for the Handicapped Association) to your donations list. Their website http://www.narha.org/ has a link where you can donate directly to them, or use their center search page to find a NARHA accredited center near you and make a donation that hits closer to home. I've been a volunteer at a local NARHA stable for almost 5 years, and it has been a very moving experience. Also, it's a great idea for those of you who would rather donate time than money, because NARHA centers are always looking for new volunteers (no horse experience necessary). Thanks!
I posted this yesterday, but forgot a link!
The website is here: http://www.chinalittleflower.org/
Also, they are located in China, but based out of the US, so it is a registered non-profit and all that good stuff.
This summer I worked at an orphanage called China Little Flower. They specialize in helping orphans in China that are in special need, particularly preemies and hospice kids. The people that run it are so so nice and the kids that live in the orphanage are really amazing. The three weeks I spent there changed my life. I know that they've been having a hard time getting donations and desperately need them if they're going to stay open.
I made a video about my trip there, the link is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An6vsXG3Doc
ps. all the cakes in china are total wrecks. One of the girls had a birthday while we were there and the cake was almost all whip cream frosting with weird people creatures dwelling on the top.
to write love on her arms provides treatment for those struggling with depression and addiction
and blood:water mission provides clean drinking water and blood (i think?) in africa
so those are some ideas
In case you're tracking, I gave today's $10 to Share Our Strength.
St. Jude is an AMAZING charity! I gave my dollar! :)
Thanks again for doing this. :)
Daraja Academy is a free secondary school for 20 girls pulled the poverty areas of Kenya, Africa. The school just finished its first operating year and still needs alot of help. All money that they do have is from the founders own pockets or donations. It's a great cause and the girls they currently have enrolled are amazing which is evident when you read their blog. If you could chose to donate to them, it would be an amazing help
http://daraja-academy.org/
Nice choice. I'd like to recommend Camp Kesem, which provides a FREE week of summer camp to the children of cancer patients. Kids get to just be kids, while meeting others who know what they're going through. campkesem.org has a link for online donations. Great work!
Camp Kesem UF co-founder
Suggestion of no-kill animal welfare organizations. The North Shore Animal League is an example, but like others mention they have a minimum amount required that is more than $1. Maybe there are other smaller organizations with different criteria.
Thank you for doing this. So far it has been so much fun to see what the charity of the day is going to be and donating my $2 to the charity. This is great and I wish more popular blogs would follow your example. It could really make a difference. I keep trying to figure out how to get your blog some coverage in the media, so more people can find out about this. I did post it all over my social networking sites.
I do think that it is important that you point out to people that charities also need our help during the spring and summer months. Since after Christmas donations tend to decline. So if people can't give now they can always give in the future.
AAAAAAAH, psycho snowmen!! =D
Hey, another perk to the $1/day charity giving is...I'll finally memorize my credit card number. Hmmm, actually that's not such a good thing. lol
I know I lifted them up yesterday, but Nothing But Nets is trying to provide enough malaria protection nets for app. 1 million people before the New Year. Ten dollars=1 net=protection for four people. They work!
Please consider Nothing But Nets as one of your highlighted charities. Many thanks.
I'd like to suggest Charity:Water. I checked, and it looks like they'll accept any size donation. I'd also suggestion Invisible Children, but it seems their smallest donation amount is $5. This is a great cause, and I hope it becomes something of a tradition!
Hi Jen;
For those chairites that don't have a tracker perhaps we can all just make a note on donations that they are on behalf of cakewrecks :)
Today on behalf of cakewrecks my husband and I will be donating our $2 to BC Children's Hospital to benefit children in our country :) Thanks for the idea Jen.
"Urine Trouble" by Tauney may me laugh so hard!
Donated my Dollar for the day!
well it's not letting me donate $1 here...it keeps saying that it can't go through and I have more than $1 on my card...
