charity — MomStart

Empowering Children to Give Back

February 10, 2012 By Momstart 10 Comments

I love empowering children to give, if you’ve been a long time reader then you know we’re always giving to charity and helping to encourage our children to give as well. All of my contributors contribute to charity in some way and we see our children already have such big hearts. I’ve heard a few moms and even thought to myself a time or two that we don’t want to let our kids give their brand new toy to charity or we try to encourage them to do something else………How do you handle children’s generosity?

Jen and Barb over at MomLife (JenandBarbMomLife.com) asked me to contribute a guest post on my thoughts on empowering children to give. And how we handle it at our house. Watch this video sponsored by Tyson and let me know how you empower your children

Ready my thoughts over at JenandBarbMomLife.com.

Filed Under: charity, personal Tagged With: charity, empower children to give, Jen and Barb, momlife

If Everyone Gave $1 We Could Help Wigs for Kids Raise $1800 or More

February 8, 2012 By Momstart 12 Comments

A friend of mine from MOMS Club of Woodinville has asked for some help raising money for Wigs for Kids. She spent a few years growing her hair out and has finally grown enough in the length to donate enough hair but the cost to make every wig is extremely high. So in order to make her contribution even better she’s trying to raise the entire amount to make the wig. Here’s her story…….

As some of you may know, I’ve been growing my hair for a couple of years. After my hair got so long, it seemed like such a waste to cut it off a little at a time and just sweep it up and throw it away. So I thought it would be a great idea to cut my long hair all at once and donate it to a cause that would turn it into a wig for someone who had lost their hair due to illness or accident. My friend Rachel suggested a charity called Wigs for Kids, which creates custom cranial prosthesis for children at no cost to the child’s family. I couldn’t think of a better use for my hair than to give it to a child!

According to the Wigs for Kids Website:

When Children lose their hair, whether as a result of medical treatments, health conditions, or burn accidents, they don’t just suffer physically. The change in their appearance can drastically undermine their self-image and sabotage their self-esteem. To combat this additional trauma, Certified Cosmetic TherapistTM Jeffrey Paul founded Wigs for Kids, a nonprofit organization that has been serving children suffering from hair loss since 1981.

Photo of Angie’s hair after it was cut

Wigs for Kids is a cooperative effort among Certified Cosmetic Therapists throughout North America who share a common goal. "Children shouldn’t have to worry about how they look, especially when they’re in the middle of a health crisis," says Jeffrey Paul. "We want to give these kids the opportunity to feel good about themselves again."

The value of each individually designed hair system ranges from $1,500 – $3,000. "These are custom-made hair replacements," says Jeffrey Paul. "Each prosthesis is hand-tied and is made completely from human hair. We make sure they look just like a child’s own hair."
They won’t come off on the baseball field or in the playground," he adds. "Kids can count on them. And because kids look just the way they did before, they feel better about themselves. They look in the mirror and their eyes light up. To see that light in their eyes-that’s priceless."

Each wig costs about $1800 in labor and materials to make, not including the hair Angie is donating. Like I said before she’d like to send as much of that money along with my hair donation as possible and she needs our help to reach that goal. Can you help her reach her fundraising goal of $1800? I have over 20,000 Twitter followers, and 1800 Facebook friends and almost 5000 Facebook fans, we should be able to help her easily. She set up a fundraising page at FirstGiving.com to raise that money and you can send it directly to Wigs For Kids to if you like. Thanks for any donation you can make!

Filed Under: charity Tagged With: Angie, charity, MOMS Club of Woodinville, wigs for kids

Season of Giving Extra Unique Places To Give

November 30, 2011 By Momstart 3 Comments

Summer really did a great job bringing us an entire month of ways to give. Because of all those fabulous posts I’ve received quite a few extra charity mention requests. I really do love supporting charity, it’s a passon of mine, so I can’t post them all as much as I want to, but I’ll do what I can here and there. So for an extra to today’s charity idea, I bring you a few unique places to give.

Save the Bees!

Having recently announced their “Buy a Bottle – Save a Bee” campaign, an initiative established to help local beekeepers maintain and build new beehives in an effort to fight against Colony Collapse Disorder, Honeydrop is now thrilled to launch their holiday gifting charity initiative to help save the bees by gathering donations to benefit Honeybee Research at UC Davis. Since 2006, the honeybee population has been diminishing at an alarming rate, with nearly 30% of honeybees lost each year to a spectrum of causes, widely known as CCD.

