The Giving Spirit (Drawing the Line Series)

We've been talking about drawing the line at Christmas. Committing to buying more ethically-produced products. Spending less on gifts in the first place.

I don't know about you, but lately I am feeling convicted to give radically. Not just a 10% tithe to the church. More than just that. More.

If you have a story about what you sacrifice in order to give to a charity I would love to hear it! Maybe you eat a meatless meal 4 times a month and donate the little bit of savings to a charity. Or you change your own oil in the cars and donate the money you WOULD have spent. Please send me your ideas and stories! Post here or email me: zucchinisummer AT gmail DOT com

What could we do if we all started thinking like this and giving like this?

Here are two charities I know of that are unique and meeting the needs of the hurting.  I have donated to the first one on a couple occasions and will make contributing to the 2nd one a goal of this year)

Molly Bears
I've mentioned before that we lost a baby. Molly Bears was created by another family who also suffered a loss. They make bears that weigh exactly what your baby weighed. This way, mothers do not have to have empty arms, they can have something to hold.
Did I mention that Molly Bears offers these bears FREE to the families?
They have 900 people and counting on the waiting list. If you feel led to, you can donate to them to help keep the operations going and help with the postage it takes to mail one of these bears to it's mommy.

Working hard to make lots of bears for lots of mommies!

The classroom in need.

Donors Choose
This online charity gets funding in the hand of educators who need it.  Like the name implies, YOU get to choose what project to help fund and how much to give towards it.
You can search and give according to a school teacher in a certain town (Joplin, MO comes to my mind), by poverty level of the school, or by projects that are nearly completely funded but just need a bit more.
Say you are a real technology geek.
I found this teacher in a high poverty school in Oregon.
Her kids need flash drives so they can save their work.

Maybe you'd rather give to a special needs classroom.  There are plenty of those that need support too.