Let's Save The Children Together

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of SEO 5 Consulting. All opinions are 100% mine.
Every day, in the poorest regions of the world, 25,000 children under 5 die because they lack access to things we take for granted – clean water, sanitation, medicine, and food.

This is a staggering number, and a statistic that we can do something about.  We have all seen those commercials asking us to sponsor a child.  For just $35 a day, you can make a difference in a child's life.  When you sponsor a child, you help an entire community, not just a single child.  Money is combined to help communities build schools and run medical clinics, providing a better way of life for these children who may never know what it is like to drink clean water. 

I can not even imagine how hard it must be on the parents of these children.  I know that I want only the best for my kids, so it must be so hard knowing that you can not even provide your kids the barest of essentials.  These kids don't want cell phones and laptops.  They want clean water and medicine.  Is that really too much to ask for?

I don't think so.  With Plan Canada, we can all do something to help these kids.  Monthly or yearly donations can help save lives.

How can we not try to give what we can?

Helping The Poor

I am sure you have heard the old saying, "give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, but teach a man to fish and he will eat forever", or something along those lines. That is the first thought that popped into my head when I heard about Opportunity International. This non-profit organization has been serving the poor for nearly 40 years, and they have thousands of associates working in 25 different countries. They offer to microfinance which is providing financial assistance, like small business loans and savings, to people willing to work their way out of poverty. They also offer training, which is what made me think of the fish saying. I mean, it is one thing for a charity to provide food and water to underprivileged people, but when you give them opportunity as well, you give them hope.

Go Barefoot

Wow.

That is the only word that comes to mind after watching that video.

Wow.

The Barefoot Challenge. Will you participate? Can you?

National Volunteer Week is taking place April 19 – 25, 2009. Twelve year old Bilaal Rajan is asking you, and me, to join him in this challenge during that week. All you have to do is go barefoot.

Sounds easy, right?

Let's think about it for a minute.

This means on those cold mornings, at 6:20 am, not shoving my feet into my fuzzy crocs to walk the kids to the bus stop.

This means when it is raining I don't get to wear something dry on my feet.

This means when I go to the store, I must walk through the parking lot, on the hot pavement, without the buffer of flip flops.

This means my feet will be dirty. Filthy, actually. If you know me, you know I can not stand to have dirty feet.

This means I will have to make the choice not to put shoes on my feet.

Do you know how many people don't even have that choice to make?

Too many.

I've heard it said you need to walk a mile in a person's shoes to know how hard their life is. Well, for this week, you have to walk in the footsteps, not the shoes, of those less fortunate. Will it be easy? Absolutely not. Will it be comfortable? I doubt it. Will it mean something? Without a doubt.

Maybe it will make people take a moment and be thankful for what they have. Maybe it will open people eyes to the disadvantages of others. Maybe it will just make people think.

Sears Heroes at Home Wish Registry

I think I might have mentioned this before, but it is such an important cause, I felt it needed to be said again. Sears Heroes at Home Wish Registry is a program that aids the families of our military this Holiday season. Donations made to Sears will be distributed equally between all registered families as Sears gift cards, and are not tax deductable.

I can not think of a better way to spend that extra money this Christmas. If you are planning to give to a charity, consider this one. These families give so much of themselves. They sacrifice their time, and sometimes their lives, so that we can be free to celebrate Christmas with our families. There are children out there who have a parent deployed right now, and will not get to see them this year for Christmas. Wouldn't it be great to know that you helped to make their Christmas a little brighter? I can not imagine living every day wondering if your mom or dad is doing okay, or even if they are going to come back alive. That has got to be a very difficult way to live.

So if you find that you have some extra money this Christmas season, please consider donating to Sears Heroes at Home Wish Registry.

Christmas For Payatas

Press Release:

The landfill in Payatas, The Philippines, is notoriously known the world over as Smokey Mountain. For over 35 years, the smoking dump site has grown to become a stark and heart-tugging reminder of the desperate conditions of humanity.

On a daily basis, children pick through newly arrived garbage to collect material to sell. The earnings made by one child are not enough to even buy food for the day. Hence, entire families are forced to climb the mountain each day, hoping to earn enough to feed everyone. Children as young as four years old are forced to work in this daily struggle for survival.

In response to the plight of these children, Totedaddy.com is working with Lighthouse Center For Children Foundation to bring a little cheer to the children this Christmas.

Totedaddy.com has kicked off with a cash sponsorship of USD 10,000 to enable the children to celebrate Christmas. FusionExcel International has also pitched in a USD 5,000 in cash sponsorship. The money raised will help fund the projects already in place, and help fund additional projects aimed at providing better housing, and a means of livelihood for the Payatas community.

It is hoped that by creating better awareness to the plight of these children, more support can be garnered towards their betterment. Together we can bury poverty!

This Christmas is going to be hard on a lot of people. You have already heard me talk about how stressed I am about finding the money to buy the things my kids want. I know they will not get everything on their lists, and I know I am lucky to be able to get them the few things I have. There are kids out there in the world who will have nothing on Christmas morning. Athletes, Celebrities, and Politicians have already contributed to Christmas For Payatas. Even if you only have a little to give, think of the difference it would make to a child who spends his/her days working for pennies. Watch the video here, and see how your donation can put a smile on a child's face.