Expansion on Birthday! Birthday! Birthday!

Okay, so now that I have some time, I thought I'd expand my thoughts on why I'm recommending that you donate to the various charities listed below.

1. Doctors Without Borders: Sheri Kirshenbaum wrote a blogpost about sexual assault around the world. She also spoke about an initiative that she is starting (with the help of other bloggers) called Silence is the Enemy. This initiative is designed to bring light to the situation in Liberia and other countries that have been torn apart by war. Although the war is over, many men still feel entitled to sex and are sexually abusing children 12 and under in drastically high numbers. You can read this article as published in the NY Times for a better understanding of the problems facing our world. Doctors Without Borders provides medical attention to the children and women that are affected by these gross and violent sexual assaults. We like to assume that because it's not affecting us, then things aren't really that bad. But the fact of the matter is that there are bigger problems in the world than the ones we run into every day in our home towns. Sexual assault is very real and the numbers are shocking.
   
2. North Texas Food Bank is the largest food bank in Texas (based on distributed pounds) and strives to create a hunger free community. They work with various food networks through out 13 different Texas counties to provide food to those who are hungry, and in need. According to their numbers, $1 can provide 4 meals worth of food to someone in need. Another impressive statistic is that about .97 cents of every $1 donated goes to hunger relief. That's some pretty good management, if you ask me.
   
3. Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® was founded on a promise. A promise made between sisters. Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® has now grown to be the world's largest grass roots network of breast cancer survivors and activits. Although no one in my family has been diagnosed with breast cancer, I am very aware of the effect it can have on women, and the effect it can have on families who lose someone to breast cancer. It is a long fought battle, and through donations and research, we have been able to learn a lot about breast cancer, but that doesn't mean that we've found a cure. I know this one gets a lot of publicity, but they're doing amazing work, so they deserve the help!
4. Fistula Foundation- A fistula is a hole. An obstetric fistula of the kind that occurs in many developing countries is a hole between a woman's birth passage and one or more of her internal organs. This hole develops over many days of obstructed labor, when the pressure of the baby's head against the mother's pelvis cuts off blood supply to delicate tissues in the region. This hole can result in permanent incontinence of urine and/or feces. A majority of women who develop fistulas are abandoned by their husbands and ostracized by their communities because of their inability to have children and their foul smell. Traumatic fistula is the result of sexual violence. The injury can occur through rape or women being butchered from the inside with bayonets, wood or even rifles. The aim is to destroy the women and the community within which the sufferer lives. Once committed the survivor, her husband, children and extended family become traumatized and humiliated. The Panzi Hospital in Congo is a pioneer in treating victims of traumatic fistula. The kicker about fistula is that it's a highly curable problem. It pretty much disappeared from the US and Europe by the late 19th and early 20th century because those countries were able to afford the kind of treatment and most women in those countries give birth with highly trained professionals in the room. It costs US$450 to provide one woman with a fistula repair operation, high-quality postoperative care, a new dress, and bus fare home. That's it. $450 to save a woman's life. Why would you not want to help?
5. The Hunger Project In Africa, Asia and Latin America, The Hunger Project seeks to end hunger and poverty by empowering people to lead lives of self-reliance, meet their own basic needs and build better futures for their children. Hunger Project strategies seek to build people's capacities, leadership and confidence. We train women and men, equipping them with the skills, methods and knowledge needed to take self-reliant actions to improve their lives and conditions in their communities. Our aim is to overcome the deep resignation people in the developing world often find themselves in as a result of failed development initiatives. The Hunger Project urges people not to wait to be rescued, but to take action now to meet their basic needs.

I think the things that we sometime take for granted are the things that are killing our brothers and sisters around the world. We are blessed to live in a country where health care is important, and where the majority of people can afford to buy food for their families. I've never had to miss a meal because my parents or I couldn't afford to buy dinner. I've never had to worry about whether or not I'd be able to have this surgery or this procedure done. I've never had to worry about anything that I didn't want to, really. My life has been lucky. I was born to parents who gave everything they had to take care of me, and I married a man who believes in saving for rainy days. My life has been blessed.

Not everyone's lives are blessed in the same ways our's are. Not everyone can afford food for their family every day, and not everyone can deliver a baby at their local hospital with highly trained professionals in the room. There are people out there who need our help. There's a saying about money. The saying goes that you can't take it with you when you die. How true that is. I understand that we are getting to the age where we have to start planning for our children. We need money to do that. We need money to maintain our houses and our lifestyles. But sometimes, it's worth it to not buy that extra pair of shoes so that you can help someone else who hasn't been as lucky as you.

My friend Janet has started an effort to donate to a new charity every month. I'm not saying you should do that, but if you ever wanted some ideas of different charities that you can donate to, she usually has a pretty good list.

"I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver."

Maya Angelou