What are some worthy charities my fellow dieters are involved in? The company I work for recently started a charity marketing campaign for Save the Children and the Ad Council. The campaign is designed to help provide valuable healthcare for the millions of children who need it worldwide.

Unfortunately, 9 million children die every year from preventable illness and this new campaign/PSA is designed to help fight this saddening number. On a positive note, every 4 seconds a child or mother in a developing country is being saved from debilitating/deadly disease our goal is to improve this rate.

What about you guys?

What a great topic!

We feel obligated to remind our members that politics are not allowed on 3FC so please don't mention your favorite political organizations in your replies.

Thanks

Best Friends animal sanctuary
http://www.bestfriends.org/
In the US, millions of dogs and cats are put to sleep every year but they take in who they can and if they aren't adopted out, they can live their lives out in an environment where they have plenty of space to play.

Doctors without borders
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
Providing medical care to those throughout the world that need it.

Care
http://www.care.org/
Enabling women and children throughout the world.

I work in the nonprofit world, so I could give you hundreds of suggestions. Many worthy causes out there. I don't want to plug my agency on here, but if you want to give to your local AIDS organization, that would be great.

Also, I would suggest that people look at some of the charities in their backyards and get involved as a volunteer and donor. As they say, "Think Globally, Act Locally."

If I had to pick one not-for-profit on a national level, I would suggest giving to the Funding Exchange http://www.fex.org/

The Funding Exchange grants money to projects that are focused on changing the conditions of poverty and injustice. They give grants to a variety of projects throughout the United States. They work on a variety of social, economic, and environmental issues.

These are where I personally give money/time (most are to do with children's health as my focus as a pharmacist is pediatrics):

St. Jude Children's Research: I volunteered with them as a high school student/undergrad providing a hot beverage cart in the evenings and now make monetary donations. I love them because "All patients accepted for treatment at St. Jude are treated without regard to the family's ability to pay."

Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children: This is Mississippi's only children's hospital. No child is ever turned away. Among the many services offered, I've assisted or worked with patients in the Children's Cancer Clinic (which also offers sickle cell treatments) and the Children's Justice Center (which is treatment for abused/neglected children).

And as an avid blood donator and recipient of aid during Katrina, I fully support the efforts of the American Red Cross.

Those are my big ones. I also support smaller local women and children's shelters and food banks. I'll also donate my time for just about any health fair or vaccination drive.

Planned Parenthood - thanks for all the cheap birth control pills while I was in college. You rock!

http://www.emilyssmileboxes.com/

Emily's Smile boxes. This little 11 year old girl makes fun boxes for kids (and siblings) that are stuck in the hospital.

Jilu - I just donated blood today, actually. It's such a small, easy, free way to help.

My favorites are:
Habitat for Humanity
Heifer International
The American Cancer Society
CASA

I'm not in a position to donate money, but as my clothing gets too large I donate it to either the local Women's Shelter or to Good Will Industries. They are always looking for clothes, especially plus size.

Clothing, books and household goods to Arc for their thrift stores; since my mom had a mastectomy, around Christmas every year I make a monetary donation to the Breast Cancer Site to cover the cost of chemotherapy for underinsured women

I donate to several charities, below are some of my favorites.

A couple of other things I do on a regular basis that is quite easy is GIVE BLOOD! and I find it is quite easy to grab a few extra can goods at the store or more each week and pass it on through our church pantry to those that are having a rough go at the moment.

Several of my family members have died of cancer and currently have cancer...I donate to several...be careful and make sure your $$$ are wisely spent....there are many scams on cancer out there.

I also give clothing and items to http://www.dav.org/

World Vision http://www.worldvision.org/content.n...mp=KNC-1193512

Saint Baldricks http://www.stbaldricks.org/

The Caring Bridge http://www.caringbridge.org/

The Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf

Special Olympics http://www.specialolympics.org/

LCMS World Mission Ministry to the Armed Forces
[email protected]


The Lutheran Hour Ministries http://www.lhm.org/

Breast Cancer and makeachildsmile.org

Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance - I used to work for them so they're very close to my heart even though I've left. They get no funding from the government and rely entirely on public donations to keep the helicopter in the air.

I can't post links yet so do Google them if you're interested, it's a very worthy cause