Joy

[thefourthvine]

It's More Joy Day! And you all bring me more joy than I could possibly describe or repay; I'm like a giant joy sponge in fandom, really. Except, wow - "giant joy sponge" sounds like a seriously unfortunate euphemism from an even worse story ("His lover caressed his pendulous spheroids, and his giant joy sponge swelled impossibly"), and I apologize for that, but you get my point. I hope.

Anyway. Today, I'd like to borrow an idea from fan_eunice and give to the causes that bring you joy, or that you think are important. I'll donate ten dollars to the first fifteen charities someone links to in the comments. And if we hit that number, feel free to keep on commenting with links and descriptions; I'd really love to know what causes all of you support. (And it will be useful for, um, later.)

Comments

[callmerizzo.livejournal.com]

My vote goes to
St. Jude's Children Research Hospital (http://www.stjude.org) -- not only because they treat children suffering from cancer, AIDS or other illnesses regardless of whether or not they can pay, but also because the research they're doing is saving lives. :)

[oriolegirl]

American Stroke Association

Both of my father's parents had multiple strokes and, from some genealogy I've done, his side of the family seems prone to strokes. I'd rather avoid having one, myself.

[vito-excalibur.livejournal.com]

The UNFPA's global campaign to end fistula (https://www.americansforunfpa.org/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?&pid=259&srcid=258), and here's why (http://vito-excalibur.livejournal.com/120178.html).

[reginagiraffe]

You may soak up joy but then you squeeze it back out again (and more!) in joyous posts about things you like and sweet potatoes.

[miss-porcupine.livejournal.com]

Soldiers' Angels (http://www.soldiersangels.com/) and especially Valour-IT (http://soldiersangels.org/index.php?page=project-valour-it) I've posted a drabble to solicit donations for the Valour-IT fundraiser the last two years. SA is a civilian-run organization that works toward making the lives of deployed personnel and their families nicer as well as easier. The Valour-IT program donates laptops with voice-activated software to wounded personnel who would not otherwise be able to communicate with friends and family, both at home and the buddies they left behind at the front. The laptops do wonders for morale, which in turn does wonders for the healing process.

Wounded Warrior Project (https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/), especially the Backpack fund (https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/index.php/WWP-Packs.html) Because life does not stop when you lose a limb. The backpack project gets essentials and not-quite-essentials to wounded personnel -- you don't get to go pack your clean pairs of undies when you're getting airlifted to a hospital out of theater.

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (http://www.nmcrs.org/) Sometimes a simple hand is all that's needed. Interest-free loans, scholarships, and financial services of various stripes for Navy and Marine Corps personnel and their families.

Michael Yon (http://michaelyon-online.com/) and Michael Totten (http://www.michaeltotten.com/). Not charities, but men who are independent journalists running around and showing things that the mainstream media doesn't want to show.

CCFA (http://www.ccfa.org/) For personal reasons, but also because Crohn's and Colitis are diseases that are unglamorous and unfashionable and you're not going to get a fancy celebrity to help raise awareness and cash for a disease that's all about bowel movements.

Catholic Charities (http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/) Because they are an extremely efficient charity with a wide reach. I gave to them in the wake of Katrina and have been impressed by them.

American Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org/) I refuse to give to the International version, but have only the highest respect for the American branch.

Salvation Army (http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/) Not so much anymore because they are too aggressive with the paper mailings once you're on their lists, but an eminently worthy cause.

[medalline]

Along with the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, the Air Force Aid Society, Army Emergency Relief, and Coast Guard Mutual Assistance.

The NMCRS will help all branches in emergency situations but in other instances, such as budget counseling, the newborn packages and classes (Junior Seabag and Budget for Baby), and other community support, we'll generally refer them to their branch aid society. As miss_porcupine said, sometimes a simple hand is all that is needed, and the Air Force, Army, and Coast Guard personnel and dependents sometimes need that help as well. :)

[ozsaur.livejournal.com]

Joe Lee Griffin Hope Lodge (http://www.cancer.org/docroot/COM/content/div_MidSouth/COM_6_1x_Joe_Lee_Griffin_Hope_Lodge_-_Birmingham_Ala.asp) in Birmingham Alabama. My sister-in-law and I have spent several nights there while she has been undergoing treatment for Leukemia at UAB. They offer practical assistance to those who have been diagnosed with cancer as well as to their families.

There are other Hope Lodges. A google search can help you find one closer to you if you wish to donate locally.

You are doing a wonderful thing, and thank you for giving me the chance to let others know about Hope Lodge.

[adbaculum.livejournal.com]

Rats, too late. Well, I'll link anyway in case you're feeling extra joyous. ;)

The Mautner Project (http://www.mautnerproject.org) is a national lesbian health organization that provides support services, education, advocacy, and resources to lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered women and their families. They do a lot of direct support and care, but I've used them several times as a resource for finding lesbian sensitive healthcare providers. It was particularly helpful when I was new in town and didn't have anyone else to ask.

[ceteramisto.livejournal.com]

I'd like to add another comment in support of both The MS Society and the American Red Cross. My mother worked for the American Red Cross for years as a SAF (Service to Armed Forces) and SMF (Service to Military Families) caseworker, which is something that only the ARC does and none of the other Red Cross organizations does. The only reason she left the job is because whe was diagnosed with MS.

