The Food for Everyone Foundation began in Utah in 1998. It is considered a Public Charitable 501©(3) Foundation, with a tax exempt status according to the Internal Revenue Services (IRS).  It was established to “[encourage and foster] the development, understanding, and distribution of the most efficient scientific non-polluting and ecologically sensitive food production procedures, by sponsoring and supporting the research, development, and dissemination of the best possible gardening methods and techniques, and the most effective information delivery systems and teaching methods throughout the world, with primary emphasis on the developing countries”.  They also train and educate within the USA, in order to impart “gardening procedures and techniques [as well as] effective gardening methods”.

It is headed by James B. Kennard, popularly known as Jim. As the president of the organization and a retired Certified Public Accountant (CPA) who has managed several businesses such as shopping centers, retail establishments and apartments for the past thirty years. He has vast experiences leading and training. He shares his gardening know-how including financial and business tips which can contribute to the success of community gardening projects. He is also a Master Mittleider Gardening Instructor who has personally collaborated with Dr. Jacob Mittleider on several gardening projects within the USA and overseas.

Their goal is to expand their program globally by “teach[ing] the world to grow food one family at a time.” They have implemented previous projects in Mexico, Honduras, Trinidad & Tobago, FIJI, Tonga, Okinawa, Papua New Guinea, New Britain, Canada, Turkey, Madagascar, Armenia, Georgia (Republic), Colombia, Russian commonwealth countries such as Latvia, four nations in Africa and areas within the USA.

The advocacy encourages self-sufficiency in food production by sponsoring training classes and seminars; providing assistance to less fortunate individuals; facilitating acquisition of materials needed such as tools, equipment, seeds and fertilizers so that they can put up fruitful gardens in their respective communities. Their pay it forward attitude aims to improve the lives of impoverished families. The foundation’s well-trained staff helps put food on the table by empowering them to become self-reliant when it comes to growing their own food.

Learn how you can help by visiting http://www.growfood.com. Any form of assistance in kind or monetary will be greatly appreciated.

Image from Food for Everyone Foundation

IT STARTS WITH ONE CAN®. TO FEED THE HUNGRY.  TO LIFT THE SPIRIT.  TO CHANGE THE WORLD.

“Canstruction is using one can of food as a catalyst for change. One Can® to represent the building blocks of massive sculptures. One Can® to prove that every act of kindness makes a difference. Since 1992, Canstruction has contributed over 17.5 million pounds of food to community food banks demonstrating that we can win the fight against hunger.”

Canstruction is a nonprofit organization whose aim is to “engage, amaze and inspire the community to work together raising canned food to feed hundreds of thousands of hungry people”. Every year they hold a design and build competition all over the world, where teams of engineers, architects and their students compete to design and build gigantic edifices made from thousands of cans of food.

These industry professionals and volunteers are given twelve hours to create awesome structures made from this unusual medium. The next day these art pieces are judged in different categories and declare a winner. These exceptional sculptures are displayed so that they can be viewed by the public. Afterwards, the canned food used for the creations are distributed to community emergency feeding programs, soup kitchens, day care centers, shelters or donated to local food banks.

Visit Canstruction’s website for the list of participating cities and their upcoming events. You can also read more about the program and how you can help. If you want to donate, you may do so on the site itself via Paypal.

Image from  karen_neoh

Animal shelters struggle from over population and lack of funding. There are many ways to help them. You can donate items they need or you can support by volunteering in your spare time.

The first thing you should do is to find animal shelters in your vicinity. Each shelter is different; there are many organizations, leagues or local animal groups that operate them. Check the yellow pages or the internet to find them by zip code.

Once you have chosen a shelter of your choice, call them and ask about their volunteering process. They may ask you to come in and apply to make sure that you are well suited for their organization. While you are there, get to know the staff, system and working conditions.

Choosing how you will volunteer will depend on the work or activities needed because some require specialized training. Shelters often have an age requirement for volunteers. They must be 16 years old or older. The working hours also depend on availabilities or their volunteering rules.

Cleaning cages, the facilities, admin work such as filing papers or making phone calls are some tasks you may do. Fundraising or collecting blankets and supplies are also other options. Other tasks include feeding, grooming, walking the animals, playing or spending time with them.  You may also foster them if you wish.

Each minute you spend trying to help these organizations will help the animals and definitely make a difference.

Image from  daveparker

Christmas is often associated with sharing. It is a time to give back and share the blessings that you have received. But who says that you cannot share all-year round? It’s been almost a month since the holidays, but you can still help many people who are less fortunate. Here are some charities or causes that would greatly appreciate your help.

Many calamities have struck nations around the globe. Earthquakes and floods for example have displaced many people. They have no homes and are badly in need of food, clothing and other basic necessities. Ease their hardships by sharing what you can. Check the internet or social media networks for places of immediate need.

