Within 100 days, I’m seeking to discover 100 causes worth supporting: To Give to. To Pray for. To Post about. Please join me in this joyful adventure of giving.
Day 100 – Rehabilitating Teen Drug Users
For the last installment of my 100 day exploration of charitable causes to give to, pray for and post about, I will highlight one that has personally impacted me in a dramatic way: Teen Challenge (TC). WIKI: Global Teen Challenge is a network of Christian faith-based corporations intended to help teenagers, adults, and families with…
Day 99 – Restoring Eyesight to the Blind
The Life You Can Save, founded by Peter Singer, provides a curated list of several dozen evidence-based charities. The organization hopes to inspire and maximize charitable contributions while recommending where they will make the most difference. You can read more about their admirable mission in our post Day 81 – Amping Up Your Charitable Giving.…
Day 98 – Doubling Down – My Favorite Charity
On Day 10, I wrote about Combating Human Trafficking. After penning a few paragraphs about the problem and outlining currently available statistics, I reviewed one local organization, Free For Life International, that engages internationally to relieve the horrific issue of human slavery. I briefly quoted their Executive Director and CEO, Gabrielle Joy Thompson, regarding their mission…
Day 97 – Getting Scammed While Being Charitable
We love to give. We love to see our gifts make a difference where needed, and to know that our donations help to relieve suffering, lift the fallen, empower the forlorn. Regardless, there are those who take advantage of our generosity in the furtherance of their greed or vice. I love to give, to invest,…
Day 96 – Nursing the Covid World Back to Health
NursingWorld.org: The human toll of the Coronavirus-19 pandemic is being felt throughout the nation and most acutely by the nation’s largest body of health care professionals – nurses. These nurses will deliver the vast majority of patient care as COVID-19 spreads across the country. Washington Post: What seven ICU nurses want you to know about the…
Day 95 – Soaking – Restorative Worship Music
One of the most gently powerful, profound experiences I’ve ever had as believer for 40 plus years, was during the year or so while attending the Grace Center in Franklin, TN. An ancillary component to their regularly scheduled church services was a cloistered, intimate gathering of several dozen attendees who gathered for Soaking. Soaking consisted…
Day 94 – Instilling Needed Financial Literacy
Investopedia: Financial literacy is the ability to understand and effectively use various financial skills, including personal financial management, budgeting, and investing. The lack of financial literacy can lead to a number of pitfalls. Financially illiterate individuals may be more likely to accumulate unsustainable debt burdens, for example, either through poor spending decisions or through a…
Day 93 – Forestalling the Tsusami of Evictions
Poynter: At the end of this month, the country may be on the cusp of a new phase of the COVID-19 crisis: a wave of evictions. One estimate based on census data says, “8.4 million renter households, which include 20.1 million individual renters, could experience an eviction filing”. Some sources project twice that number, approximately 40…
Day 92 – Cancers Caused by Smoking and Drinking
My two closest family members, my mother and half-brother, were both victims to cancers that were caused by excessive drinking and smoking. My mother miraculously survived pancreatic cancer in her mid-forties, only to succumb to COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) later in life. My half-brother, struggling for many years with chronic pancreatitis (pre-cancerous), finally died…
Day 91 – Burgeoning Humanitarian Crisis
2020 has been a year like no other. Amid ongoing violent conflict, rising hunger, and the effects of climate change, the pandemic will continue to have an impact in 2021. As the health and non-health effects of COVID-19 merge with other shocks, humanitarian programming is also adjusting to treat it in a more integrated manner.…
Day 90 – Cleaning Up Ocean Plastic Waste
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN): Over 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year for use in a wide variety of applications. At least 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year, and make up 80% of all marine debris from surface waters to deep-sea sediments. Marine species…
Day 89 – Performing Life Changing Surgeries
The Lancet: Remarkable gains have been made in global health in the past 25 years, but progress has not been uniform. Mortality and morbidity from common conditions needing surgery have grown in the world’s poorest regions, both in real terms and relative to other health gains. At the same time, development of safe, essential, life-saving…
