Tips To Help A Child Live More
Charity-Oriented
by: Liam Marven
How much does your child think charity is important?
This may sound like the beginning of a lecture on
charity, but questions like this can start at home with
your child at a very young age. Children can't
immediately comprehend the benefits of charity unless
this concept is broken down into steps that are age
appropriate. Even a toddler can grasp the importance of
sharing and caring, although as adults we call this
compassion. What makes some children more adept at
thinking about charity has a lot to do with how you
nurture these qualities.
Many children have a naturally limited and idyllic
view on how the world works. This starting point works
well to introduce charity-minded traits. Some tips for
helping grow charity-oriented behavior is listed below:
1. Modeling is important, especially in the early
stages. When charity begins at home, children see the
importance that this behavior has on all around. While
children pretty much start out by mimicking your
behavior, in time these actions become internalized as a
healthy set of beliefs and self-motivation to assist
others. One way to do this is select one charity at
holiday time and letting your child donate to that
charity. As the child gets older, involve the child in
selecting a charity.
2. Talk about charity. Brainstorming about charities
takes away mystery and prompts discussions. It also
expands a child's mind beyond thinking just about
himself and his needs. For an older child, discussing
the concept of charity helps a child understand the
concept of a global society. Many times after a disaster
or encountering someone with a disability or personal
tragedy, a child wants to help out but has no clue on
how to go about doing so. In this case, discussing
different charities and a little bit about what those
charities do helps a child focus on benefiting rather
than dwelling on negatives. A great source for finding a
charity is at Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org).
3. These discussions have a cathartic value that can
enhance a child's social development. Upon seeing how
others are helped, children also build compassion.
Children who partake in charity giving, according to
many child development studies, test better when it
comes to higher-level thinking, creativity, moral
standards, self-confidence and self-reliance.
A child's age and development benefit most when the
discussions are brief. According to "Bloom's
Taxonomy" on children's cognitive thinking stages,
the mind absorbs words and concepts appropriate to a
child's age and development. For instance, is your child
ready to discuss proposing charities that better a
global society or topics that involve what is a charity?
Two books that introduce charity to young children are
"Bear in the Big Blue House: Everybody's
Special" and "Berenstain Bears: Think of Those
in Need".
5. The American Dream asks everyone to help those in
need and treat everyone as special human beings. The
American society is especially philanthropic. According
to the Catalogue for Philanthropy, the top states that
rate high on the charitable index are Mississippi (first
place), Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. The index
measures the amount of discretionary income given to
charities.
Giving to charity is great lesson in reality - there
are times when everyone needs help. The sooner that a
child starts to learn the importance of sharing, giving
and participating in charity the better off the future
of the world is for everyone.
Below you will find a list of both
universal and local childrens charities.
Make this season about giving all year long.
The Charity Navigator site is a wonderful tool you can
use to help you make educated decissions on giving this
season and throughout the year.
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=518
1. A Gift for the Future Children's Fund
2. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
3. K.I.D.S
4. UNICEF
5. Books For Kids
6. Big Brother Big Sister
7. Ronald McDonald House (in Mobile, Al.)
8. Make-A-Wish Foundation
9. Save The Children
10. Children's Cancer Charity
A
Gift for the Future Children's Fund was founded
with the purpose of improving the lives of American
children. Through the thoughtful gifts and donations of
our supporters, A Gift for the Future supports projects
and organizations that have a proven record of helping
the children in the greatest need.
The organizations and
charities supported through the fund provide many
benefits to children. The services these organizations
render include:
- Creating shelters for children who have been
victims of abuse
- Providing advocates, friends and roll models for
children who are wards of the state
- Supporting educational programs for parents and
children at risk
- Providing facilities and activities as
alternatives to violent neighborhoods
We research every
charity thoroughly before donating the funds that we
raise with your help. Preference is always given to
organizations that help large numbers of children in
their community and that have large volunteer
organizations. http://www.agift.org/
No other place in the world does for children what St.
Jude does.
- St.