St. Jude's saved my life. 40 years ago, I had to have major experimental surgery on my skull or I would die. They paid for the entire cost, as my parents would never have been able to afford it. I am living testimony that this charity is special. Today, I work in the medical field, hoping to pay back some of that kindness. Thank you, Cake Wrecks, for continuing the love. wildmaven@yahoo.com
What a fantastic idea! I'd like to add to the people suggesting Heifer International, and also ask you to do a day for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time two years ago and has had a lot of difficulty finding effective treatments because she has a rare version of the disease - at this point, possibly her best hope for survival is new breakthroughs in research, which can't happen without plenty of donations! Obviously this is a cause very near and dear to my heart and I think it would be a great cause to support :)
Share Our Strength does let you donate $5, which isn't too much more than $1 for those that can manage it.
I got each of my 3 daughters to donate $1 from their piggy banks to help other kids that are hungry.
I forgot about To Write Love on Her Arms. On my personal Facebook page, there are photos of my arm, my husband's arm, my friend's arm, and my mom's arm from TWLOHA Day last month. As someone who lost her 14 year old cousin to suicide, it was amazing to be part of something so great. They are another worthy group that could use some money.
I know y'all have plenty of charity recommendations, but I wanted to add another: Outreach International. http://www.outreach-international.org/
It focuses on giving a hand up, not a handout in mostly third world countries. Instead of using the money for food aid, they give things like breeding goat pairs to give a village a supply of milk and meat, or sewing machines so that the women can achieve financial security through their own labor.
WV: pealati. What happens when someone uses these snowmen for ice in a frappacino.
Hi, Jen and John - I'm not sure how St. Jude will track donations that come from your blog, so just wanted to let you know I gave $5.
This is an amazing idea, btw. Happy to participate and feel lucky that I'm able to!
I spent seven years in St. Jude's and I lived in the Target House. It's really just like the commercials. They pay for everything, your treatment, your transportation, they house you and your family, they pay for your groceries, they have weekly events, you form lifelong bonds, it's great. As a child I wanted to work there when I grew up. It's a cheerful, fun, warm, loving place, not a sad hospital.
We have donated to St.Jude's before several times and happily did it again today. Thanks for the push to donate!
Since we're discussing "yellow snow," I'd like to suggest donating to the North Shore Animal League (www.nsalamerica.org), which is the largest no-kill animal adoption and rescue organization in the world. NSAL does an amazing job of rescuing animals in need all over the country and giving them homes. I got my dog there and, as the saying goes, I'm not sure who rescued who.
The Humane Society of the United States and Sea Shepard would be really great organizations to feature.
Okay, sorry to bother you again but I had an idea! I am the person who annoyingly keeps suggesting the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation. :) I was thinking that even if you decided not to make the foundation one of your 14 charities, you could post the link for people so that they could sign the petition. It already has over 80,000 signatures and the goal is 100,000. With as many people as read your posts (plus the fact that they can sign and not even donate money), they could easily reach their goal. People could go to www.gwendolynstrong.com and click the link to the petition or you could post the direct link http://www.thepetitionsite.com/182/petition-to-cure-SMA if you wanted to. Thanks for your time once again!
Just submitted my $5.
And, dang that's a lot of world pee.
One you may want to consider is the Brain Injury Association of America
(biaus.org) It benefits research, patient care, and support for survivors/caregivers of those who have suffered a traumatic brain inury. Since so many of these accidents happen to young men, thy leave many young families facing either a life or death or a long-long-long term caregiving situation. Many young soldiers are also the victims of brain injury (think of Bob Woodward of ABC news...) My husband had a TBI 18 years ago and we've cared for him ever since. People with brain injuries are often called the "walking wounded" because the injury itself may not be visible.
I would like to nominate Girls Inc. as once of your charities. They offer really innovative (I think, anyway) programs that teach underprivileged girls how to operate in the real world - balancing their checkbooks, preventing pregnancy and STDs, math, cooking, fitness, nutrition - very comprehensive. I used to work for them and was VERY impressed with their programs.
And the snowmen...ew, just ew!
