Here are some organizations you (and your family, office, or group) can contribute to in order to make the Holidays a little warmer, a little happier, for someone else.

Local

Every city has shelters and local ways to help.  Google “Christmas Charity [City State]” or “Holiday Charity [City State]” to begin your search results.  Call shelters or large churches to see how you can help.

Hurricane Sandy

I first read about Hurricane Sandy Toys from MeRa Koh’s blog.  You have until this Friday, December 7, to order a wish list item from Amazon, and it’ll go right to the hopeful kid who asked for it.

Christmas Specific

Angel Tree:  Christian program that delivers gifts to children of prisoners, along with a message of hope to the family.

Operation Christmas Child:  Follow the guidelines to fill a shoebox with much-needed items.  Imagine a shoebox full of blessings.

International

Compassion International: Sponsor a child for a monthly fee; change a child’s year and life.

Children’s Hopechest: Over 100 active partnerships in Asia, Africa, and South America. Engage your children by sponsoring a child.

One of our own Today’s Mama writers, Jen Price, lives and works in South Africa, building hope and homes for orphans.  So many ways to help build Ten Thousand Homes.

Small Giving with Big Impact

3for5.org: Donate $5 and invite 3 friends to do the same.  Small change to change someone’s life with clean water.

Shop through a charitable contribution website, which will automatically give back while you buy (some charity choices and setup involved).  iGive and GoodShop are good places to go.

Hugh Jackman has been a recent topic around Today’s Mama, and he’s also supporting Laughing Man, “All be happy” coffee, teas, and gifts inspired by a trip to Ethiopia and a humanitarian interest there.  If you’re going to order office and neighbor gifts, why not from Laughing Man?

More to chew on for the Holidays…

Just Ask KitchenAid Giveaway

Mom’s Cinnamon Roll Recipe

Ribbon Wristlet Key Ring

The post Holiday Charity and Giving appeared first on TodaysMama.

I’ve done the San Francisco walk twice, and it is AMAZING.  And EMOTIONAL.  You’re walking with breast cancer survivors, people who are in the middle of cancer treatments, people who have lost their mother, sister, best friend, wife or daughter.

It’s an incredible way to support a cause.  And it’s a great way to see a city…since you’re walking 39 miles through it.

Did I train for this little adventure?  Nope.  Somehow I convinced myself that 39 miles over two days would be totally doable.

I am ridiculous.  You should TRAIN, TRAIN, TRAIN.  I practically killed myself.  I know exactly what the hills look like in San Francisco, so I’m not sure why I classified myself as such a top-notch athlete.  I practically crawled to the finish line.

But despite the mind-numbing stiffness that took over my body, I had an amazing time.  It’s definitely on my to-do list to do this walk again in the future, maybe as a way to explore a city that I’ve never been to before.

It really is a life-changing experience.  Click here for more information from the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer site.

And don’t be a moron….TRAIN.

My fellow walker, tent mate, and favorite buddy from college after day one...we weren't feeling so hot...probably because WE DIDN'T TRAIN!

Get off the couch…

The Bar Method

Healthy Living for Mom: My Workout

Jennifer’s Journey: Life as a Mom at a Live-In Weight Loss Camp

The post Avon Walk for Breast Cancer appeared first on TodaysMama.

Here is how it works:

What is GiveBack? from GiveBack on Vimeo.

How I can “Give Back”
I chose two charities for my “GiveBack” account:

As many of you know my husband was recently in a car accident. Adding an additional layer of stress was the fact that we were in between health insurance plans. Aside from this time in my life, I can say that I have had health coverage every other mili-second of my life since birth. And of course as luck would have it – the biggest medical catastrophe of our lives hit exactly when we didn’t have health insurance.

I remember sitting in the ICU when the girl who came around to handle the financial details regarding insurance and all of that good stuff and all I wanted to do was throw up. I knew that logically they would never turn someone out in such life threatening condition, but in my irrational state all I could say through tears was “We don’t even have insurance. We are the patients you probably dread. Please don’t pull the plug”.