Day 88 – Blessing Homeless Jimmy G
For most of the population, cold weather is setting in. Here in Nashville, the temperature recently dropped from 70 degrees to 20 degrees in less than a week. I hate cold weather. “Back in the day” when I was a teenager, I spent the better part of a year homeless, including part of a winter…
Day 87 – Ridding Children of Parasitic Diseases
CDC – Parasitic Infections can occur in children of all ages: Infants, toddlers, and very young children in day care settings are at risk for the parasitic disease called giardiasis that causes diarrhea and is spread through contaminated feces. Pinworm infection (enterobiasis) also occurs among preschool and young school-age children. Children of all ages can develop parasitic diseases…
Day 86 – Lending a Helping (Prosthetic) Hand
Ability Lab – Facts About Limb Loss: Worldwide, access to prosthetic care is limited. The World Health Organization estimates that 30 million people are in need of prosthetic and orthotic devices — yet more than 75 percent of developing countries do not have a prosthetics and orthotics training program in place, often leading to poorer clinical coverage…
Day 85 – Developing Africa’s Entrepreneurs
Wiki: As of 2019, approximately 1.3 billion people are living in 54 countries in Africa. It is the world’s poorest inhabited continent. The entire combined GDP is barely a third of the United States. There are a number of reasons for Africa’s poor economy. European colonization and the subsequent challenges created by decolonization and exacerbated…
Day 84 – Supplying Free Medical Services
KFF.org report: For the third year in a row, the number of uninsured increased in 2019. In 2019, 28.9 million nonelderly individuals were uninsured, an increase of more than one million from 2018. Coverage losses were driven by declines in Medicaid and non-group coverage and were particularly large among Hispanic people and for children. Three…
Day 83 – Serving the Widowed and Orphaned
IPS News: The estimated number of widowed persons worldwide in 2020 is approximately 350 million, with the large majority, approximately 80 percent, being widowed women. The sadness, anxiety and loneliness over the loss of a spouse or life partner typically have detrimental effects on the psychological, social, physical and economic wellbeing of the surviving spouse,…
Day 82 – Sending an Angel for Christmas
One of my children’s favorite Christmases occurred during the winter in which we were the poorest. My financial partner had unexpectedly pulled out of our business start-up right before launch. Having put everything I had into the venture, I was left completely depleted financially. As my family struggled to make ends meet, we held several…
Day 81 – Amping Up Your Charitable Giving
Wiki: The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty is a 2009 book by Australian philosopher Peter Singer, in which the author argues that citizens of affluent nations are behaving immorally if they do not act to end the poverty they know to exist in developing nations. Singer presents the following argument…
Day 80 – Coming to Grips w/Climate Change
Wiki: Climate change includes both the global warming driven by human emissions of greenhouse gases, and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. That human activity has caused climate change is not disputed by any scientific body of national or international standing. The largest driver has been the emission of greenhouse gases, of which more…
Day 79 – Achieving Global Literacy
3P Learning: Literacy is most commonly defined as the ability to read and write. But beyond the functional level, literacy plays a vital role in transforming students into socially engaged citizens. Being able to read and write means being able to keep up with current events, communicate effectively, and understand the issues that are shaping…
Day 78 – Resolving the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
UN News: Resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is “key to sustainable peace in the Middle East”, maintaining that the lack of any progress only “furthers radicalization across the region”. The expansion and acceleration of illegal settlement activities in the occupied West Bank, ongoing demolitions, seizures of Palestinian-owned property and evictions are a continuing cause for concern.…
Day 77 – Looking Back on the Holocaust
NPR: 75 Years After Auschwitz Liberation, Survivors Urge World To Remember. “Children will grow up one day and they will be the ones deciding about how to rule the world”, one Auschwitz says. “It is important [to talk about it] in order to develop the conviction that war is not a good thing, in order…
Day 76 – Retooling America’s Workforce
