What a Wonderful Time of Year!

 

As we approach Thanksgiving we are reminded of all that we have been blessed with.  A time for everyone to come together and celebrate.  Despite our color or creed we take this opportunity to share with others.  

As I continue with this Blog it is amazing to see how my eyes are now more open to seeing all of the wonderful volunteer opportunities there are.  It could be that this time of year is when people are especially generous.  To me it is just amazing how many wonderful volunteers we are surrounded by.

In the mail , at the health club, the local library, and even the grocery stores you can find barrels for food donations, boxes for gloves, flyers inviting you to volunteer, it is just wonderful to see so many helping hands and to see strangers come together for a common goal.  To Make Someone Smile :)  

Here are some of the ideas that others have shared with me:

SOS Children's Village- this is an organization that is located in Lockport, IL and it is the largest non-denominational children's care provider in the world!  This is where full-time, professionally trained Foster parents commit to living on the premises of the property.  There are 18 individual single family homes, 4 of which are vacant with up to 5 children in each home.  They try to keep siblings together to maintain some kind of stability, which they so lack in the real world.  The ages of the children range from 4 mos- 20 yrs old.  Today there are 450 villages in over 125 nations, housing more than 60,000 children.  They are looking for people to donate gifts for the families to give to their foster children or volunteer monetary donations, or give of your time.  For more information please go to their website www.SOSIllinois.org 

Holiday Mail for Heroes

From the front lines to the home front, the American Red Cross provides service members, their families and veterans with the care and assistance they need.
The Red Cross is partnering with Pitney Bowes this holiday season for the Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign. For the second year in a row, we’re collecting holiday cards to distribute to American service members, veterans and their families in the United States and around the world. Pitney Bowes is generously donating technology, resources and postage to make this holiday card program possible.
Our goal is to collect and distribute one million holiday cards to spread holiday cheer and facilitate thanks to these brave individuals and families.
Please send cards to this address, following the guidelines listed below:
Holiday Mail for Heroes
PO Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

For more information on other ways you can help visit their website at:

http://www.redcross.org/email/saf/

Pennies for Peace educates children about the world beyond their experience and shows them that they can make a positive impact on a global scale, one penny at a time.
Our best hope for a peaceful and prosperous world lies in the education of all the world’s children. Through cross-cultural understanding and a solution-oriented approach, Pennies for Peace encourages children, ultimately our future leaders, to be active participants in the creation of global peace.
To participate in the Pennies for Peace program, please start by going on their website and registering
http://www.penniesforpeace.org/home.html

What is the Power of a Penny?

The penny, 1% of a dollar, is symbolic of the '1% of Gross Domestic Product' goal set by the United Nations. The goal was for wealthy countries to give foreign aid to impoverished nations each year.
Pennies for Peace teaches children the rewards of sharing and working together to bring hope and educational opportunities to children in Pakistan and Afghanistan. A penny in the United States is virtually worthless, but in Pakistan and Afghanistan a penny buys a pencil and opens the door to literacy.
The mission of Central Asia Institute (CAI) focuses on community-based education, especially for girls. A 5th grade education for girls improves not only the basic indices of health for her and her family, she will also spread the value of education within her community. Literacy, for both boys and girls, provides better economic opportunities in the future and neutralizes the power of despot mullahs and other extremist leaders.

If you know of an organization in need of volunteers or donations feel free to contact me via e-mail at: Leslie@LoveToPromote.com and I will gladly add them to this Blog.

Please pass this Blog on so that we can get the word out...

Thank you,

Leslie Prohaska