Sunday, August 10, 2008

This week's coupon giveaway

Since my dad's surgery to remove his brain tumor is Monday morning, I am posting this week's contest on Sunday night. For those of you who are praying for us, thank you so much, and please continue to pray as I know the following weeks are going to be hard ones for our family. Your prayers have truly been felt and we appreciate it greatly.
So, on to this week's contest, we have discussed organizing, gift giving and even early morning preparation for school, so this week I want to know what your favorite charity is to support.
Whether it is a national charity or a local one, I want to know who you choose to support and why.
Also, how do you support them? Do you give of your money, your time or your stockpile? :)
If they have a website, please feel free to include it. I want to get the information out for all of my readers about the great organizations that are available to help others.
I will start by saying we support the Christian Food Bank in our town, Pathway of Hope pregnancy care center, St. Vincent De Paul (sort of like Goodwill or Salvation Army for those who don't know), our church and the Toys for Tots drive each holiday.
I also send a few care packages a month overseas to soldiers who are serving our country. My husband is a former member of the US Army, so that is definitely near and dear to my heart. These soldiers don't only give of themselves, they choose to spend time away from their families so that we can remain with ours.
So, what charities are close to your heart? How did you choose those and how do you get your family or community involved in supporting them?
I will choose a random winner Saturday from all of my entries. Good luck and don't forget to check out the other ongoing giveaway I already have for this week here.

20 comments:

one frugal lady said...

I volunteer at a place called pregnancy assistance center. It is a christian-based organization for pregnant or new moms that need help. Donations are accepted, such as clothing, food, furniture, toys, everything you could imagine. Most of the people that come in are very young teenagers, so we do like to educate as much as we can. We give free pregnancy tests, since these can be pricey, and guide them thru ideas, materials and options. The program that we do educate people on information about childbirth, raising children, christianity, etc., so when you have completed the material, say a class or a worksheet, or book, you get points. The points buy you things you need for your new baby. The girls always seem to come back and we get a positive response from the community, so I guess we are doing our part.

Amy said...

I have a box of stuff (hba items, school supplies, food, etc) that I am collecting for our local food bank. Any time I score a free deal on something I won't use, it goes in the box, and when the box gets full, it goes to the food bank. By couponing and finding the best deals, I am able to support others who are in need.

usafcole said...

I support the Susan G. Koman foundation for breast cancer research. My mom died of breast cancer when I was 14. We also support our local church. We put together crisis care kits that are used around the world. They contain shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc. I am able to use coupons to get most of the items at little or no cost. My husband also serves on the board of directors at Lighthouse Mission Board. It is a local thrift store that uses it proceeds to help those in our community. They do several worthwhile projects all year. It is a growing mission store and is exciting to see how far it has come it just a few short years.

Pam C.
usafcole@yahoo.com

seesawstar said...

I like to support animal shelters and the USO/other similar organizations. I used to volunteer at shelters and foster, but with the new baby and having just moved, I haven't had a chance to donate except for taking part in their donation dog wash. Every month or so, I go through my stockpile and drop things off at the USO or FFSC on base...they either give stuff to the guys here, or make care packages for those overseas. And if for some reason they're not taking donations or I don't the have time, I give my husband my extra toiletries (toothpaste, shampoo, toothbrushes...etc.) and tell him to distribute them to his friends =).

Ladybug's Mom said...

I support the March of Dimes with money and my time by volunteering. My daughter was a preemie. She is doing wonderfuly now so it's my way of saying thank you!

Mrs. J said...

I hope your dad is ok now. I just thought about you and thought I should drop by. Anyway I don't support anything yet but I've donated some toothbrushes and boxtops that our church will be donating to teens who are out of their homes.

Anonymous said...

One of my favorite charities is birthright, which helps pregnant women in need. I don't do a lot to financially support them right now, but our church mom's group is working on ways to help them out.

perdita300@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

I give to Compassion International. We sponsor a little guy in Haiti, a country where I have served as a missionary. I also give to our local youth group camp scholarship fund. I could never afford to go to church camp as a child, and because of someone's donation, I was able to go as an eleven year old and God changed my life. I'd love these coupons!

anna j said...

On a continuous basis, I love weeding out excess clothing and donating it to Teen Challenge. I also support a Compassion International child from Kenya, and have watched him grow over the past 4 years: it is such a joy to get letters from him, and to write . . .

steele family said...

I will be praying for your family as they go through this very difficult time. As for a charity we support, you can check out my blog.

www.givefocus.blogspot.com

We choose a different organization every month to support with the intention of others to join in with us and make a bigger impact for the selected ministry.

Jessica-MomForHim said...

I hope the surgery and healing process goes well. :-)
We support our church with time and money. We also support several missionaries through different agencies and a child through World Vision. We like to do Christmas shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child and also local charities. We also support our local Christian Radio Station every year.

pam said...

I support our local community through my employer by donating each pay period to United
Way. I also try to get my kids involved in charity by choosing things like the Angel tree at church and Operation Christmas Child. We also have a yearly tradition of putting food out for our local postman, who delivers it to local food shelters in town. Thanks so much. I hope your dad is doing okay.

Reagan said...

We collect things throughout the year to put in a plastic shoe box and send to Samaritan's Purse for the Operation Christmas Child project. Samaritan's Purse sends the filled boxes to children in desperate situations around the world. Each of my children make a box for a boy or girl their age. They get to choose what goes in there. It helps them realize how fortunate they are, and how easy and fun it is to bless another child. And it helps them to think of someone else during the Christmas season.

Anonymous said...

Every Christmas sence I was in middle school I would do the Giving Tree. I have loved it so much as was so happy to hear that here at work they also had a giving tree and during easter they have a raffle of easter baskets and you can eather keep the basket or donate it to the abused women and children foundation.

I am a newbe to couponing but one of the reasons I want to learn is so I can donate more to the more needed.

Araceli
ada51654_@hotmail.com

Katie said...

We support Children's hunger fund (www.childrenshungerfund.org) through volunteering (packing boxes to ship overseas) donating from our stockpile as well as financially. The reason we like this organization is that 99% of your giving goes out they use less then 1% for administration ect. Thanks

Jen T. said...

I am currently training for my third marathon with Team in Training to raise money for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. I've done the last two with no personal honored hero, but this time I have a real-life honored hero, Kennedy Garcia, who is four and has battled more (Down Syndrome, cancer, spine surgery) than most of us ever will! She's my hero and I can't wait to run in honor of her in January!

Marin said...

Our local pregnancy resource center, Catholic Charities, and Operation Christmas Child (Samaritan's Purse) are three I'm using my couponing, etc. to support. I also have two sponsor kids through Compassion.

Lori said...

Barnabas Ministries works with at-risk and incarcarated youth and their families in West Michigan. I have served both as a mentor, and on their penpal team writing to children in juvie. These kids are so anxious to learn about God's unconditional love for them, and to have someone in their life who affirms their value. I dare say that I have been blessed even MORE than the kids I work with, just for the opportunity to know these kids and see them grow! The website is: http://barnabasmin.org/

Anonymous said...

As the local church and community organizations. Our family always help with our time for those less fortunate.
Babynho@optonline.net

aribelle2624 said...

I support our local MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) chapter. This is a nationwide, non-profit organization www.MOPS.org. It is a christian based organization that I have been involved with for 5 years. You can support them through, volunteering your time, money, prayers and more.
-Heather
aribelle2624@aol.com