Thirdway.org article: Apprenticeship America: An Idea to Reinvent Postsecondary Skills for the Digital Age. The main shortcoming of U.S. postsecondary education is this: Too few workers are being trained for good-paying, middle-skill jobs. A crisis of human capital today is keeping millions of Americans from the opportunity to earn a good life. Employers’ growing demands for skilled, well-paid…
Day 75 – Volunteering for Good Cause
NationalService.gov: The 2018 Volunteering in America report found that 77.34 million adults (30%) volunteered through an organization last year. Altogether, Americans volunteered nearly 6.9 billion hours, worth an estimated $167 billion in economic value. Millions more are supporting friends and family (43.1 percent) and doing favors for their neighbors (51.4 percent), suggesting that many are…
Day 74 – Furthering Global Development
Wiki: The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked goals designed to be a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all”. The SDGs were set in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by the year 2030. The 17…
Day 73 – Funding and Supporting Non-Profits
Wiki: The World Giving Index (WGI) is an annual report published by the Charities Aid Foundation, using data gathered by Gallup, and ranks over 140 countries in the world according to how charitable they are. The most recent edition was published in September 2018, with Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand ranking as the top three.…
Day 72 – Challenging Juvenile Delinquency
The Crime Report: Juvenile Homicides Rose Amid Overall Crime Decline. Homicide cases in juvenile courts around the U.S. jumped by 35 percent between 2014 and 2018, the Justice Department says in a new report. In a separate report on juvenile arrest data emphasized that in 2018, law enforcement agencies made the fewest arrests of juveniles…
Day 71 – Protecting Our National Park System
Wiki: The United States has 62 protected areas known as national parks that are operated by the National Park Service, an agency of the Department of the Interior. National parks must be established by an act of the United States Congress. A bill creating the first national park, Yellowstone, was signed into law by President…
Day 70 – Seeking Truth Within Political Trash
I’m relieved that the elections are finally over! Whomever would eventually triumph as victor, my hope and prayer was simply that the political wrangling would finally be over, peace would return to our streets and a solid path would be established for victory over the Covid nightmare. Fake news or facts? Liberal socialist agenda or…
Day 69 – Fundraising for Autumn Achey – AML
Several weeks ago, my wife and I went camping at one of our local state parks – Fall Creek Falls. While struggling to put up a portable screen canopy, a helpful neighbor lent a hand. Thereafter, we got further acquainted with him and his family that included three energetic, outgoing daughters and a son. He…
Day 68 – Promoting STEM Education for All
Live Science: STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — in an interdisciplinary and applied approach. Rather than teach the four disciplines as separate and discrete subjects, STEM integrates them into a cohesive learning paradigm based on real-world applications. Despite the…
Day 67 – Re-entering Life After Incarceration
BJS: According to a 2018 Update on Prisoner Recidivism conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice, an estimated 68% of released prisoners were arrested within 3 years, 79% within 6 years, and 83% within 9 years. Forty-four percent (44%) of released prisoners were arrested during the first year following release. Huff Post: One in every…
Day 66 – Recognizing the Disabled Among Us
CDC: 1 in 4 US adults live with a disability. Yes, 61 million Americans – have a disability that impacts major life activities. The most common disability type, mobility, affects 1 in 7 adults. With age, disability becomes more common, affecting about 2 in 5 adults age 65 and older. After mobility disability, the next…
Day 65 – Reimagining Immigration Policy
Immigration has become a much debated topic. Not only in the U.S. but in many other countries as well. Nationalism is on the rise. Globalism is on the decline. “US” first, the rest second or none is a common anthem. It is human nature to want to protect and preserve what one has. Even if…
Day 64 – Owning Up to Americas Genocide
I am grateful to be an American, and live in this amazing country and enjoy its many abundant blessings. I’m not necessarily a avid world traveler, but I’ve frequented well a couple dozen countries in several continents; seen rich ones and poor ones, with various political regimes, tasting a smattering of cultures. I appreciated them…
Day 63 – Reaching Out with Good News
