Give

Tis the season for giving and giving thanks. And as we watch our children make their way through mountains of presents it's important for them to understand that along with the getting it's nice to be giving. An easy way to accomplish this is by checking out what a group of Army Corps Engineers in Iraq are doing. They're asking for people to send gently used stuffed toys to the children of Iraq for them to distribute to some very grateful children.

Earlier this year the OLPC Organization and Amazon announced their future collaboration regarding the organization's "Give one, Get one" program.

When I was a teen my mother stressed, involved us in and made us aware of the importance of philanthropy namely community involvement. I was a certified coach for our local Special Olympics. I cleaned out my room and donated unused items to charities twice a year. She made sure I set aside a portion of my allowance to purchase toys for our local Toys for Tots program. I even helped package food items and clothing for the people in our community in need among many other opportunities.

The S.P.I.R.A.L. Foundation, Spinning Potential Into Resources and Love, is a non-profit organization operating in Nepal and Vietnam "inspired by the principle of "Aid from within the Country." And is one of my new favorite things. A friend of mine pointed this amazing organization out explaining that she gets most of her holiday shopping done by purchasing items from the organization's shop and feeling extra gooey inside knowing her consumerism is serving a higher purpose.

Tonight from 5-8pm mosey on down to your local Cold Stone Creamery and enjoy some free frozen sugary goodness on them.

It's a new school year, your kids need that laptop for homework, why not get them an XO? Sleek, modern, awesome and starting in November a practice in philanthropy when Amazon, in collaboration with One Laptop Per Child OLPC, an organization whose mission it is to "empower the children of developing countries to learn by providing one connected laptop to every school-age child" brings back their Give One, Get One Program selling the laptop on Amazon.

An article on TreeHugger titled "Saving Kids and Precious Resources, One Set of Dentures At A Time" explains how Japan is taking preservation and charity to all new levels proving just how resourceful and kind of gross they are willing to be.

Calling all bug enthusiasts! Cornell University needs your help locating and photographing ladybugs in your community as part of their Lost Ladybug Project. According to their site "Over the past twenty years several native ladybug species that were once very common have become extremely rare. During this same time several species of ladybugs from other places have greatly increased both their numbers and range. In many areas the native ladybugs are being replaced by exotic ones.