Orphanages foster many children and look after them. You can donate gifts, books and even small items such as soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other items. Visit an orphanage nearby and ask them what they need or simply make a donation that you feel will help.

Soup kitchens often have abundant food, but it would be awesome if you can make it more special. You don’t have to donate monetary or material things. Simply donate your time in cooking and feeding the homeless and it will make a big difference.

Organize a fundraiser for a deserving recipient. It may be someone who is sick or anyone who is in need. You can also ask friends to make donations to a chosen cause instead of giving you gifts for your birthday or other occasions. The greatest present that you can receive is the thought that you made a mark in someone’s life or the fact that you put a smile on someone else’s face.

Image from  markcos1o

There are also questions about the kinds of charities Perry donates, with some arguing that almost all of them have some personal tie to him. Tax returns from 1996 show Perry donating $100 to his old alma mater at Texas University, while other organizations benefiting from his charitable giving included $50 given to children’s charity Helping Hand Home for Children. Additionally, in 1998 records show that Perry donated $10 to the school his children were attending. This figure did increase in 2002 and 2003 to $50 each year.

More questions are arisen regarding a pay raise Perry received in 2008 on the declaration that he was going to donate the extra $35,000 dollar to charity. His salary was increased to $150,000 p.a. from $115,000 p.a. and indeed in 2008 Perry did give away $34,998 to charity (he gave an additional $2,850 to churches at the same time). However, over the years this figure fell; in 2009 he gave $20,000 to charities, while in 2010 his donation was just $12,500 – his salary at this time was $217,447.

However, there are pundits who back Perry by saying his donations are in line with other politicians. Michael Nilsen, the head of the Association of Fundraising commented that “Perry’s giving is about average from what I have seen” while Ken Berger of Charity Navigator, the watchdog authority for charities, stated that “Most of this is not showing a great philanthropist and also not showing anything significantly out of the norm”. Despite this, one thing is clear – if Perry wants to put these rumours that he is uncharitable to bed then he will have to dig a little deeper when next donating to charity.

Have a Reason for Volunteering

In a hospital setting, it is highly likely that the volunteer will go through an application, interview and training process. During this time, the volunteer may be asked exactly what their reason is for volunteering. For some, it may be to gain experience while working on a medical degree. For others, it’s the sheer joy of helping those in need while taking time away from the computer, eBay, Presta, and other distractions in life. Whatever the reason, it is important for the volunteer to know exactly what they hope to achieve from the experience.

Always Ask, Never Guess

When volunteering at a hospital, it is important to always ask questions when in doubt regarding any type of situation or issue. Never guess or make assumptions, as this can have a huge impact. Not using the right cleaner for the floors may seem like it’s not a big deal, but the wrong cleaner could promote the unintentional spread of germs. Always ask

Be Prepared for a Set Schedule

For the most part, a hospital runs on a schedule. They will likely have a volunteer schedule that may coincide with different healthcare professionals who may need additional help throughout the day. Volunteers who begin at a hospital should be prepared for a set weekly, bi-weekly or monthly schedule depending on how much time they can donate. The volunteer needs to be prepared for the schedule and include it into their life, as there are people who will depend on them to be there.

Use Your Talents

Hospital volunteer-work is not necessarily all about changing bed pans or mopping floors. There may be filing, computer work and other tasks that may need to be performed. Volunteers should find something that uses their existing skill set or talent, as this will lead to a successful and productive experience for both the volunteer and the hospital.

Remember, It’s Not Personal

A hospital is a stressful environment for many people, including patients, doctors, nurses and other staff members. Volunteers should remember that if they get snapped at or otherwise, to not take things personally. Hospitals are high-stress, so don’t take anything personal; chances are, they didn’t mean it.

While volunteering can be a rewarding experience, it’s important to also have a reason for doing so. Asking questions, sticking to a set schedule and remembering not to take things personally is key for doing volunteer work in this high stress environment.

Who can win? The President’s Volunteer Service Award is open to individuals and groups, and to anyone age 5 or older who has donated time and energy to a charitable cause.

What are the award categories? There are different award levels – gold, silver, and bronze – that are based on the number of volunteer hours served over a 12-month period of time (anywhere between 50 to 100 hours for kids and 200 to 100 hours for groups). Additionally, the President’s Call to Service Award is presented to people of all ages who have served more than 4000 hours of community service or volunteer work over a lifetime.

What do award recipients win? Awards include a lapel pin representative of the specific award given, a letter of congratulations from the American President, and a personalized achievement certificate.

How are award recipients identified? Official certifying organizations, which are responsible for logging and verifying volunteer service hours, can nominate qualified volunteers for the President’s Volunteer. You can also get involved by creating a record of service on the www.presidentialserviceawards.gov website.