There are plenty of sources of bad news. Sometimes it seems as if that is all there is. Everywhere we look reports of darkness and evil proliferate. Notwithstanding, despite the plethora of negativity, good news can still be found. A kind word from/to a stranger. A chance encounter with a wild flower on a walk…
Day 62 – Tackling the Crisis in Yemen
UN: Yemen remains the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, the result of five years of a brutal conflict, disease, economic collapse and a breakdown of public institutions and services. A staggering 80 per cent of Yemen’s population – over 24 million people – require some form of humanitarian assistance and protection, including about 12.2 million children.…
Day 61 – Thriving in Joy- Dominican Republic
A couple of years ago my wife and I travelled to the Dominican Republic with my daughter on behalf of her organization, Free for Life International – an anti-sex trafficking group – along with other non profits that were there supporting several orphanages and schools on the island. During our stay there we had the…
Day 60 – Recovering from Sexual Abuse
YMCA: Child sexual abuse is a crime that happens across race, religion and class, and has lifetime effects. Child sexual abuse is often predicated on silencing the victim, and as a result, reporting and disclosure is low. Experts predict that 500,000 children will be impacted by child sexual abuse per year. About 93 percent of…
Day 59 – Arresting the Fentanyl Tsunami
It’s personal. Recently, a kind-hearted local boy who used to vacation with us died tragically in his home from an overdose of drugs laced with Fentanyl. His wife discovered him and his buddy dead on their couch when she woke up the next morning. He left behind a grieving widow and 2 small children. Unfortunately,…
Day 58 – Extending Dental Care to the Poor
One of the last considerations when one is deplete of cash, is dental care. As opposed to emergency health care which is by law provided to anyone who shows up. In 1986, Congress passed the Emergency Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) that prohibits a practice commonly known as patient dumping. The act gives individuals the…
Day 57 – Entertaining Hospitalized Kids
An extended stay in the hospital is traumatic for anyone. For children, it is especially so. As noted in an article on Psychlopaedia, children admitted to hospital can experience trauma, not just from their injury but from the experience. Research shows about 10 to 15 per cent of children who are admitted to hospital after…
Day 56 – Immunizing the Worlds Children
WHO: Immunization is one of modern medicine’s greatest success stories. Not only do vaccinations prevent sickness and death associated with infectious diseases such as diarrhoea, measles, pneumonia, polio and whooping cough, they also hold up broader gains in education and economic development. Immunization currently prevents 2-3 million deaths every year. Measles vaccinations averted an estimated…
Day 55 – Succoring CA Wildfire Victims
As of October 27, 2020, over 8,836 fires have burned 4,350,916 acres, more than 4% of the state’s roughly 100 million acres of land, making 2020 the largest wildfire season recorded in California’s modern history, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The intensity of the fires has been increased by drying…
Day 54 – Battling Anti-Muslim Sentiment
Racism is not limited to white and black. And America is certainly not the only country to struggle with systemic bigotry. The “US versus THEY” mentality has existed globally throughout recorded history among all people groups. It has fueled most conflicts – both domestic and international. I grew up during the Cold War. Communist (aka…
Day 53 – Reengaging with Inner City Teens
According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates (2017), there about 44 million youth age 10-19 in the United States, 13% of the total U.S. population. Of these, approximately 21 million are between the ages of 15 to 19 (2019). Children from ethnic/racial minorities together comprise half of the population under age 18. Twenty-five percent (25%) of all…
Day 52 – Recalling Pulse Nightclub Attack
Britannica: The Orlando shooting of 2016, also called Pulse nightclub shooting, is a mass shooting that took place at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in the early morning hours of June 12, 2016, and left 49 people dead and more than 50 wounded. It was the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history up to…
Day 51 – Memorializing the 9/11 Tragedy
WIKI: The September 11 attacks, often referred to as 9/11 were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamist terrorist group Al-Qaeda against the United States on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001. The attacks resulted in 2,977 fatalities, over 25,000 injuries, and substantial long-term health consequences. It is the single deadliest…
