Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it's all about love, and giving thanks. While I enjoy Black Friday and Cyber Monday as much as the next girl; one of the things I get most excited about during this time of year is the #GivingTuesday movement, which is all about {obviously} giving back! Today I'm sharing 5 clever and simple ways to give back, and spread a little love for holiday 2016. I hope you'll join me in celebrating Giving Tuesday!
1} Give Wounded Veterans a New Leash on Life Through the
Puppies Behind Bars Program, inmates at correctional facilities throughout New York and New Jersey train puppies to serve as
service dogs for wounded veterans. Since its inception,
PBB has trained and provided service dogs to more than
100 veterans. By donating
$25, you pay for a
collar and leash for one of these service dogs.
2} Sponsor a Special Needs Cat I have been
actively donating to
Blind Cat Rescue & Sanctuary for a number of years now, so I absolutely had to include them here!
Blind Cat Rescue & Sanctuary is a
lifetime care sanctuary for cats who are blind, FIV+, or FELV+. These are cats who were deemed
unadoptable by regular shelters, and are now thriving under the care of volunteers.
How can you help?
Sponsor A Cat! For
$30 per month you can
sponsor the cat of your choice - receiving photos of your
selected kitty, as well as
periodic updates about him or her. Not only do I love this one for
#GivingTuesday, it also serves as an amazing gift for
Christmas, birthdays, or other special occasions.
3} Bring Coziness + Literacy to a Child in Need A
long-time favorite organization of mine is
Pajama Program, which provides
cozy pajamas and books to children living in shelters, group homes, and temporary housing. Many of these children are shuffled from place to place with no parents to speak of, so
warm pajamas and a bedtime story brightens their world! In
NYC you can
volunteer to host Reading Parties. Not in NYC?
No worries! You can
donate new books and pajamas!
4} Give a Disabled Dog the Chance to Run Again By now you can
probably tell that I have a
soft spot for special needs animals, which is why Romania-based
Adăpostul Speranța, a
Four Paws International partner run by
Fundatia Speranța, has struck a chord with me on this
#GivingTuesday! The animal hospital is known for taking in
stray dogs, providing them
lifelong shelter, and
building special carts for their paralyzed canine residents so that they can run again! Right now,
Adăpostul Speranța needs to buy materials for the construction of
11 new carts, so
donating any amount will fund this endeavor, and give a
paralyzed pup the chance to play.
5} Show Love to a Senior No one wants to be alone; but for many senior citizens this is precisely how they find themselves during their golden years. Enter
Love for the Elderly. If you want a
super simple way to make someone smile, this right here is the organization for you! Through
Love for the Elderly's Letters of Love initiative, you have the
power to change someone's perspective simply by
putting pen to paper. Simply create/write a few cards or letters, mail them off to the address at the link above, and
rest easy knowing that someone in a
nursing home will be cheered by your communication!
Teachers, this is also a great
class project!
"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal."
Albert Camus
How will you celebrate
#GivingTuesday?
xx