To which the girl responded — “Oh no — you do not need to worry. We have all kinds of programs for assistance and we would never turn anyone away based on ability to pay. And the quality of care you will receive will not change at all.” Nothing changed in our medical care. We still had access to the best surgeons and treatments that were available and we were never treated a bit differently, except with total understanding.

And in so many places I read this:

Intermountain Healthcare’s mission is to provide medically necessary and generally available healthcare to the communities we serve regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.

So for that reason, I chose as my two charities Intermountain Health Care and Primary Childrens Medical Center Foundation. I chose Primary Childrens as well because I watched my little sister and my parents navigate a lifetime of health care there for her.

Those are awesome specs Mom!

Now I don’t have buckets of cash to give, especially this holiday season, but I can find ways to feed my personal foundations through the regular actions that I take.

For instance, I’m doing as much of my holiday shopping online as possible – and a lot of it through places like eBay. If I log into my GiveBack account, I can dedicate a percentage of my purchase back to my foundation. I would be making the purchases anyway, especially for the holidays, and I can take care of my little charitable account at the same time.

Quick Review
Setting up an account and shopping for my charity was easy. The way it’s set up is awesome from a record keeping and financial tracking perspective. It really would make tax time a lot easier to be able to pull charitable giving reports from here. You can use GiveBack.org to donate to foundations or even manage your religious charitable giving. So even if you don’t feel like you have a lot to give – GiveBack makes it easy and helps you find more opportunities and resources to make a difference.

The post Give Back! appeared first on TodaysMama.

Find a Project

Take a field trip or search your community and let your kids have a say in what they’d like to do to help. Finding a cause that is meaningful to your family will help keep up interest from now until the holidays arrive.  Many organizations will be thrilled to know you’re thinking ahead and will welcome your help now, not just during the holiday rush.

Make a Plan

With just a little organization, many of your holiday charity projects can be prepared during the summer. If you’re the crafty-type, start making the greeting cards for soldiers or hand-made ornaments for a tree decorating fundraiser. If being thrifty or re-purposing s more your vibe, start cleaning out closets now for donations.  If you love a deal, just imagine the sales on school supplies coming in a few weeks and stock up to help a needy school.

Other Ideas

• Local shelters have year round needs. Get a list of high-demand items and add 1 item to your weekly shopping list.  Let your kids be in charge of reminding you or picking out the item on shopping day. Set aside a basket or box for the extra toothbrushes, diapers, socks or crayons and watch it “grow” over the summer.
• A local children’s hospital may have sewing needs. Teach your kids basic sewing skills of making a pattern, shopping for fabric and trying their hand at cutting, sewing or stuffing.
• Get in shape! Sign up to participate in a charity fundraising walk/run and start your training this summer. Setting a fundraising goal will seem more reasonable if you start sooner.
• Organize a yard sale and let people know your proceeds are helping to fund your holiday charity project. You’ll probably make more money if neighbors know it’s for a good cause!
• Organize a book drive with your extended family, co-workers, school, club or faith community
• Plant a garden with your project in mind. Besides fruits and veggies that can decorate your table, think of growing and drying flowers to decorate another person’s holidays.

If you have an idea of your own, please share here in the comments. I’d love to know what projects you and your family are planning!

The post Planning Now For Your Holiday Charity Project appeared first on TodaysMama.

Doctor’s love, money, help families of ‘miracle babies’

By Erika Clarke. CNN



The post CNN Hero Series appeared first on TodaysMama.

Growing up in North Carolina, my dad was responsible for both the spiritual and temporal needs of many in our church community. Our family often spent Thanksgiving weekend raking the thousands of leaves at the homes of widows or single mothers. My mom would typically make 2 dinners, one for us and one for a family without means to provide their own dinner. The effect was unforgettable for a 9-year old. I can still see the appreciation in the faces of those we visited, as I realized I’d done something for someone else, that they could not have done for themselves.