Just wanted to let you know that you've inspired me and my friends from college (around 20 of us) too. We're at that age (early 30s) where we don't need people to give us birthday gifts anymore, so I suggested a new tradition yesterday. As birthdays roll around, each person chooses their favorite charity and the rest of us donate what we would have spent on gifts or cards to their charity.
In case you didn't feel like you were helping others, Jen, you're inspiring us all.
Great! Yesterday a green-frosted cake that was labeled yellow (do my eyes deceive me?), and today, "yellow snow"men. What's next?
The charity idea is a great one, Jen. Thanks to you and John for your positive thoughts and good examples.
I haven't read all the postings, so someone could have already suggested my favorite charity: Heifer. They educate people in caring for livestock such as goats or chickens for example and then provide them with some animals with the idea that when these animals reproduce, they will pass along this knowledge and some young animals to someone else. They can earn income from selling the surplus produce from these animals plus the fertilizer from most of these animals will help them grow more crops, control pests and enrich their environment. They can become self sufficient and healthier. They have many different types of animals for different types of areas and even work with growing things like trees. They work with people in USA and other countries too. A very worthy program.
The Terry Fox Foundation!
It started in 1980 as run across Canada by a cancer patient named Terry Fox to raise money for cancer research. It is now international and is known for the high percentage of money donated that actually goes directly to cancer research.
http://www.terryfox.org/
Hmm not sure if you're able to track wreckie donations - I put in 2$ for St. Jude.
Still think this is an amazing thing to do, especially at this time of year when people spend so much on stuff that is unlikely to save a life. :)
-Bess
Please consider CIDNY, Center for the Independence of the Disabled in New York. We just lost a contract with the state, leaving an immense hole in our budget.
www.cidny.org
Gave to the charity yesterday, and today, I think you've started something great here and I hope it continues!!
$5 to Share our Strength and $1 to St. Jude's (I donate to St. Jude's monthly via a payroll deduction already).
Plenty of charities accept PayPal... like Match It for Pratchett, the Alzheimers' research group. Here's a link: http://www.matchitforpratchett.org/
Believe me, if you REALLY want to get your readers to do this with you, you've GOT to make it as easy as possible. Silly charities that insist on eschewing PayPal have lost hundreds of dollars from me, and I'm sure many others. Five minutes for you to set up a PayPal account just for that charity that refuses to do it themselves will save each reader five minutes of painstakingly typing and retyping all their info... then close out the account and send the contents to the organization. It's a matter of simple economics.
If it was just three clicks a day instead of having to go dig out my purse and type everything in... not too hard to figure out what to do here, is it?
I love St. Jude. I live here in Memphis, and just did the half-marathon to raise money for them We got to actually run through the campus - a HUGE deal because it is VERY secure. Seeing the families of those kids being helped was wonderful.
To the poster that suggested HSUS: be aware that the national HSUS is not affiliated with any local shelters, and does not run or operate any shelters. They take donations and then lobby politicians. That's all they do. They also seek to ban ownership of pretty much everything not a dog or cat.
Yay! Just donated my $5.00 to St. Judes, and was able to use their site to print out a nifty little card that says "A gift has been made in your honor etc" to give to someone as a present.
I'm with the folks that want PayPal - but if they are taking 30 cents for every dollar donated, well, that's discouraging. On the other hand I'm not happy about getting on 14 charities' mailing lists after this.
Bet you never guessed what you were getting yourselves into, Jen and company!
I'm going to continue nomination The Bridge of Amarillo every day :) They work with molested and abused children, providing exams, counseling, and other services. They try to minimize the trauma of the interviews and exams, and provide comfort afterwards to help kids pick up the pieces.
www.bridgecac.org
What a great charity. Thanks John and Jen keep it up.
Frank
NEWS FLASH! I just checked yesterday's Charity:Water page, and a total of over $9,500 has been collected so far, nearly half the $20,000 goal.
C'mon, people, if you've donated already, put the word out to your friends.
wv: bulating
I think I'll add a note on my blog's bulating board to spread the word!
