A dash of whimsy (often with lists)

Sure not everyone starts shopping this early, but others are already done.

I'm in the middle, so it seemed like a good time to post about some charitable ways you might want to spend you holiday gift giving activities this year.

As always the list is completely prejudiced by me and my life, just to be all honest.

DonorsChoose.org- I cannot believe I did not know about this until this year. From their site "At this not-for-profit web site, teachers submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality when concerned individuals, whom we call Citizen Philanthropists, choose projects to fund." Helping the Public School - awesome. Some projects to consider:

http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=103126&zone=103
http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=113605
http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=106669&zone=103
http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=110749&zone=423
http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=91215&zone=103

Adoption Advocates International their donation page They do a holiday project each year to have a party and give gifts to the children, the workers, and to sponsored children. To donate to that, indicate Holiday project and in the notes say where you want the money to go, if you care. They also have a Orphan Scholarship Program that helps fund education and living expenses for orphans (often older siblings of those adopted) NOT in the orphanage and the Orphan Student Education Fund which provides money to students at risk of dropping out of school who are still living with family. Sometimes the funding not only keeps them in school, but keeps them with their family who might otherwise not have enough money to provide for them.

The St. Bernard Project and New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity. There is still a lot to be done and while the first two are working on housing, there is also a medical crisis going on. Saint Thomas Community Health Center and Tulane Community Health Center are two clinics trying to serve the needs.