Jude Children's
Research Hospital is the only pediatric
cancer research center that pays for all treatment
not covered by insurance, regardless of a family's
ability to pay.
- Eighty-five cents of every dollar received at St.
Jude Children's Research Hospital goes
directly to patient care and research.
- Every breakthrough made at St.
Jude Children's Research Hospital is
immediately and freely shared with the scientific
community worldwide. That's why St.
Jude is often referred to as the
"hospital without walls."
- St. Jude Children's
Research Hospital pays for the cost of travel, food,
and lodging for every patient and a parent.
- St. Jude Children's
Research Hospital follows the progress of its
patients long after they leave the hospital,
providing certain follow-up services, advice and
assistance at no charge to the patients.
- St. Jude Children's
Research Hospital works to find cures for some rare
life-threatening childhood diseases that require
very specialized treatments.
St. Jude's Children
Research Hospital 2007 THANKS AND GIVING CAMPAIGN
http://www.tg.stjude.org/?tngsourcecode=THWGOBANDO08&plt=THWGOBANDO08192
K.I.D.S.
distributes new donated merchandise for children and
youth to more than 1,000 non-profit agencies. These
agencies work with children in poverty-stricken
communities, homeless shelters, foster-care facilities,
hospitals, AIDS clinics and relief organizations within
the United States and abroad.
Eighty-five
percent of donations are distributed in America with 15
percent overseas. We serve a diverse population: 59
percent of our donated product is distributed to
African-Americans, 22 percent to Anglo Americans, 17
percent to Hispanics, 1 percent to Native Americans and
1 percent to Asians. Also, 64 percent of product is
delivered to women and 19 percent to those with
disabilities.
Internationally,
K.I.D.S. works with World Vision, which distributes
clothing, shoes, books, and toys to children in Africa,
South and Central America, and Asia , among others. The
organization is also involved with projects in Sierra
Leone, Nepal, Trinidad and Tobago.
K.I.D.S. encourages and facilitates donations of new
apparel, shoes, toys, juvenile products and other items
that benefit children who are ill, living in poverty or
are the victims of natural disasters.
http://www.kidsdonations.org/
Saving
children's lives
Founded in
1947, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF supports the work of the
United Nations Children's Fund by raising funds for its
programs and increasing awareness of the challenges
facing the world's children. The oldest of 37 national
committees for UNICEF worldwide, we are part of a global
effort to save, protect and improve children's lives.
http://www.unicefusa.org/site/c.duLRI8O0H/b.25933/k.8DDD/US_Fund_for_UNICEF__US_Fund_for_UNICEF.htm?msource=07GB
ssion
is to promote literacy among all children with special
emphasis on disadvantaged children and youth by donating
books, creating children's libraries in underserved
locations, and participating in reading initiatives with
community based organizations.
http://www.booksforkidsfoundation.org/donate.htm?gclid=CMCfndP9ipACFQOWHgod8yPSow
The
Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies
listed below provide opportunities for you in your
community
BBBS of Metropolitan Mobile YMCA
6001 Grelot Road, Suite H
Mobile, AL 36609
arisser@ymcasalabama.org
(251) 344-0536
http://www.bbbs.org/site/c.diJKKYPLJvH/b.1539751/k.BDB6/Home.htm?gclid=CJWZoMOMi5ACFQ2nGgodqRd_tQ
Big
Brothers Big Sisters receives 75% of our funding from
private donations. Support from individuals like you is
vital to provide mentors for children in your community.
And
we know they need them. It isn’t easy being a kid
these days. In these complex and confusing times,
children need a caring adult to be a mentor and a friend
— someone they can talk to, have fun with, and learn
from.
Research
shows that our mentoring works. Kids
with a Big Brother or Big Sister show real differences
in their personal and academic lives. They are:
- More confident in their
schoolwork performance
- Able to get along better
with their families
- 52% less likely to skip
school. 1
92.2%
of every dollar you give goes directly to making and
supporting matches. The remainder covers
overall program administration. Charity Navigator,
the country’s premier independent charity evaluator,
has awarded Big Brothers Big Sisters of America a 4-star
“exceptional” rating for outstanding fiscal
management for the fifth consecutive year.