*SNIFF* Didn't think I could love you more than I did until I got home from shopping and saw this donation idea Friday night. YOU GUYS ROCK!!
My two recommendations are for:
1) www.showhope.com, Shaohannah's Hope, also known as Show Hope. It's a nonprofit ministry that enables individuals & communities to change the world for orphans by not only addressing a child’s need for food, shelter, care, & spiritual nourishment, but by also addressing the root issue for an orphan: the lack of a family. YUP, adoption! Ask my beautiful 8 yr. daughter, Faith Shajuan, who came home to us from Xinjiang China!
2) www.caringbridge.org, which offers FREE websites to people with serious health issues so they are able to keep friends & family informed. We used them when we were in the process of adopting Shajuan, because she had a hole in her heart (VSD) as well as having hepatitis B - she was on a "waiting child list" and was 4 years old at the time - a harder to adopt age, as most couples want babies. The website works COMPLETELY on donations, and it allows people to post updates & pics. It also allows the friends & family to send encouraging messages, which can be absolutely vital.
THANKS JEN & JOHN!! May God truly bless you this Christmas season for blessing the world with your wonderful Christmas gift!
Hugs and kisses,
Sharon from Austin
I'm happy to give a donation to each of the charities you are posting, I just don't want to get a lot of mail and calls from them because of it.
I really don't want to give my phone number, 'cuz from what I understand every time you give it out to a business or charity, you let them (and others) get around the whole 'do not call' list.
Still, I'm taking the chance....
i wish i coud donate, but i am too little.
you should look at music national service. it came to my town and i had so much fun. thank you!
I don't mind having to enter my information each time. I think it's just fabulous that you're doing this. St. Jude's is a very worthy cause.
If you are looking for additional charities, I suggest the Armed Forces Foundation.
Thanks again for doing this.
I think the Huskies must've gotten to those snowmen.
*singing* "Watch out where the huskies go, and don't you eat that yellow snow!"
Hey, and Saint Jude's sends out really awesome address labels once you get on their mailing list. I've not actually donated to them before, but they've been sending me address labels for years.
Jen, seeing that your first suggestion to donate to "Share Our Strength" reminded me of a very important site relating to hunger and no money is involved.
If you go to this site - www.thehungersite.com - all you have to do is click on the large button that says "Click Here to Give - It's Free". They have sponsors for the page who pay for every "hit". I think it even tells you how many bowls of food you've donated after you click. And...........it doesn't cost any money, just a few seconds of time.
When you are at that site, if you look across the top at the tabs, you will see similar sites for Breast Cancer, Child Health, Literacy, Rain Forest, and Animal Rescue.
I have bookmarked this page and click daily on every one of those. So little time out of my day, but so much good will be done.
Would you consider bringing this site specifically to your readers' attention so they will be aware of the good they can do at no cost to themselves? I ask because not everyone will read all of the comments and see this one.
Thank you for your generosity and getting others involved......"a small ripple......"
KT
Here's a thought: to increase giving, instead of sending everybody to the individual organization website, why not use an online charity-depot-type website? For example, JustGive allows you to make one account and donate to a variety of different charities:
https://www.justgive.org/basket?acton=donate&ein=62-0646012
That way, readers could just enter their info once. And I'm pretty sure you can set up projects this way, like the one for Water.
Please DO NOT choose the Humane Society of the United States as a charity. They are deceptive and along the lines of PeTA and other animal rights extemists. They have no contact with any local humane societies and have very few veterinarians that they consult with. Their main goals are to tug at the heartstrings of voters by creating poorly worded bills and using slanderous campaigns to get those bills passed.
If you would like to choose an animal related charity, please choose the ASPCA. They are legit.
I can't even tell you what a great charity St. Jude's is. God forbid if any of us ever needed to use their facilities or doctors, they would be there for us. Thank you for an excellent choice!
too bad st. jude's doesnt have an option to calculate group donations like charity: water did! I donted $3
and: seriously? someone made the concious decision to use YELLOW for the snowmen?? I can only hope that this cake was decorated somewhere in the south where they have never needed to know about the dangers of yellow snow!!
