A Little Help for Sick Kids From Ronald McDonald

The basic philosophy of Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is that children need a strong mind, a strong body, and a supportive place to grow. RMHC works to improve the health and well being of children and to support their families. With those goals in mind, RMHC has three core programs: the Ronald McDonald House, and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, which takes medical, dental, and health education services to pockets of underserved children around the world.

Seniors are a Favorite Target of Real Charities and Scams

Senior citizens are a favorite target of both legitimate charities, and scam artists.   Some say this is because seniors tend to be more trusting of other people, and in general, more polite to strangers. Unfortunately, these excellent qualities are often exploited. Seniors, like many others, hesitate to call the authorities when they’ve been cheated because they are embarrassed.  If this sounds like you, or someone you love, you are far from alone.   The Federal Trade Commission reports that people over 60 are a frequent target of telephone scammers.   Reporting scams can mean putting the perpetrators out of business and saving your neighbor from becoming the next victim.

Religious Organizations: What is Tithing?

Many people are reluctant to join a particular church or other place of worship because they have heard that the organization expects their members to tithe - pledge a specific percentage of their earnings to that organization. While this is the basic premise of tithing, it is also important to realize that your tithe includes all charitable donations, not just those made to your place of worship.

Volunteering: Helping Out Without Leaving Home

Most of us are well aware of the positive changes the Internet has brought to our lives. Whether is has afforded you the opportunity to work at home, helped locate a hard-to-find item that you have been scouring the stores for, or facilitated your banking and bill-paying activities, most of us would be hard-pressed to say that the Internet has not helped us simplify our life in one way or another. You can now add another thing that just got easier, thanks to the Internet: volunteering.

SCSEP: Extra Help for Charities and for Low-Income Seniors

If your not-for-profit agency needs more staff than it can afford, don’t overlook an important and valuable resource. Many seniors are looking for ways to supplement their incomes at the same time not-for-profit organizations are trying to hold down their payroll costs and yet cover all the staffing needs. The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) puts low-income senior citizens to work helping out in charity organizations, for the mutual benefit of the employer and the employee.  This program is funded through grants from the Department of Labor.  Each year, nearly 100,000 low-income seniors are provided with training, employment, and community service opportunities.

How Much Do You Know About Easter Seals?

You’ve probably heard of Easter Seals, but how much do you know about them?  Do you know what population they help and what services are available through Easter Seals? More than 80 years ago, an Ohio-businessman lost his son after a streetcar accident.  If adequate medical services had been available, Edgar Allen’s son might have lived.   With that realization, Allen sold his business and began a campaign to build a hospital in Elyria, Ohio, to help ensure that others would not be lost because of lack of available care.

Charitable Giving: Giving Old Clothes New Life

Those of us with children are inevitably faced with piles of clothing that our children have outgrown. Since kids have a habit of outgrowing their clothes before the garments show even the slightest sign of wear, many parents try to find new owners for them. While those lucky enough to have friends and relatives with younger children have an instant pipeline for their outgrown clothes, there are many others who are at a loss as to what to do with these perfectly wearable outfits.

Donate Your Old Phones for Charity and the Environment

If you’re like many people, you may have at least one outdated cell phone sitting around in a drawer somewhere.  It seems useless to you, yet you don’t throw it out.   Did you know that by donating your old phone, you not only help the environment by recycling, but also provide funds for charitable organizations?  Many retailers such as Staples will accept donations of your old phone.  But there are also some programs you can contact directly to make your donation.

Habitat for Humanity: Putting Families Into Homes

One house at a time, Habitat for Humanity (HFH) has as a goal to "eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action." You've no doubt heard of HFH. It was started nearly three decades ago, in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller. They've built more than 175,000 houses around the world, and made safe, affordable shelter available to over 900,000 people.