teach your children about giving this holiday: #blog4cause

Welcome to #blog4cause 2012!

* November & December 2012 *

Inspiring speakers and a little conversation between creative minds at EVO Conference this summer has led us to #blog4cause, and we are thrilled that you are on board!  We’re giddy with excitement at the prospect of the amazing things that we know you–as parents & educators–can do with this seed of an idea.

The concept is simple: choose your cause and run with it.  We know how important it is, in a season of getting, to teach our children about giving.  So here’s your starting point.

• Use our Resource Kit as a starting point to choose your cause—the one that speaks to you and your family.  If it’s not here, choose your own!
  • Is there a cause near and dear to your heart?
  • Do want to be a part of something larger than you this season?
  • Are you active locally? Love your MOMS group, book club, or church group? Work together!
  • Do you want to help close-up, in a local soup kitchen, or are you more comfortable helping from a distance?

  

• Decide how you, as a family, want to support that cause.  Then blog about it, Instagram it, Facebook it, you get the idea!
  • Are you great at bake sales?  Use your talents to bake, bake, bake–and sell your goods!
  • Can your kids make fab barrettes, bookmarks, or t-shirts?  Sell them!
  • Is your family amazing at rallying others?  Organize a blood drive, a book sale, or a holiday block party!
  • Talk about what you want to do, what you can do, and what you wish you could do–then create a plan to make it happen.

  

• Share what you’ve done in the linky below so that your giving can inspire others.
  • Take photos of your experience and share what you’ve learned.
  • Grab a #blog4cause button and post it on your site.
  • Tweet, Pinterest, or Instagram with #blog4cause so we can follow each other’s journey!
  • Share your specifics–your money raised, goods gathered, time spent–in our collaborative tally sheet.

We all know that every person—even little ones—can make a difference.  But we also know that together, we can make a really BIG difference.

Let’s teach our children now that their little hands can make a BIG difference, and let’s see where it takes us this holiday season.

We wish you all a safe, happy, and blessed holiday season,

 

Allison McDonald (@NoFlashCards) http://notimeforflashcards.com

Amanda Morgan (@NotJustCute), http://notjustcute.com  &

me–Amy Mascott (@teachmama)

 

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Our snapshots of the #blog4cause causes we choose are below.  More detailed information on each cause can be found in our #blog4cause Resource Page.  Or consider printing out the #blog4cause Resource Page so you can really take a good look at it!

If your cause is not here, please feel free to use your own! Our goal is to teach and model giving, so the cause can be anything that works for your family!

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Non-profit:    Crickett’s Answer for Cancer

Cause:           Services for women with breast cancer

Site:http://crickettsanswer.startlogic.com

Needs:          Awareness, donations

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Non-profit:    Shot At Life

Cause:           A movement to protect children worldwide by providing life-saving vaccines where they are most needed.

Site:http://shotatlife.org

Needs:          Awareness, donations

Connect:

twitter: https://twitter.com/shotatlife

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shotatlifecampaign

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/shotatlife/

Mobile: http://shotatlife.org/mobile

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Non-profit:    Global Soap Project

Cause:           The Global Soap Project recovers discarded soap from hotels, reprocesses it into new bars & distributes it to vulnerable populations throughout the world

Site:http://www.globalsoap.org/

Needs:          Awareness, donations

Connect:

twitter: https://twitter.com/globalsoap/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/globalsoap

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Non-profit:    ONEMoms

Cause:           ONE fights poverty and disease in Africa by working with our members around the world to press government leaders to support effective programs that are saving the lives of millions in poor countries.

Site:http://one.org/moms

Needs:          Awareness, advocacy

Connect:

twitter: https://twitter.com/onecampaign  #ONEMoms

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ONEMoms

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/ONEmoms

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Non-profit:    First Book

Cause:           First Book is determined to see that all children, regardless of their economic conditions, can achieve more in school and in life through access to an ongoing supply of new books.

Site:http://www.firstbook.org/

Needs:          Awareness, donations

Connect:

twitter: https://twitter.com/firstbook

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FirstBook

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Non-profit:    American Red Cross

Cause:           The American Red Cross exists to provide compassionate care to those in need. Our network of generous donors, volunteers and employees share a mission of preventing and relieving suffering, here at home and around the world, through five key service areas: disaster relief, supporting military families, lifesaving blood, health & safety services, international services.

Site:http://www.redcross.org

Needs:          Donations, blood donations and organize blood drives, volunteer

Connect:

twitter: https://twitter.com/redcross

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redcross

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/americanredcross

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Non-profit:    K.I.D.S Relief Fund

Cause:           K.I.D.S. is a global charity of leading retailers, manufacturers, and licensees of children’s and youth products, in partnership with major foundations, committed to helping improve the lives of children and their families who are ill, living in poverty, or are victims of natural disasters.

Site:http://www.kidsdonations.org

Needs:          Donations, product drives

Connect:

twitter: https://twitter.com/kidsdonations

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KIDSdonations

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/kidsincmedia

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Non-profit:    Compassion International
Cause:           Releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name
Site:http://compassion.com
Needs:          Awareness, one time donations, child sponsorships
Connect:

twitter: https://twitter.com/Compassion

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Compassion

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/compassion

Mobile: http://compassion.mobi

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Remember to share a link to your blog post, your instagram photo, your facebook update, or your pinterest pin below, sharing how your family gave back this holiday season.  Your work will inspire others!

And please add your ‘giving’ to our collaborative tally sheet: http://bit.ly/blog4cause12