A wonderful charity! I love the idea!
BTW... we just got our first puppy, and we kept stumbling across yellow snow that he was SO curious about on our walk today! Great timing... my hubby & I both thought this was hilarious!
Since there was no way I could tell to note my donation was CW related, just dropping a comment here to let you know St. Jude got my dollar today.
http://www.freewebs.com/sara-robards-foundation/index.html
The Sara RoBards Foundation is a small charity ran by my family. Named for my late sister, we aim to help families with children like Sara - those who are mentally and/or physically disabled. Whether it is something that brings the child joy, or something that helps them for the long run, we aim to help the best we can, such as paying for theraputic equipment, a video game system, food bills, etc.
We do not currently have PayPal options set up. However, if we are choosen, my father (the president of the foundation) would be more than happy to set one up for ease of donation.
-Kaylyn RoBards
i havent scrolled through the comments very far, but did anyone else notice the halloween stickies still on the display case? like the BLOODY HANDS?!?!? WHAT IS THIS, A HOLIDAY HOUSE OF HORRORS?!?!?
May I suggest the following charities?
Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. (http://www.toysfortots.org/default.asp) With the economic difficulties of this year, donations are down and requests are up. Toys for Tots does accept money donations though the mail and its website.
The Salvation Army. (http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf/vw-local/Home) Given that their bell-ringers are a fixture at many shopping centers, who better to support? Donations can be made online.
United Nations World Food Programme. (http://www.wfp.org/) Donate at least one red, plastic up worth of food for as little as $0.50. Donations can be made online.
Heifer International. (http://www.heifer.org/) Donates livestock, animals, and other sustainable resources to communities in need. I'm a bit hesitant to suggest them, because I'm not sure they'll take $1 donations.
I guess I missed the post earlier today, but as one of the people who nominated Share Our Strength, I did make a $25 donation to them. I also donated $6 ($1 for each member of our family) to St. Jude.
Thanks for spreading the word about Share Our Strength!
You know, I just donated $50 worth of new toys to the Marine Corps Toys for Tots, but I would chip in further if you guys pick them. It's a pretty desperate year for so many kids and their families.
Also, think about it, Jen: Marines! With UNIFORMS! *wolf whistle*
Children's Miracle Network raises funds for 170 children's hospitals across North America. When you donate a dollar - it all (that's right, all) stays in your local community to help kids treated at your local Children's Miracle Network hospital. Check out ChildrensMiracleNetwork.org to learn more and to see how to donate. I think the cause very worthy of one of your daily mentions.
Hey another good charity is the Elizabeth New Life Center. It is a Pro-life Charity but even Pro-abortion folks should have no trouble giving to it. They give woman who want to have their child but cant afford to an option. Not only do the pay for the birth but they also help the mother take care of the baby after the birth. They also have drug rehab for the mothers that need it and help them to find jobs. They are doing a much needed ministry. Please consider them. Thanks. Good job as always. Love the yellow snowman.
Frank
I would like to suggest Women For Women International. They've been going since 1993. They improve the lives of women in developing nations, matching them with women in other countries. It costs $27 per month to sponsor a woman. This gives the recipient job training, education, rights awareness, and access to real work with fair pay, and sometimes access to business microloans, increasing their ability to support their children and to have better nutrition and housing. The benefits go on long after the sponsorship ends.
Kudos on St. Jude's as a choice! As a Neonatal Intensive Care nurse, I have to put in my "ten cents" for the March of Dimes. Premature birth rates are still not going down and United States infant mortality rate in embarrassingly high for a developed nation! (To relate this to cake wrecks, Google "baby mohawk" images and you'll get an idea of how I style my patents' hair after their baths! The patients that have hair, that is...)
I give to St. Jude every year. They are an awesome place!
2 more charities I'd like to mention are:
1) Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas.
www.archildrens.org Arkansas Children's Hospital is the only pediatric medical center in Arkansas and one of the largest in the United States serving kids from birth to age 21. They also have the burn unit for Arkansas.
