Shaping Youth/Silent Bravery & Africa's Girl Child Network

Shaping Youth — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 01:22:15 -0600

Great post, you've inspired me to write my 'part two' for 'marketing mindfulness to kids' on Shaping Youth, so I'll continue it tomorrow & highlight more great orgs to 'pay it forward.' Here's part one: http://www.shapingyouth.org/blog/?p=835

Also, I'll soon be tapping into the worthy talents of Freshwater Spigot.com since our newest advisory board member for Shaping Youth is its cinematic founder, documentary/film producer/book author/Huffington Post blogger & gal pal, Michealene Cristini Risley. (her nonprofit is 'Freshwater Haven')

Michealene recently blogged about her stint in jail for filming her bold "Silent Bravery"/TAPESTRIES OF HOPE: WOMEN OF AFRICA" project in Zimbabwe...bringing to light the inspiring stories of Betty Makoni and women of the Girl Child Network who are persevering despite the ongoing challenges of Africa's water/malaria/AIDS crisis, and horrific abuse of young children. (she elected to turn the spotlight on, & hey, I guess 'the powers that be' weren't too happy w/that!)

Anyway, I'll be profiling her as an honoree for our "People Shaping Youth" column involving media/marketing's impact on kids, so stay tuned...

Their org has a FABULOUS holiday gift opp, as they have a simple, silver signature pendant that celebs have taken to, which supports the film work to raise awareness of the plight of these women in Africa.

She also has a cool new entrepreneurial funding model using teens here in the US to craft jewelry to help/benefit the kids in Africa---a win-win for kids across both continents!

Here's more on all her work in Africa: http://savehope.blogspot.com

Amy Jussel
Shaping Youth

Holiday Gift Giving: Make A Contribution to any of these Fabulous Organizations

Beth Kanter — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 20:42:10 -0600

Photo by Life in Africa

For this week's BlogHer Holiday Guide post, I needed to come up with a list of nonprofit organizations or causes that BlogHer readers may consider making a donation to as part of their year-end giving. I have two favorites: The Sharing Foundation which supports children in Cambodia and Creative Commons. I also turned to the readers of my blog who are very savvy about nonprofits and asked them to pitch their favorite causes and organizations that might be of interest to BlogHer readers. Here's the summary:

1. Support Peace Work Around the World

Peace Project Fellow, Alison Long
Photo in Flickr, Used with Permission

Peace Fellows are graduate students who work with Advocacy Project's community based human rights partners around the world. The Fellows provide much needed energy, expertise and enthusiasm while being exposed to to the
compelling, challenging, essential and often dangerous work done by campaigners for human rights and social justice. Fellows make use of blogging, social networking, photo and video sharing tools to build communities of support for their host organizations so donors can follow their work and directly share in the accomplishments.

2. Help Special Needs Children Improve Social Skills

Can I Sit With You? is an ongoing book and blog project that shares schoolyard stories -- both good and bad -- to help current student feel less alone in their social bewilderment. All proceeds from the sale of the Can I Sit With You? book go directly to SEPTAR, the fledgling Special Education PTA of Redwood City. Can I Sit With You? is co-edited by special needs parents Shannon Des Roches Rosa and Jennifer Byde Myers.

3. Help Survivors of Slavery and Trafficking Rebuild Their Lives

The Emancipation Network and MadeBySurvivors.com, where
people can help survivors of human trafficking and slavery to rebuild their lives and to have sustainable income, education and hope. MadebySurvivors sells beautiful handicrafts and awesome gifts all made by survivors and people at very high risk for slavery. People can also make a donation to The Emancipation Network, a 501c3 non profit, or sponsor a red light district child for school.

4. Support Children

Shaping Youth recommends supporting Age of Conversation to Benefit Variety, The Children's Charity. This organization has been supporting young people since 1928, when a baby was found with a note pinned to it on Christmas Eve on a seat at the Sheridan Square Theater. Can't get much more pertinent for holiday hope than the gift of human beings caring for one
another!

5. Adopt An Acre of Rainforest

Photo by Dmason

When you give someone the gift of an acre of rainforest in Costa Rica,
you're helping to protect and restore one of the world's most extraordinary yet highly threatened regions now and for future generations. You're making a tangible, lasting difference for both people and nature.

6. Support the only national sexual assault hotline

Paul Hyland saw a presentation at NPowerDC. He recommends the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, works with local rape crisis centers nationwide. They recently launched the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline, and are in a push to increase the hours to 24/7 operation.
This is a really great use of technology to reach a younger generation of victims who might be more comfortable in an IM session than a phone call. Check out their MySpace page.