If you are interested in volunteering, or if you know of a volunteer you think deserves some recognition, then you should definitely head over to the President’s Volunteer Service Award website and get involved. Volunteering doesn’t have to put you in debt to the point where you need Mobiloans, nor does it have to take up all of your time. We need to appreciate and help those who devote themselves to helping others, as we are certainly helped by them in more ways than we can even imagine.

Expressing thoughts, opinions and sharing information online is now part of our daily lives. It increases our knowledge and helps us learn new things. Its reach is endless because in this day and age t has access to the internet. Thing is there are also loads of websites to choose from, so if you have a site and you want to heard, registering to a blog directory is your best and easiest option.

BlogSearchEngine is a ‘portal that features various blogs from all over the web, making it a one-stop-shop for people looking for information’. Get your blog noticed online by becoming a member for as low as $14.99.

Becoming a member is simple. All you have to do is click on the “Get Featured” button, submit your blog details and then send your payment via Paypal. Choose among the different packages ranging from Standard to Platinum.

Sign up now and get a chance to win a Platinum Package worth $99.99!

The Platinum Package includes:

Blog Search Engine Review and Listing

Bloggy Award Review (PR5 site)

Link on http://xfep.com/uber-blogs/ for 3 Months

Featured link on EatonWeb blog portal (PR6 site)

‘Featured Blog’ display banner for 15 days

Here’s how:

1. Send out a tweet about this contest and include a link back to the following URL: http://bit.ly/rqPTDL
2. Copy and paste the full tweet you sent into the comments section on this page.

The contest goes until end of day 11/11/11 and the winner will be announced no later than 11/14/2011.

Discuss the Option

Chances are other members of your family feel the same way, but are unsure of how to approach the situation. Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to talk about it because the entire family is usually in one place. This gives you the chance to decide which charities you want to donate to, if any gifts will be purchased and how you’ll celebrate the holiday instead of opening gifts.

Make Sure Everyone Agrees

You need to make sure everyone is on board or someone might get her feelings hurt. If some people want to exchange gifts, even small ones, put a limit on what can be bought and let them know upfront if you don’t want any gifts. Some people have a hard time accepting that you want the money they would spend on your gift donated to charity.

Purchase Gifts for Children

The holidays are best enjoyed by children and they aren’t going to understand when you hand them a piece of paper about a charitable donation in their honor. Kids need gifts. If you still want to donate to a charity in their honor, shop at charitable thrift stores for new toys or clothing or adopt a puppy from a local shelter rather than heading to the pet store.

Have Something to Show for the Donation

A lot of charities give certificates or a small gift in exchange for a charitable donation. For example, it may be a stuffed polar bear for donating to a wildlife fund or a t-shirt for donating to a humane society. Regardless of what the gift is, be sure to give this to the person you made the donation in honor of.

Donating to charities is a wonderful way to spread the cheer, but you need to make sure everyone agrees. More importantly, you need to understand that children don’t understand charitable donations and will feel disappointed if they don’t have presents to open. If done properly though, charitable donations will leave the entire family feeling good about doing something for those in need.

Contact the Charity

The more people that know about the fundraiser, the better. Contacting the charity gives them the chance to let people know that you’re holding a fundraiser to benefit their cause. This also means that you may have the chance to meet with members from the charity to create fliers and write out messages for the local newspapers and radio stations.

Get Companies Involved

One of the best fundraisers is one that offers a big prize for people to buy tickets on. While a prize of this caliber may be out of your price range, you may be able to get a local company to donate a prize. If you can get several companies to donate a prize that’s even better. Contact local car dealerships, electronics stores, department stores, grocery stores, restaurants and any other companies in your area that are known for helping charity organizations. Do note that some cities do not allow items to be raffled off, even for charity purposes – so you may want to consult a Kentucky bankruptcy lawyer or another specialist in your area for help with that type of advice. Consult your local laws before doing this type of fundraiser.

Create or Purchase Simple Items to Sell

A simple item such as a photo of a local shelter animal or a sucker can be sold on auction sites in order to raise more for charity. In fact, in order to raise money on eBay, you have to give the buyer something in return. You can set the price as low as you want and welcome additional donations. For example, the price may be one-dollar, but buyers can pay $50.

Spread the Word

Last, but not least, spread the word around town and online. Create a website, Facebook page, fliers and money jars to be placed in businesses. Ask your friends, family and coworkers to let everyone know about the charity and how they can get involved.

A fundraiser is a wonderful way to help your favorite charity. Even if you don’t have a lot of money to help the cause, you can still donate your time in raising funds through your own fundraiser. Best of all, it’s easier than you might think.