Day 50 – Donating to Hurricane Relief
CNN: The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. The areas covered include the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. The National Weather Service defines a hurricane as a “tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 74 mph or higher.” Hurricanes are rated according to intensity of sustained…
Day 49 – Decriminalizing Marijuana
Though the War on Cannabis—a subset of the notorious War on Drugs—has proven fruitless and wasteful, it still costs U.S. taxpayers about $3.6 billion, according to the ACLU. Between 2001 and 2010, there were over 8 million pot arrests in the U.S. with Blacks 3.73 times as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession. Download…
Day 48 – Giving the Gift of a Goat
I love the concept of providing a path toward independence and sustainability via giving. As the oft used adage suggests, “Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he eats for life.” Help him grow a fish farm and you’ll feed a village. Research has proven…
Day 47 – Putting an End to Child Labour
Unicef: Millions of children around the world are trapped in child labour, depriving them of their childhood, their health and education, and condemning them to a life of poverty and want. Current global estimates estimate that 168 million children aged 5 to 17 are trapped in child labour. Child labour spans various sectors, including agriculture,…
Day 46 – Needing a Local Place of Worship
I’ve pretty much avoided organized religion and church for many years. With few exceptions, the most profound spiritual experiences I’ve had throughout my lifetime have been solitary excursions into nature. That said, I’ve loved gathering for extended, uninterrupted worship and stimulating interactive fellowship with open-minded, open-hearted spiritual seekers. I hate being preached at. I hate…
Day 45 – Encountering Lewy Body Dementia
This week I watched the stirring new documentary chronicling Robin William’s final days, Robin’s Wish. Robin has always been a particular hero and favorite of mine. His comedic genius was/is unparalleled. Beyond just being a comedian and actor, he was a man of great heart. He was also a broken man who struggled with depression…
Day 44 – Stopping the Slaughter of the Bees
USDA: Each of us depends on pollinators in a practical way to provide us with the wide range of foods we eat. In the United States, more than one-third of all crop production – 90 crops ranging from nuts to berries to flowering vegetables – requires insect pollination. Check out this interesting USDA infographic. Greenpeace:…
Day 43 – Caring for Our Military Veterans
Statista: In 2019, there were more than 18 million veterans in the United States. Almost 6 million had served in the Vietnam War, and less than 10 thousand remained from wars prior to World War II. USA Today: More than 5 million veterans have at least one disability, 1.2 million live in poverty, and 77%…
Day 42 – Keeping Free Online Education Free
When I was growing up in the 60s, my primary source of all information trivial and important was the World Book Encyclopedia. It was probably the best investment my mother ever made. I spent hours upon hours thumbing through its many alphabetized volumes, first taking in pictures and accompanying captions, before diving into the articles…
Day 41 – Curbing Shipping Industry Pollution
While politicians continue to debate the legitimacy of Global Warming /Climate Change along with self-interested multi-nationals arguing for little or no change in defense of their corporate coffers, people suffer and die. While much focus remains concentrated on lowering auto emissions and utilizing alternative forms energy; transferring the financing burden on domestic consumers, the egregious…
Day 40 – Encouraging Beleaguered Teachers
Teachers are front-line, essential workers and heroes, most especially so during the ongoing Covid Pandemic. Though caught in the ever-churning quagmire of political positioning and squabbling, they have done their best to provide a safe, effective learning environment for our children. They are worthy of our support and encouragement. Time recently interview teachers across the…
Day 39 – Understanding the Autism Spectrum
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a group of complex neurodevelopment disorders characterized by repetitive and characteristic patterns of behavior and difficulties with social communication and interaction. The symptoms are present from early childhood and affect daily functioning. The term “spectrum” refers to the wide range of symptoms, skills, and levels of disability in functioning…
Day 38 – Preventing Suicide – At Risk Groups
