I know this isn't necessarily the time of year that most people feel like being generous in giving back to humanity, but I happened to come across Merlin's story in an online article and I started doing some reading into the events that forever altered this man's life. Read it for yourself and it's easy to see why they called him the Miracle Man. http://www.merlinsmiracles.com/ http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080502/ap_on_re_us/obit_german Also, I figured I would post some links to some other charities I regularly donate time and money to. I know there are several old threads in the Search Dungeon on this subject, but I thought giving a fresh perspective on a recent story and new charity would be worth posting a new thread for. Everyone feel free to post REPUTABLE charities in this thread, in hopes that maybe one simple post on a message board can help raise awarness and funding for some of these charities that do so much good for our world, even when most of us in the financial community do so little. http://www.somo.org/ http://www.mda.org/help/ http://www.stjude.org/ http://habitat.org/ http://www.worldwildlife.org/ http://wecansolveit.org/
Here's my favorite charity, the Feral Cat Coalition: http://www.feralcat.com/ If you like cats, please consider the FCC. They get results. About every month or so they hold feral cat clinics where feral cat caretakers can bring their cats in for spay/neuter and sometimes immunizations. Often people will complain that charities are corrupt, incompetent, or just flat out never get any results. The FCC has NONE of these problems. It's made up of a network of caring individuals who use the charities money to pay the medical expenses for feral cats, and nothing else.
(Since) November 1992, (they) have spayed/neutered nearly 20,000 cats. The FCC is made up entirely of volunteers, and donations are always welcome and needed for surgical supplies! That's exactly the kind of charitable organization that is worthwhile and one that gets immediate results. Think of all the offspring those cats would have produced in that same period of time, and how many more would have been euthanized due to overpopulation. Good post. Also check out the Humane Society at humanesociety.org or http://www.hsus.org/ "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." John F. Kennedy, 1961 inaugural address. Philanthropy isn't about any material things that one might receive in exchange for their contributions. It isn't about what you can do for yourself, or your country, or your church, or even your children. It's about what you can do, for those who cannot. Lending a hand to those in need offers a much greater feeling of prosperity than any man of wealth could ever afford. How prosperous have you felt recently?
Then Ma'am, I will donate my Beretta M9 and one round to you so that you can dispose of yourself to save humanity. PM me your address so I can overnight it.
Don't give to charity Give DIRECTLY to people around you who are in need You get more bang for your buck As an auditor, I've audited charities before - you'd be surprised how much 'waste' there is You have managers working 9 - 4, doing nothing, making $100k+
I give twice weekly to my local sperm bank. Humanity has benefited in ways too numerous to count. You all can thank me in any way you feel fit. It makes me feel good to give so often, and so much. I think everyone should give at least once, if they can.Some have to work at it to give, while others require a little help. To some, it just comes natural. It's a thankless gift, but it satisfies me. I make some noise when I give, yet I don't care who hears my cries of passion for the gifts I give. I love the charity I give for, I think of myself when I give, yet again, I think of the world and me continuing on in perpetuity. I think I'll go practice right now.