This year, my daughter’s school created a “Helping Hands” project. Our school will help collect and wrap donations for another school in our district where 93 percent of the students receive lunch assistance. As the students in the disadvantaged school complete assignments, they earn points to go shopping in a Rewards Store. Hot-selling items include Cup-O-Noodles and packages of new underwear. Other items stocked include school supplies, basic hygiene supplies and toys. While many businesses donate supplies to the Rewards Store, due to the depressed economy, those donations have dwindled. The Helping Hands project will help re-stock the Store before the Winter Break.

We have planned a clean-out day for our toy room and my kids are excited to take some of their own money and come shopping with me for new gifts. Our school is hosting an activity before the holiday when donations can be wrapped in clear cello bags and tags added. Then, we’ll get to help deliver and stock the Rewards Store with our treats. In a year when businesses have cut back in their donations, we know that the little effort our family can make to help will mean a lot. For me, I’m hoping my kids will remember what it feels like to do something for others and that the word gratitude will mean more than before.

The post Traditions: Giving Thanks appeared first on TodaysMama.

This year, A Day Made Better will take place on October 6 where 1,000 teachers will be surprised in their classrooms each with $100 worth of essential supplies from OfficeMax. That is more than one million dollars donated to help teachers! Principals at needy schools nominated the teachers for demonstrating dedication, innovation, and passion. To pay-it-forward, OfficeMax, MomitForward, TodaysMama and others have teamed up to create awareness about the issue of teacher-funded classrooms and to give you the opportunity to get involved and help a teacher in your community on behalf of the A Day Made Better.

Here’s how: Simply nominate a teacher of your choice to win this giveaway by following the entry requirements. Be sure to check out the prize and criteria!

Prize

One exceptional teacher will receive a ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR gift card to OfficeMax. This can go a long way when it comes to classroom supplies! 

This is a giveaway that is meant to be given away. What does that mean? You get to nominate a teacher by sharing why this person is exceptional and deserving of this giveaway. The best part, every story told helps raise awareness in an effort to erase teacher-funded classrooms. The winning teacher will be chosen based on the following criteria, so be sure to tell us why your teacher is most deserving:

• Dedication: does everything in his/her power to deliver the best possible education for his/her students.
• Innovation: thinks outside the box and engages his/her students through creative learning activities & programs.
• Passion: expresses a genuine passion for education and shares this enthusiasm in the classroom.
• Need: demonstrates a need for essential classroom supplies.

Entry Requirements

To enter your teacher, you are required to do two things.

1. Nominate them through a blog post or on Whrrl.

Write a post on your blog.

• You can include photos, video, etc. but please stay under 400 words or 3 minutes.
• Please include these links: http://adaymadebetter.com or @adaymadebetter.
• Email your link to info@todaysmama.com with "Office Max" in the subject line

OR

Create a story on Whrrl.com.

• Go to our custom Whrrl page at http://whrrl.com/search?q=omx, click Start A Story and upload photos and text about why your teacher is most deserving.
• Be sure to include the #omx hashtag in the text of your story.
• Post a link to your Whrrl story in the comments section.

2. Post these messages on Facebook and/or Twitter.

• Teachers spend avg $1200 of own $$ on school supplies annually! Help erase teacher-funded classrooms. http://bit.ly/3VUNvC PLS RT #omx
• Nominate a teacher 2 win $100 in OfficeMax classroom supplies. Enter here: www.todaysmama.com PLS RT #omx
• Join the A Day Made Betterî movement to end teacher-funded classrooms at http://bit.ly/UJ3LF #omx

More than 30 sites (including TodaysMama.com) are participating in this campaign between now and Sunday, October 4. Visit http://momitforward.com for a list of all the giveaways! You may enter a different teacher on every site, but you may only win once! Thanks so much for helping pay-it-forward to teachers in your community! Please join us on Tuesdays, September 22 and 29 from 9 to 11 pm ET for Girls Night Out (#gno) on Twitter if youíd like to meet the team behind the cause: @officemax, @adaymadebetter and @Adopt_Classroom. Hope to see you there!