Globally, 800,000 people die due to suicide every year, which is one person every 40 seconds. About 80% of suicides occurred in low- and middle-income countries. It is the second leading cause of death for those between the ages of 15 and 24 in the world. Even in the relatively prosperous U.S., more than 48,000…
Day 37 – Remembering the AIDS Epidemic
It’s easy to forget that we continue to face another global pandemic, some say “epidemic” from HIV/AIDS, now going on its 40th year! Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) was first reported on in early 1981. Read a historic synopsis of the disease. After living four decades with the disease, here’s…
Day 36 – Revolutionizing Financial Services
Blockchain News: Blockchain Technology has high prospects of bringing significant revolution into the banking and finance markets. These markets are cluttered with too many intermediaries. Blockchain advantages include; decentralization, transparency, security (very pertinent), reliability, reduced cost, reduced room for errors, simplicity, traceability, and immutability among others. But it’s not just the Crypto World that is…
Day 35 – Localizing & Individuating Your Gift
Giving doesn’t have to focus on the global and the grandiose, such as eliminating world poverty or bringing peace on earth. Your donations don’t have to equate to a pittance added to the big pot philanthropy to a huge organizations like the United Way or the Red Cross, although they are great charities. Technology utilized…
Day 34 – Freeing Those That Can’t Afford Bail
From The BailProject.org: On any given night in America, there are nearly half a million people sitting in jail before trial simply because they can’t afford bail. People in pretrial detention now make up more than two-thirds of America’s jail population. They are presumed innocent under the law, yet they will suffer the harms of…
Day 33 – Finding New Cancer Treatments
Slash, poison, burn. That’s what a leading cancer doctor calls the protocol of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. We spend $150 billion each year treating cancer, yet a patient with cancer is as likely to die of it today — with a few exceptions — as one was 50 years ago. “The First Cell”: Dr. Raza…
Day 32 – Ending Gun Violence Against Kids
Here’s a staggering statistic: Guns kill twice as many kids as cancer does! Nearly twice as many kids died from gun injuries in 2016 as died from cancer, the study by a team at the University of Michigan found. The gun fatality rate for U.S. children is 36 times higher than the rate in other…
Day 31 – Honoring Our Fallen Military Heroes
Each Memorial Day, we pause to remember those who have served in the military in defense of our country and much-taken-for-granted freedoms. Unfortunately, most of us forget the meaning of the day in the midst of enjoying hamburgers, beer and potato salad. Why just one day to honor those who have fought and died as…
Day 30 – Healing Through the Power of Art
The American Art Therapy Association characterizes art therapy as an approach to mental health that utilizes the process of creating art to improve mental, physical, and emotional wellness. Psychology Today: Art therapy involves the use of creative techniques such as drawing, painting, collage, coloring, or sculpting to help people express themselves artistically. Throughout my own…
Day 29 – Playing Music as Medicine
There are a number of reputable, scientific studies that affirm the premise of music as medicine. Below are the top 5 results from the Google search “scientific studies on the power of music to heal” Harvard Health Publishing Medical News Today BBC/Science Focus Stat News American Psychological Association The search results also highlighted an NPR interview with…
Day 28 – Facing History and Ourselves
We live in very turbulent times. It’s getting more difficult to make sense of things. Hard to know what is true and how to accurately interpret the news. It helps to have context. It helps to understand the big picture. It is said that “history repeats itself” and “those that don’t learn from history are…
Day 27 – Adopting a Furry Friend
I’ve never been a “pet” person per se. I had a German Shepherd (Freedom) as a teen and inherited by daughters kitty (Simba) for a year or so as an old guy. However, I’ve observed the love and devotion poured upon many a pet in my time. I’ve seen much joy and companionship provided by…
Day 26 – Empowering Young Women of Color
In searching for a reputable, well-vetted charity whose purpose is to empower young women of color, I encountered the problem that many are newly formed and haven’t yet developed the track record with the nonprofit rating agencies; namely Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, and Guide Star. This forces one to rely on news media, their respective website, and…
Day 25 – Aiding Victims of Sexual Violence