7. The GRO Foundation: Global Relief Outreach

Think of how much change could be created if instead of a new sweater or CD we all were able to give a Holiday gift that meant survival for a starving family, or an education for an orphaned student. The G.R.O.Foundation has created the 2007 Gifts of Hope campaign in order to do just that; meaningful giving can bring hope, protection and security to the most vulnerable of our global family. The G.R.O. Foundation's Gifts of Hope have been created to initiate a revolution in giving – where
every gift, no matter how significant, directly supports students and families in Lesotho, southern Africa that need it the most and so we can take back the season and make it one of true giving.

8. Free Geek

FreeGeek in Portland solves two problems. E-waste and access to technology to those who could not otherwise afford it. Watch this engaging video and then go make a contribution.

9. Support the Spastic Paraplegia Foundation

Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP) and Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS) are long-term forms of Lou Gehrig disease, disorders largely unknown to the public which cause progressive weakness and spasticity in the muscles in the lower body which usually
leads to complete disability. With no known public figure/celebrity spokesperson afflicted with either disease, the 24,000 Americans suffering from HSP/PLS have even less of a public platform. This began
to change with the establishment in 2002 of the Spastic Paraplegia
Foundation (SPF) whose all-volunteer effort raised over $1.5 million in five short years for critical research on these and related neuromuscular areas.

10. Help Build a School for Tibetan Girls

Photo by Audience Works

Help build a school for Tibetan girls that gives them a high quality education, gives them the same opportunities as boys, and prepares them for today's world with the best of modern western education and Tibetan values. After visiting Tibet and witnessing the dire conditions and
systematic destruction of their culture, Rebecca Krause-Hardie realized how essential it is
that we create places outside Tibet that support and cultivate their culture and spiritual beliefs. Donations can be made here.

11. Community Center of St. Bernard

St Bernard Parish was devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and by the largest domestic residential oil spill in US history (Murphy Oil spill in Chalmette). Two years later only 39% of residents have been
able to return, and many of them are still living in FEMA trailers waiting and waiting for the help they were promised. Contributions to the Community Center of St Bernard will help them to continue offering essential services like food and clothes for low-income residents, free access to internet and
phones, and community events that help restore a sense of hope and normalcy to these hurricane survivors.

12. Give Kids the World

Give Kids The World is a non-profit, 70-acre resort that creates magical memories for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. For more than 6,000 families each year, Give Kids The World provides a week-long dream vacation to Central Florida that includes accommodations, attractions tickets and meals, at no cost to them. With
your gift, you share the joy of a dream come true for a child and help Give Kids The World fulfill its mission to never turn away a child in need

13. Life in Africa

LiA makes a great gift because it's not just a gift, it's an
experience. There are many ways to connect with Life in Africa's war-affected communities in Uganda: shop for community-made gifts that make a difference, invest in the LiA community through a Kiva loan,
help Ugandans plan projects online, or my favorite, give to help provide school fees for 200 orphans in LiA households. More than just a gift, LiA is an experience that makes Africa feel closer.

14. Help A Family of Five in Burma Stay Alive

Photo by Jackol

When Partners asked the Internally Displaced People of Eastern Burma what they needed to stay alive while they hid from the Burmese army, they named it: 75kg of rice, 5kg of salt, 1 cooking pot, 1 machete, 1
lighter, 1 plastic sheet for shelter. Five basic essentials that will help a family of five survive in jungle hiding for one month. Help a family of five stay alive.

15. Help Victims of Domestic Violence

My Father's House of Erie is a transitional house for women and
children who have been victims of domestic, relationship, physical, or verbal abuse. This program has been around for about ten years. They have recently renovated a beautiful house in the Victorian style, which can hold up to six families. My Father's House of Erie has everything in place to open this new house, with the exception of operational costs, which happens to be the most difficult type of funding to receive. Contributing to this
organization would be an incredible way to make a difference in an organization which would otherwise not be able to help as many families as it has the physical capabilities to. For anybody who knows somebody
who has suffered abuse, this would be a great way to donate in honor of that person.

Can't decide? You can always give the gift of giving by sending a
gift card to someone who can select a charity at Network for Good or Global Giving. Details here. You can also make a virtual gift on Facebook through Changing the Present. Rather shop till your drop with a portion of the proceeds going to charity? Check out eBay Giving Works, Churchworld Catalog, or MAATIAM

Beth Kanter, BlogHer CE for NGOS and Social Change, writes Beth's Blog.

BlogHer - Holiday Gift Giving: Make A Contribution to any of these Fabulous Organizations - Comments

Shaping Youth/Silent Bravery & Africa's Girl Child Network

Holiday Gift Giving: Make A Contribution to any of these Fabulous Organizations