[katie-m.livejournal.com]

Since you encouraged us to keep going... The Urban Resources Initiative (http://www.yale.edu/uri/index.html), which works in New Haven supporting community groups creating greenspaces and doing environmental education with local kids. URI itself and the many volunteers and community members involved in it are fantastic, dedicated people, and it was working with URI that taught me to love New Haven. (Which is a great little city, dammit.)

[celli]

I do most of my active charity stuff for the ALS Association- http://www.alsa.org - and RAINN - http://www.rainn.org/ - the Rape, Abuse, and Incest Network. I wear a set of necklaces I got from RAINN that say, "courage," "hope," and "survivor" on them. Well, when I wear necklaces. :)

[fictionbya.livejournal.com]

Government Accountability Project (http://www.whistleblower.org). GAP's mission is to "protect the public interest by promoting government and corporate accountability through advancing occupational free speech and ethical conduct, defending whistleblowers, and empowering citizen activists."

I interned there as an undergrad so I know how hard they work and how deep their convictions are. They are very much the little public interest law firm that could. They are not afraid of the big bad wolf of government and corporations engaged in wrongdoing.

Legal Services of Northern California (http://www.lsnc.info/). This is the Legal Aid organization that I volunteer for. They serve the poor community and give free help to navigate the legal system, representation when possible, and do policy work.

Honor Flight (http://www.honorflight.org/). I had a very, very negative experience with a similar organization, but NOT THIS organization, which has the same purpose and appears to be a stable, established organization. The purpose of Honor Flight is to give WWII veterans and terminally ill veterans a chance to visit DC and the WWII memorial for free. The WWII memorial is very new in DC, but most WWII veterans will never get a chance to visit it. They deserve to have that opportunity.

Because you said keep going...

[hossgal.livejournal.com]

Fischer House (http://www.fisherhouse.org/) - Provides housing and support for military families when a service member is undergoing long-term hospitalization.

Freedom Alliance (http://freedomalliance.org/fa/) - scholarship fund for sons and daughters of military members killed and disabled on active duty.

Heifer International (http://www.heifer.org/) - "Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." From its roots as "get a heifer, give a calf to someone else" in the post-WWII Europe to its current spread across developing nations, Heifer builds communities, feeds kids, and strengths neighbors. I like best how it works to match the needs of the local people for substance with the kind of animal that is best for the geography and the local environment.

There are so many good projects listed here on this page. I am reminded of what I was told one day, by a Humane Society worker: All these charities? That are 'taking money away from [the Humane Society]? Thank God for them. Thank God that there are so many places that let people try to help. There is enough pain to go around for all of us - we should not fear that someone else's attempts to comfort and heal will rob us of a need to bandage and soothe.

- hg

[jcalanthe]

It's so interesting to see all the different groups listed here, what overlaps with me & what doesn't. I don't think of my donor patterns as that unusual, but in this list I am. Here's a few:

The Global Fund for Women I think is awesome (their site is down at the moment, which is unusual). They make small grants to many local grassroots orgs around the world which work to improve life for women & girls, since research shows that one of the best ways to reduce poverty, disease, and all sorts of other stuff is to improve the quality of life for women. & because their focus is largely in the developing world, a little money goes a long way. Plus the folks who work there are very nice & treat their donors well, which I think is a plus. :)

The Intersex Society for North America does some amazing work. Their mission is is devoted to systemic change to end shame, secrecy, and unwanted genital surgeries for people born with an anatomy that someone decided is not standard for male or female. & they've made progress in working with the medical establishment - there's still a ridiculous number of invasive (and not medically necessary) surgeries done on intersexed kids, especially babies, which can compromise/remove sexual function (among other things), but there's more of a dialog now.

Generation Five has the goal of ending child sexual abuse in 5 generations. Looks like they're largely in the Bay Area, Atlanta, and NYC so far, so not as national/international as the last 2. Founded by Staci Haines, the author of The Survivor's Guide to Sex, & others. What I like about this org is that they're working for positive, systemic change - I support folks doing crisis intervention too, but it's nice to also give to a group which is looking beyond crisis into real change (which I suppose can be said for all 3 of these).

[greenet.livejournal.com]

Childs Play (http://www.childsplaycharity.org/) which is going throughout the year now, although the fundraiser start in November.

Pretty Bird Woman House (http://www.prettybirdwomanhouse.blogspot.com/) A women's shelter and education program on the Standing Rock Reservation.

The National Aphasia Association (http://www.aphasia.org/)

American Cancer Society

[(Anonymous)]

Sorry, don't have live journal account. However, I suggest the American Cancer Society, which is the largest non-governmental source of funding for medical research, and is working to end all cancer.

Celebrate cancer survivors!
Remember those who have lost their battle!
Fight Back against Cancer!

My ACS Relay For Life donation page http://relay.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RelayForLifeGreatWestDivision?fr_id=6240&pg=entry

Or find a Relay For Life in your community http://relay.acsevents.org/site/PageServer?pagename=RFL_homepage