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization. You can donate to RAINN here. Although reports of sexual violence have fallen by half over the last 20 years, every 73 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. And every 9 minutes, that victim is a child. Meanwhile, only 5 out…
Day 24 – Defending the Myanmar Rohingya
It started as a Google search. A question. Results filtered to deliver updates within the last year. What people group is the most oppressed in the world? Answer: Rohingya people. Never heard of them. Here’s a bit of their story. Wiki: The Rohingya people have been described as “one of the world’s least wanted minorities”…
Day 23 – Buying Fair Trade Products
Fair Trade an arrangement designed to help producers in developing countries achieve sustainable and equitable trade relationships. Fair trade is grounded in three core beliefs; first, producers have the power to express unity with consumers. Secondly, the world trade practices that currently exist promote the unequal distribution of wealth between nations. Lastly, buying products from…
Day 22 – Eradicating Malaria World-Wide
Malaria is one of the most severe public health problems worldwide. It is a leading cause of death and disease in many developing countries, where young children and pregnant women are the most affected. The costs of malaria – to individuals, families, communities, nations – are enormous. CDC In 2018, an estimated 405,000 people died of malaria. The…
Day 21 – Dying with Compassion and Dignity
Dying, along with sex and birth, is one of the most intimate of human experiences. We are uncovered and vulnerable, a time when only our most trusted companions are allowed access. These most sacred of occasions should always be contextualized with compassion and dignity. For the dying, many times it represents a final relief from…
Day 20 – Breaking the Cycle of Addiction
Addiction Center. Whether it’s a problem with alcohol, opioids, cocaine, or any other substance, addiction kills thousands of Americans every year and impacts millions more. Every year, worldwide, alcohol is the cause of 5.3% of deaths (or 1 in every 20) About 300 million people throughout the world have an alcohol use disorder About 88,000…
Day 19 – Feeding the Hungry Children
Around the world, 821 million people do not have enough of the food they need to live an active, healthy life. One in every nine people goes to bed hungry each night. Hunger and malnutrition are the biggest risks to health worldwide – greater than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Globally, food deprivation still claims…
Day 18 – Fighting for Human Rights Globally
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights, drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world. Crafted in 1948 by the United Nations, it sets out the fundamental human rights to be universally protected, and it has been translated into…
Day 17 – Rebuilding Police Survivors’ Lives
We face increasing controversy and animosity between those who wish to support needed racial and social justice changes and those who want to support our police and military. I’ve heard it stated, that if Black Lives don’t matter, no lives matter. This is absolutely true. Notwithstanding, those who protect and serve the citizenry merit our…
Day 16 – Maintaining Our Hiking Trails
“In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life — no disgrace, no calamity, (leaving me my eyes,) which nature cannot repair.” Nature, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Extended backwoods adventures, backpacking along trails far from the clamor of civilization, have been inspirational and restorative throughout my…
Day 15 – Decreasing Prisoner Recidivism
Recidivism is an important issue for the American criminal justice system today. We see offenders cycle in and out of prisons and jails, and this has important implications for public safety and the stability of American communities. Ninety-five percent of inmates in state and federal prisons will be released eventually, and studies have consistently shown…
Day 14 – Reducing Homelessness in America
As it has in so many other arenas of American life, the coronavirus pandemic has exposed the depth and severity of the nation’s homelessness crisis. According to a recent study, the economic disruption, housing instability, and mass unemployment that Covid-19 has touched off in the U.S. could lead to a 45% spike in overall homelessness…
Day 13 – Saving the Phytoplankton
As a conservation cause, ensuring the survival of Phytoplankton doesn’t pull on donor heart strings like saving the whales, polar bears, snow leopards, elephants, wolves, or gorillas; but the health of our oceans, and in particular the Phytoplankton, is essential to our survival as human beings upon the planet. Take a breath…and thank the trees.…
Day 12 – Planting Trees & Training Farmers