Fine Print

Entries are due Sunday, October 4 by midnight PDT. No purchase necessary to enter. Winners will be selected by me based on the entry that in my opinion meets the above criteria. OfficeMax, Adopt-A-Classroom and Mom It Forward play no part in choosing the winner of this giveaway. OfficeMax, Adopt-A-Classroom, TodaysMama.com and Mom It Forward employees are ineligible to enter. In a spirit of fairness, my personal friends and family members are also ineligible. Entries that do not follow all of the entry requirements will not be considered. The winner will be notified and have 24 hours to confirm receipt of the email. If no response is received within 24 hours, another winner will be selected. Open to participants in the U.S. 18 years and older.

The post A Day Made Better for Teachers! appeared first on TodaysMama.

Name
Lindsay Avner

City / State
Chicago, IL

What was your big dream?
To launch a national movement by starting Bright Pink (www.BeBrightPink.org), a non-profit organization that encourages women to be proactive advocates for their breast and ovarian health.  The organization currently has +10,000 members, 8 education and support programs, and is supported by wonderful corporate partners such as Orbit White Bubblemint gum and Dove shampoo.

How did you accomplish it?
When I first started the organization, I was working full time and working on the organization on the side for the first year and a half. I found some wonderful mentors who really took me under their wing and was always networking and telling people about the organization and asking if they would play a part (or knew someone who would want to).  Our original team of volunteer leaders are still very involved today. It has been exciting for so many of us to build something wonderful from the ground up!

Where did you find inspiration to get started?
I have always been very involved in philanthropic work and have volunteered. When I was 22, I tested positive for the BRCA1 genetic mutation, putting me at up to an 87% lifetime risk for developing breast cancer and a 54% risk for developing ovarian cancer.  In an effort to avoid breast cancer, I opted for a preventative bilateral mastectomy.  As a young, single woman just beginning my life, I was scared and all alone.  While I wasn’t a survivor, I also was not like everyone else. I created Bright Pink as a resource and community so that no other young woman would have to go through a similar experience alone.

What motivated you to keep going?
The impact I could tell we were having. There is something life-changing about having the opportunity to help a young woman who is scared and uncertain (perhaps because she has just lost a mother or sister to cancer, just tested positive for the breast cancer gene, etc) become a proactive advocate for her health.  Our organization exists to bring brightness and clarity into women’s lives by helping them develop a strategy to detect breast/ovarian cancer at a non-life threatening stage or prevent these diseases all together.

What’s your next Big Dream?
To continue to learn more about myself and contribute to the world in a big and meaningful way.

Who is your hero?
My mom.  She is a two-time cancer survivor (she had breast cancer 15 years ago and ovarian cancer 4 years ago).  For all that she has gone through, she is still the most upbeat and positive person who I have ever met. She wakes up excited every morning excited for what the day may hold. She has every right to be bitter and angry and instead, she could not be more grounded, grateful and giving to others.

What do you wish you did better?
I wish I was more patient and wasn’t so hard on myself. I have to constantly remind myself to slow down and that not everyone moves at a million miles a minute.

What book is on your night stand?
I feel so embarrassed to say, but I can’t remember the last book I read. I do have a pretty impressive stack of magazines…everything from Glamour and US Weekly to Time and Newsweek.

What is your favorite lipstick?
Anything Bright Pink. Original, I know.

What is your favorite quote?
“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, he became a butterfly”  It always reminds me that no matter how tough things may seem, they always get better and there is always a light at the end of any tunnel!

The post A Bright Pink Dream appeared first on TodaysMama.

I recently wrote an article on MomItForward.com about 10 tips for raising charitable, giving children and it got me thinking. One of the best ways to teach your children to be service-oriented is to model the behavior for them. With that in mind, I created the Summer of Service (SOS) Challenge. It’s easy, fun, and will make a big difference.

The SOS Challenge

Make a meaningful difference this summer by taking the Summer of Service (SOS) Challenge. Here’s how:

Commit to do one act of kindness each week based on the week’s challenge.

Leave a comment on MomItForward.com with ideas relating to the week’s challenge as well as your experience(s) performing it.

Grab the SOS button and put it on your blog or social networking site.

Enter to win each week’s giveaway.

Join #gno to connect with other MomItForward.com moms about the challenge.

