Helping those in Japan

By now we are all aware of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan and I’m sure many of you want to help even if you do not have the money to do so. The crane is sacred to the Japanese and can even grant a wish to someone who folds 1,000 cranes. Because of this meaning of the crane, students rebuild, has decided to donate $2 for every paper crane that is made and then sent to the address on the website. This is an easy way to support the rebuilding efforts in Japan. It is geared towards younger people however, I believe it is something that we can all take part in. If you want to also donate money I am including a great article on CNN that lists many different organizations that are working to help those in Japan. I was going to list some but then looking at the article thought it best to just attach for you to be able to decide where you want your money to go. Happy Folding!

Until next week,

Annie

Paper Crane folding: http://studentsrebuild.org/japan/

Organizations helping in Japan: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/14/iyw.howtohelp.japan/index.html?hpt=T2

Apple & Eve

This week we are going back to facebook and supporting the music. Cory Monteith, a cast member of “Glee,” has teamed up with Apple & Eve to help promote music in schools and donate to “VH1 Save the Music”. They are looking for mash-ups from schools however they have also made a way that just the average person can help, which is to like the Apple and Eve (Mashup) page on facebook and they will donate $1 to “VH1 Save the Music Foundation”. It may not seem like much but they are doing it up to $50,000 which is a lot and can really help continue music education for students all over the US. So if you are on facebook than please just click on “like”, and if you happen to not be on facebook than look back to past weeks and do one of the entries that you have forgotten to in awhile! Happy liking!

Until next week,

Annie

http://www.appleandeve.com/ - click on “Learn how you can help support”

Good Search

This week we are going to be expanding our search options. I have a feeling that all of you have used Yahoo! or Google at some point because they make searching for things on the internet very easy. There is also a great search engine, Good Search, which donates one cent every time somebody searches on their engine. You can use Good Search and donate to a charity that you know and support or you can just use the search engine and the money goes to the “charity of the day”. Either way, every time you search on Good Search, one cent is being donated to a non-profit organization. Who knew donating could be so easy. There are all different non-profits that benefit from Good Search, National and local. So have fun using the new search engine and also possibly finding out information about a non-profit you knew nothing about. Happy Searching!

Until next week,

Annie

http://www.goodsearch.com/

Disney Movie Rewards

This week we’re going to the movies! Well I guess more specifically Disney movies. A few years ago Disney started, Disney Movie Rewards. Any Disney DVD or CD that you buy should have a little star indicating it has Disney Movie Rewards and inside the case you will find a code on a sheet of paper. Another way you can get points is by seeing a Disney movie in theatres and then either scanning your tickets for proof or mailing them in. Now you can get items with your points however, and to the point of this blog, you can also donate them. They change what you can donate your points toward, like right now they have, donate a plush toy to kids in distressed situations (K.I.D.S.) and they will match it or donate a tree seedling to a school. In the past I have also donated my points towards getting DVDs for children in Hospitals. It is very easy to just sign up for an account, very similar to My Coke Rewards which we talked about earlier. After that you just enter the codes you receive and then search on the Rewards page. So many of us have Disney DVDs or CDs and who knew that there is an incentive to getting them! So in honor of the Oscars this past weekend Happy Movie Watching and donating your points!

Until Next Week,

Annie

Disney Movie Rewards Home Page: http://www.disneymovierewards.go.com/index.htm

The Rewards Page for donations: http://www.disneymovierewards.go.com/rewards/browse/category/donations-and-other?page=1&sort=pl

One

In looking for what I wanted to post about this week I figured out that there are many things that could use our help right now, mainly because the House of Representatives has come together and voted on budget cuts and soon the Senate will be doing so. This week’s organization is One which is an amazing nonpartisan organization run solely on the fact that each voice, one voice, does matter. One raises awareness about many great causes and they get their followers to petition and help bring the awareness to others. You can read all about the many issues/causes that they support on their website. What came to my attention this week though was the petition to the Senators against the “poverty-fighting” budget cuts that the House of Representatives has put into place. All you have to do is sign the petition, name, e-mail, and zip code. Their goal is to have 100,000 people sign the petition and they are up to over 88,000! We are so powerful as individuals yet when we come together we can be even more powerful! Hopefully this will have an impact and help to continue to save many lives and educate many people. Happy raising your voice!

Until next week,

Annie

http://www.one.org/us/actnow/2011budget/

Kiva - Loans to help others

This week our helping others does take a little money. I know I said that the things I bring to this blog will not cost much, and this does not necessarily cost anything, but it is a great organization helping thousands of people around the world. This week’s entry is about Kiva which is an organization that gives loans to entrepreneurs across the globe. How the company works is people like us give money, say $25 (the lowest amount you can lend), as a loan to someone in another part of the world who wants to start their own company/shop/business but do not have the money to do so. They will then take the money they have received and turn it into something that will help them and their family prosper. The nice thing about it is that because it is a loan, your loan will be given back to you. After the entrepreneur pays the money back, the amount you first loaned will be returned to your account and you can either relend it to someone else or withdraw it via paypal. So for my readers who do not necessarily have the money to be able to donate but want to help you are able to if you can live without your money for awhile.

A fun thing about Kiva is that you get to search through the different projects that are up for a loan and pick the one that you want to support. You can search many different ways including, male/female run projects and also what type of business they are starting. Kiva has helped to bring many poor people into better living conditions and to also instill hope in them that there are people out there who care about them. The entrepreneurs are making improvements in their lives so that they can provide for their families and help their children receive an education. Happy lending!

Until next week,

Annie  

http://www.kiva.org/about/how   (watch the video, it explains things very well!)

http://www.kiva.org

Prom Dress Donation

This time of year for many Juniors and Seniors in High School usually means one thing, Prom is just around the corner. I’m sure you’ve already figured it out by that first sentence but this week’s entry has to do with Prom. Junior and Senior year I was always so excited to go to the mall and pick out the dress that I would be wearing for one of the most important nights in my high school history. However, this is not the case for many girls who cannot afford to buy a prom dress. Because of this, people, boutiques, and organizations all throughout the United States have stepped up and decided to collect used prom dresses so that others can wear them again. I know for most people the dress gets worn one night and then tucked away in the closet to possibly never again see the “night lights”. You can now donate your dress so that someone else can feel just as beautiful as you did the night you wore your special dress. I am including a site that offers stores in most states that collect prom dresses, and other accessories, and then also some sites that I found for different cities. If you have already donated your dresses, that’s awesome, now go and spread the word ... guys be sure to tell all your female friends! Let’s spread the joy by donating our prom dresses so others can have a special evening as well. Happy thoughts of walking down the red carpet! Until next week, Annie National site: http://www.donatemydress.org/donate.html Chicago site: http://www.glassslipperproject.org