Donating
will help to:
- Help recruit new Big Brother
and Big Sister volunteers
- Cover the costs of
background checks and insurance, while ensuring
trained professionals match children to caring and
responsible Bigs
- Offer one-on-one, ongoing
supervision and support for every match
- Provide cultural and social
activities to enrich the opportunities for children
Your
donation goes to your community. When
you donate online to Big Brothers Big Sisters, you
directly support children in your community.
No
matter how much you give, donating will improve the
lives of young people in your community. Your donation
will help them meet the challenges of growing up into
happy, confident young adults.
Ronald McDonald House is a
"home-away-from-home", a temporary lodging
facility for the families of seriously ill or injured
children being treated at nearby hospitals.
The first Ronald McDonald House opened in Philadelphia
in 1974 as the result of the perseverance and dedication
of Fred Hill, then a Philadelphia Eagles football
player, and the efforts of his teammates and local
McDonald's franchisees.
Today there are more than 245 Ronald McDonald Houses in
25 countries. The Ronald McDonald House of Mobile
welcomed its first family on February 28, 2000.
http://www.rmhmobile.com/ronald_mcdonald_welcome.asp?toc=welcome_to_our_house
Since
1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation®
has enriched the lives of children with life-threatening
medical conditions through its wish-granting work. The
Foundation's mission reflects the life-changing impact
that a Make-A-Wish® experience has
on children, families, referral sources, donors,
sponsors, and entire communities.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation®
traces its beginning to one boy’s wish. In 1980,
7-year-old Christopher James Greicius was being treated
for leukemia. Every day, he dreamed of becoming a police
officer. U.S. Customs Officer Tommy Austin had
befriended Chris and his mother, Linda
Bergendahl-Pauling.
A wish is granted every 41 minutes. Donate in honor of a
loved one, become a monthly giver, and more. Help grant
wishes today!
http://www.wish.org/
Save the Children
is the leading independent organization creating real
and lasting change for children in need in the United
States and around the world. It is a member of the
International Save the Children Alliance, comprising 28
national Save the Children organizations working in more
than 110 countries to ensure the well-being of children.
The history of Save
the Children is a story of positive change and people
— millions of people in thousands of communities
around the globe — working together to create
opportunities for the world's children to live safe,
healthy and fulfilling lives. In January 1932 in a small
room in New York City, a group of concerned citizens
gathered to respond to the needs of the proud people of
Appalachia hard hit by the Great Depression. The
inspiration and vision for Save the Children came in
part from the international children's rights movement
begun in England in 1919 by Eglantyne Jebb, founder of
the British Save the Children Fund. From this early
effort in the hills and hollows of Harlan County,
Kentucky grew a self-help philosophy and practice still
at work today in more than 45 countries — providing
communities with a hand up, not a handout.
This approach —
working with families to define and solve the problems
their children and communities face and utilizing a
broad array of strategies to ensure self-sufficiency is
the cornerstone of all Save the Children's programs.
Through the decades, we have evolved into a leading
international relief and development organization.
Countless events and achievements have shaped the
development of our organization and helped change the
lives of the children we serve.
http://www.savethechildren.org/
We were formed for the purpose of
improving the quality of life for children suffering
from cancer. Some with little hope of ever reaching
their teenage years.
Cancer remains the leading cause of death among children
in the United States. Thousands of young children are
diagnosed with cancer in this country alone each year,
and these numbers are steadily on the rise.
We are dedicated to collaborating with hospitals,
medical centers and other children’s organizations to
identify those families most distressed financially as a
direct result of the child’s malignancy in order to
assist them with medical bills, treatments, equipment,
transportation needs and other overwhelming household
expenses.
Childhood Cancer Statistics In The United States:
Over 12,000 children under the age of 19 will be
diagnosed with cancer this year
There are over 35 children diagnosed with cancer every
day
More than 200,000 children, teens and adults are
survivors of childhood cancer
With your HELP there is HOPE for the Children!
http://www.childrenscharities.com/
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