Hot Ink: Hot Ink Deals of The Day: Actually, These Are Charities You Should Consider

Pinky McLadybits

It's fine to buy things for your family and friends this holiday season. However, we should also be mindful of the people that are unable to enjoy all of the things that we absolutely take for granted.

In lieu of another Hot Deals post today, I thought it would be more informative and helpful to link to some charities that could really use some help. Bonus: You can donate in the name of that person who already has everything, like grandparents or parents. Win-win-WIN. Best of all, last minute is no problem! You donate and can immediately know that you've made an impact in someone's life, no waiting, so shipping, no wrapping.

Let us know in the comments if you know of any other charities that could use some support this holiday season.

Project Night Night

My family donated to this charity this year. I cried while I filled out my information. I cried again when I received my receipt. There are so many children who are homeless and it breaks my heart. Even worse is that they have no real sense of home or many things to make them feel settled. Project Night Night uses your donation to create something the children can call their own. From their site: "Each Night Night Package contains a new security blanket, an age-appropriate children's book, and a stuffed animal -- all nestled inside of a new canvas tote bag. By providing objects of reliable comfort, Project Night Night reduces trauma and advances the emotional and cognitive well-being of the children we serve." Based on an email I just received, Project Night Night just needs 27 more donations to help all 750 kids that they pledged to help!

Heifer International

Heifer International takes your donations and uses them to buy things that people in poor countries and towns can use: livestock. For example, a $500 donation buys a cow for a family or $50 can help you buy a share of that cow for the family. Then the family has a source of milk for nutrition and, hopefully, a source for more little cows! You can give a flock of chicks for $20, a trio of rabbits for $60, or several other animals. You aren't only helping someone get the nutrition they need, you are giving them self-reliance and hope.

Love146

I can't even type about this without bawling. Just go to the site and donate. You'll help end child sex slavery and so much suffering. No one should have to go through what Love146 is helping to eradicate.

Marine Toys for Tots Foundation

You can donate money or toys to this program and they will be distributed to people that request assistance in the holiday season. "The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation enjoys one of the very best program to support ratios within the nonprofit world; 98:2. This means that over 98% of your donation goes to our mission of providing toys, books and other gifts to less fortunate children. The 2% spent on support principally covers fundraising expenses - not one donated dollar goes to pay for salaries or any other manpower costs."

Partners In Health

Paartners In Health believes that all people should have access to health care, education and free health care where needed, that health care workers should be trained and that better health comes from better living conditions. You can donate, volunteer, or use an upcoming celebration as a way to donate to the cause.

Child's Play

"Since 2003, we’ve set up and organized Child’s Play, a game industry charity dedicated to improving the lives of children with toys and games in our network of over 70 hospitals worldwide...With the help of hospital staff, we set up gift wish lists full of video games, toys, books, and other fun stuff for kids. By clicking on a hospital location on our map, you can view that hospital’s wish list and send a gift. Child’s Play also receives cash donations throughout the year. With those cash donations, we purchase new consoles, peripherals, games, and more for hospitals and therapy facilities. These donations allow for children to enjoy age-appropriate entertainment, interact with their peers, friends, and family, and can provide vital distraction from an otherwise generally unpleasant experience."

Funeral Services for Terry Barnhart

Sometimes the people that need your help are a lot closer to home. Our friend Jamie lost her step-father after a lengthy battle with leukemia. His illness drained Jamie's mother's funds and she has no money to give him a funeral. Please consider donating whatever you can so that Jame and her mother can give a proper burial to the man that means so much to them.

The Puppy Rescue Mission

"The Puppy Rescue Mission relies on your donations to help our military get their battle buddies home. TPRM is a USA non-profit 501(c)3 corporation and all donations are tax-deductible according to IRS codes. The money you send can be earmarked for a specific rescue, act as a gift for our general fund or be used in the ongoing effort of Neda's Fund." They are helping bring home the furry companions of our soldiers fighting overseas.

DonorsChoose.Org

Public school teachers post their needs and your donations help the teachers reach those goals. This helps our children to learn, of course. Schools everywhere are losing teachers, cutting costs, and losing supplies, negatively impacting the quality of education our children receive. With DonorsChoose.Org, you can give as little as a dollar and know that you are making a difference in a child's education.

Treehouse

"We know what we do works. Academic success, combined with social and recreational enrichment, is the key to opportunity for children coping with the effects of abuse and neglect. Treehouse serves kids in foster care with six programs:
The Wearhouse is a free store where kids shop for clothing they need in styles they want, along with school supplies, toys, books and other essentials. Little Wishes pays for activities and experiences that every child deserves – things as small as hair care and as big as drivers’ ed. Summer Camp sends kids on adventures that create memories for a lifetime. Tutoring helps bridge the educational achievement gap between foster kids and their classmates from more stable homes. Educational Advocacy works statewide to protect students’ educational rights and remove barriers to school success. This is the only Treehouse program that operates beyond King County. College and Career Planning Foster kids deserve to believe in and plan their own futures. College and Career planning helps foster youth in 6th – 12th grades explore career options, develop a plan for their future, and implement that plan step by step—with special attention to critical transitions (i.e. transition from middle school to high school.) Whether it’s pursuing a four-year degree, community college or a trade program, or embarking on working life, College and Career Planning gets foster youth on the right path."

Doctors Without Borders

This charity is " is an international medical humanitarian organization working in nearly 70 countries to assist people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe."

Alzheimer's Association