2) Ronald McDonald House: http://rmhc.org/ Great charity that houses patients and families of patients in hospitals. They provide a room, laundry facilities, showers, and a kitchen to prepare food. They are an awesome charity!
WV: outtede: What you are if you have made a wreck that's featured on cakewrecks, as in "Wow. You were outtede as a wreckerator on Cake Wrecks today!"
Robbie H.,
This is a great cause! I live outside of Memphis TN , in MS...So I personally see how much of an impact on children St.Jude is making. I'm currently in Nursing School and we actually collect pop top tabs and send them to the Ronald McDonald house that the St.Jude familes stay in so they can recycle them and use it to fund the house. YOU ROCK CAKEWRECKS!
Mocha Club is a great organization. I love their idea of $7 a month or the price of two mochas can support so many people in Africa. Also, you can choose what you want to sponsor: Clean Water, Education, Child Mothers + Women At Risk, Orphan Care + Vulnerable Children, and HIV/AIDS + Health care.
Great idea guys!
I love St. Jude's and have given to them regularly for more than 20 years.
I'd like to suggest 2 charities: Mayan Families provides assistance and opportunities to the indigenous people of Guatemala, in particular in the Lake Atitlan area, through education, community programs and construction. They have a student sponsorship program, baby milk program, food programs for the elderly and emergency aid to families in crisis. www.mayanfamilies.org
and
Water International - provides water filters to families, schools and orphanages. Thru a matching grant, the Florence Oregon Rotary Club is currently matching each $1 donated with $2.50! A simple water filter costs just $50 and can provide a family of 12 with water in their homes for 2 years. www.cleanwaterguatemala.net
Yes, please do the humane society. I already give to them, and I am going to give to all of your listed charities, so I hope you will consider it. Also, there are a few charities that support no kill animal shelters as well... Thank you!
"Note: I had to change today's charity because Share Our Strength doesn't accept donations as small as a dollar"
Well, how stupid is that? Charities should accept any donation, however small, that is offered to them.
I know you've probably gotten a zillion suggestions already, but I had to throw in my two cents.
"Whoever said nothing tastes as good as thin feels never tasted chocolate cake!"
As an eating disorder survivor myself, my cause is building self esteem in our young girls and boys, making companies accountable for irresponsible advertising, and putting an end to "starvation imagery" in favor of a more diverse representation of beauty in women.
I'm currently involved in the ATB Action Network to boycott Ralph Lauren for thier accessive use of photo manipulation, perpetuating the unattainable ideal women are inflicted with every day. I do several local events each year, to educate people and seperate the truth from the myths about eating disorders, to advocate for eating disorder patients whose insurance won't pay for the treatment they desperately need, and I participate in self esteem building programs for girls in middle school.
There are several great charitable organizations that I contribute to along this line, but the best one by far is the National Eating Disorders Association http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
--Emily
I'm glad you picked St. Jude's. I donated every chance I can afford & I just sent a check through mail for $20. Cancer is such a horrible thing. I'm glad you're making a difference!
Please do consider donating to Share our Strength, if you're able to donate more than a dollar. It's a wonderful organization!
I'd like to nominate International Bridges to Justice http://www.ibj.org/
They work to eliminate the use of (legal!) torture of prisoners, and to train and provide legal aide to people arrested. I've met the founder, Karen Tse, and she's truly amazing!
This is a really wonderful idea, Jen! Rock on!
Shoot! I donated to St. Jude's earlier in the day when I purchased my Bon Jovi tickets (yeah, baby!), otherwise I would have donated through you guys.
I love the idea of donating a little bit to a charity each day. I have done design work for a company called Givv.org. (http://givv.org/) They manage your mini-donations without having to fill out all of your information everytime for all the individual charities. They use paypal, so if you have a paypal account it is super easy to set it up. It is set up more for monthly giving, but it seems like a dollar a month to a good charity is even better than a dollar one time. :-) Happy Givving.
Just donated $5 to St. Jude if you would like to add it to your totals.