Trees are vital. As the biggest plants on the planet, they give us oxygen, store carbon, stabilise the soil and give life to the world’s wildlife. They also provide us with the materials for tools and shelter. How many trees are cut down every year? A new study published in Nature estimates the planet has…
Day 11 – Delivering Food to Seniors
Older folks of all races and ethnicities are marginalized by society at large. They become invisible and forgotten. In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, our most vulnerable population – seniors – are facing extreme challenges. It can be dangerous navigating a grocery store to purchase essentials. One outstanding charity that is standing in the…
Day 10 – Combating Human Trafficking
WIKI: Human trafficking is the third largest crime industry in the world, behind drug dealing and arms trafficking, and is the fastest-growing activity of trans-national criminal organizations. Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour or sexual slavery. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), forced labour alone generates an estimated…
Day 9 – Advocating for Restorative Justice
Despite only having about 5% of the world’s population, the United States is home to almost 25% of all prisoners in the world. Countries like China and India with much higher populations have both a lower incarceration rate and total prison population than the United States. If we imagine every state as an independent nation,…
Day 8 – Providing Clean Water
1 in 3 people globally do not have access to safe drinking water. More than half of the world does not have access to safe sanitation services – UNICEF, WHO. Some 2.2 billion people around the world do not have safely managed drinking water services, 4.2 billion people do not have safely managed sanitation services,…
Day 7 – Engaging in Micro-lending
Another proven tactic for providing opportunities to disadvantaged people groups throughout the world is through micro-lending. As a form of peer-to-peer financing, micro-loans are extended to impoverished borrowers who typically lack collateral, steady employment, or a verifiable credit history. WIKI: “Many recipients are illiterate, and therefore unable to complete paperwork required to get conventional loans. As…
Day 6 – Alleviating Extreme Poverty
During my philanthropic explorations, I ran across a well known champion for the poor who some have labeled the “world’s most influential living philosopher;” Peter Singer, the founder of The Life You Can Save. Listen to his powerful Ted Talk. The concept behind this unique nonprofit is to carefully vet the best, most effective world charities…
Day 5 – Educating Young Women
As a father of two lovely, very capable young ladies, I am a firm believer in the power and potential inherent in each girl. Unfortunately, many girls are deprived of opportunities to thrive; oppressed by systems that are vested in their subjugation. One of the most empowering things that can be given to these young…
Day 4 – Aiding Syrian Refugees
Unfortunately, Mega-Powers consistently wage proxy wars in the homelands of smaller countries around the globe. While these sponsoring powers are flexing their political and military muscles, posturing to gain supremacy, citizens suffer and die. The archetypical story of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse replays itself continuously; Conquest, War, Famine and Disease ravage the landscape.…
Day 3 – Supporting First Responders
Thank God for all the first responders that stand in the gap between the living and the dying. Putting their own lives at risk to make a difference and help those in need of emergency aid. There are many way to support these brave heroes. Even a simple acknowledgement to a passing police officer or…
Day 2 – Addressing Racial Injustice
Although it’s been overly politicized and unfortunately kidnapped to promote a violent counterproductive agenda, racial injustice is real. Systemic and in many ways invisible to most of us. I have grown weary of skewed news reports and so sought for a reputable organization that I could support and learn more from. I ran across one…
Day 1 – Helping Victims in Beirut
The recent tragedy in Lebanon ranks as one of the largest, non-nuclear explosions in human history. Thousands injured, hundreds killed, and an untold number of victims left homeless. News sources recommend a handful of reputable venues to those who want to contribute to relief efforts. The one that seems to reoccur most frequently is the Red Cross. In…
Background of Give. Pray. Post.
Give. Pray. Post. A Joyful Adventure in 100 Days of Giving. What’s it about and why am I doing it? Lately, I’ve been feeling bad about feeling bad. Initially, I had thought there was something wrong with me. I’ve had very little enthusiasm about anything. Nothing excited me. Then I realized, in chatting with my…
Give. Pray. Post. 