The Giveaways

The fun part? Each week, a different company will be sponsoring the challenge and they come bearing gifts! You can enter to win one of the giveaway prizes every week.

Last Week’s Challenge: Make Some Music & Make a Difference

Week 1 included a Twitter Girl’s Night Out (#gno) with recording artist Diane Birch along with these music oriented ideas on how YOU can make a difference.

• Teach your children your three favorite childhood songs. Perform them for others.
• Play an instrument with your child or sign your child up for music lessons.
• Share your musical talent(s) with others—to friends or family, over the phone or skype to loved ones that live far away, to strangers: at a nursing home or to a homeless person.
• Dedicate a song on the radio, on Twitter, on Facebook, or on your blog to someone you care about.
• Share the gift of music with someone by sending them an iTunes gift card, a CD, etc.
• Find out your dad’s 10 favorite songs, download, and burn them onto a CD for him for Father’s day.
• Send a loved one a letter/message with the words to a song that sums up your feelings for him/her.
• Set a great tone in your home by playing music in the background.
• Make up stories about classical music (or other wordless songs) and tell them to your children as the music is playing.
• Dance with your children!

Go to MomItForward.com to see the SOS Challenge for this week.

The post Summer of Service appeared first on TodaysMama.

By Danielle Smith

Reprinted with permission from MomItForward.com. Original post date: April 21, 2009

Less than 2 weeks ago, something terrible happened.

A mother and father took their little girl to the hospital.

Sweet Madeline Alice Spohr never came home again.

Maddie lived 17 beautiful, amazing months. In that time, she touched lives and brightened the world of everyone who met her.

News of her passing rippled across the Blog World. Friends and family of Maddie’s parents, Heather and Mike Spohr, reached out to help.

Something happened. One person shared the story of Maddie with another, and then that person passed on the light of this little girl – until hundreds of people were wringing their hands in their own homes across the country—feeling helpless, wondering what they could do to ease the pain of this family they didn’t even know.

Strangers sat at their computers late at night, reading post after post about the beauty of this little girl, about the tragedy of her loss, and sharing their need to help. Crying was the norm.

The color purple became a rally cry—Twitter Avatars changed color, Twitter backgrounds switched to purple, blog backgrounds made the jump.

Heather’s close friend became the source for information. AMomTwoBoys was where you could go for all things Maddie. You could find:

· Links to all the amazing tributes to this little girl (close to 500 of them)

· Learn about how to donate to the March of Dimes in Maddie’s honor. In less than 2 weeks, more than $31,000 has been raised. I understand 90% of that has been in increments of less than $25 or less.

· She even sent you to the websites that had the links for buttons to help the family—neither Heather or Mike are working right now and clearly, expenses are overwhelming.

And that love for Heather, Mike and Maddie continues to spread.

If you want to join a March of Dimes team and walk for Maddie in your home town, SarcasticMom has you covered. There are more than 50 teams nationwide set up in her honor. You can even buy a T-shirt, designed by Heather Durdill.

If you want to know who took the ‘purple’ to heart – SarcasticMom tackled that too. From purple toenails, to hairbows, to t-shirts—Maddie was honored everywhere. The day of her Memorial Service, April 14th, purple balloons were released. As I strolled around the Midwest, I was tempted to ask everyone I saw that day if the purple they were wearing was for Maddie.

And because friends often know just what someone needs—the entire front page of Blog Nosh Magazine has dedicated their entire front page to Maddie and another special group has created bracelets that symbolize the beauty of Maddie—while helping to raise money to offset expenses for her family.

I bought one. I should have it soon.

I will wear it everyday.

Not because I knew Heather. Not because I ever met Maddie.

But because I care. Because I can’t imagine the pain. Because I would want to know that people won’t forget the angel I lost.

If you want to know how you can still help, never fear, there are moms ‘momming-it-forward’ as we speak – and they have the answers.

If you would like to get right to the heart of Maddie – visit her Daddy, Mike and Mommy, Heather.

Pictures are from Maddie’s mom, Heather’s website.

The post March of Dimes Fund Soars in Memory of Maddie Spohr appeared first on TodaysMama.