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Monday, December 21, 2009

The Season of Giving

20091222_GivingSo it's THAT time of year again…..December is here & the stress factor just went up a notch for all of us.  There….feel that?  Just went up again!

Not only are we busy with budgets and strategic plans for 2010 at our daily gig but we are also trying to find that perfect gift for Uncle what's his name and get it shipped in time for him to actually open it!

I keep reminding myself to take a big breath, hold it and let it out slowly.  I also tell my fellow peeps here at People Report that if they hear something hitting the ground they need to check on me - I may have forgotten to let that breath out!

So besides those deep breathing exercises what else makes me really happy this time of year?

Well that is actually very simple - helping someone else in need.  For me personally, that would be anything to do with the Limbs for Life Foundation which provides prosthetics for people who otherwise would not be able to afford them.  They are changing and enhancing lives daily.     http://www.limbsforlife.org/

So I asked my friends here at People Report "Who or what is your favorite charity"?

Joni Thomas Doolin - Nate St. Pierre and It Starts With Us. http://www.itstartswith.us/

Nate is a wonderful example of an individual who is making paying it forward easy - by joining other likeminded individuals together & spending just a few moments a week to make a difference.  He has already been able to enlist the help of our members led by Avery Block at Claim Jumper, Kat Cole at Hooters, Vickie Frisbie at McAlister's, and the team at Talent Revolution.

Wally Doolin - Share our Strength because they are committed to the 13+ million kids that are under fed each night to receive the nutrition they need to grow and learn.  A hungry child can't learn and an uneducated child is destined to poverty. http://www.strength.org/

Melissa Papaleo - Snowball Express is the charity for the children of our fallen military heroes. They started in 2006 with a simple idea: Provide hope and new memories to the children of our fallen military heroes who died while on active duty since September 11, 2001. www.snowballexpress.org

Michael Harms - Habitat for Humanity.... This Christian-based charity helps build low-cost houses for families in need.  In addition to providing homes, it provides hope and often serves to revitalize entire neighborhoods. http://www.habitat.org/cd/local/

Gerret Montgomery - Gerret's charity of choice is St. Jude's Hospital.  St. Jude Children's Research Hospital treats children without regard to the family's ability to pay.  Take a look at what they do daily here at www.stjude.org

Nancy Thomas Morris - Operation Kindness - North Texas Oldest & Largest No Kill Animal Shelter because she loves animals & that is where her last 2 family members, Elvis & Aerie, have come from. http://www.operationkindness.org/index.php

Kathy Nash - Kathy supports the ASPCA because they help provide basic needs of food, shelter & safety from harm for animals across our country; to ensure that homeless animals are not homeless. http://www.aspca.org/

Shyam Patel - Shyam's cause is Kiva whose mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty. Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend to unique entrepreneurs around the globe. http://www.kiva.org/

Bill Schaffler - North Texas Food Bank is Bill's charity of choice because he wants to give back to the city he grew up in.  NTFB secures donations of surplus unmarketable, but wholesome, foods and grocery products for distribution through a network of charitable organizations dedicated to feeding the hungry in 13 North Texas Counties.  http://ntfb.org/

I work with some amazing people!  I would love to hear what your favorite charity is - you can let me know at http://twitter.com/kacyoden

Happy Holidays from all of us here at People Report and Black Box Intelligence!

May 2010 be a year filled with peace, hope and fulfillment.

 

Kacy Oden | Post a Comment | Email Article


2 comment(s) for “The Season of Giving”

  • Joni Thomas Doolin Says:
    Kacy, keep breathing and thank you for walking your talk. It has never been more important - to give more than you think you can, than it is this year. Thanks for making it easier for all of us to find ways to do that.
  • Nate St. Pierre Says:
    I wasn't familiar with Limbs for Life before I read this article . . . thanks for making me aware, Kacy.