Want to do your part to save the bees? Visit http://www.honeydrop.com/savethebees to donate. The first 100 people to donate $100 or more will receive a limited edition Honeydrop gift tote full of Honeydrop products and gear, an official “Save the Bees” certificate, and gifts from Honeydrop’s local beekeeping partners. 100% percent of this monetary gift (less PayPal fees) will be donated to UC Davis to support honeybee research.

Flowers for Good

Organic Bouquet, the largest online provider of eco-friendly and organic floral gifts, hosts a Flower’s for Good page, where the purchase of each bouquet donates a percentage of the price to that bouquet’s coinciding charity. Consumers have over 50 charities to choose from, from Amnesty International to Green America and the Breast Cancer Fund, providing a gift that will keep giving long after the flowers are gone.

Organic Bouquet flowers are organically grown and have been certified by third-party agencies, such as USDA, Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance. They are also a carbon neutral company, partnered with ClimateFund.org in a carbon offset program supporting re-forestation projects in Guatemala.

Project Linus

As Charles Schulz’s Linus character from the PEANUTS® comic strip was comforted by his blanket, Project Linus strives to do the same and more for children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need. Since launching in late 1995, Project Linus has distributed blankets to over 4 million hospitals across the U.S., providing these children with a sense of security, warmth, and comfort during a difficult time.

Heal the Bay

A gift to Heal the Bay is the perfect way to show someone how important they are while at the same time making a significant difference in the Southern California coastal waters and watersheds, keeping them safe, healthy and clean. Through their website, Heal the Bay will send notification of your dedication gift along with your personal note to the person of your choosing.

Filed Under: charity Tagged With: charity, Colony Collapse Disorder, Flowers for good, Heal the Bay, Honeydrop, Project Linus

Season of Giving Day 29: Nature’s Path EnviroKidz Support Endangered Species

November 29, 2011 By Momstart 3 Comments

By Summer:

I love Nature’s Path Organic Foods. This should be no secret as I’ve shared with Mom Start readers Nature’s Path Organics Foods recipe s, how I love their organic healthy and ecofriendly company, and giving … which brings me to today’s Season of Giving post.

In my own home when I purchase cereal it’s Nature’s Path. My husband and I love to crunch Ancients Path in our yogurt. My kids love Nature’s Path Organic’s EnviroKidz Gorilla Munch. Nature’s Path donates 1% of the sales of EnviroKidz (their children’s line of gluten-free products) to projects that support endangered species, habitat conservation and environmental education for kids worldwide.

To date, they have raised over $1.4 million for the environment. This year, for the first time ever, they are offering grants of up to $20,000 to local charitable non-profits doing projects in communities across North America. Project submissions need to be non-profit organization that supports endangered species, habitat conservation and/or environmental education for kids. Nature’s Path EnviroKids needs Project Submissions and voters. When voting, find a project you’re passionate about that work to empower the children of today to change their present and future world and to protect endangered species and environments.

You will be responsible for local non-profits winning grants of up to $20,000 but only if you vote before the deadline of December 9^th.

All the Contest Details can be found on Facebook.

Thanks to Nature’s Path for continuing to be awesome in my book, and saving the environment.

About Summer:

Summer is very active in our Local MOMS Club chapter, she is the mother of two adorable active boys, and is always thinking of ways to help others. She is a friend, a wife, and always busy as all mommies are. She is very active on Facebook, addicted to Geocaching and very interested in organic and green living while cooking up a storm

Filed Under: charity, Summer Tagged With: charity, endangered Spieces, EnviroKids, giving, nature's path, season of giving, Summer

Season of Giving Day 28: Give What you Do

November 28, 2011 By Momstart 1 Comment

By Summer:

You may belong to one organization or a hand full of them, but find out what their need is and give to help out. If the organization is a registered non-profit then you can ask you employer if they’ll match your giving to stretch your dollars even further. Here is what we do or have done that we can give to and have our donations matched thanks to my husband’s wonderful employee benefits.

Toddler Group – Money given to my toddler group would help keep tuition prices down. The more money they have to operate the less they have to charge for tuition, granted they need more then my solo giving, but with a group of givers changes could be made. Or the group could also then afford to give more scholarships as needed. Another option of the Board of Directors with the money would be to further the school’s parent education program, which is one of the main purposes of the toddler group we attended.

MOMS Club – I can give two ways with my MOMS Club. I can give to my chapter or through International. A gift through my MOMS Club chapter will have money put back into my community helping local moms in need. A gift through MOMS Club International will be given to other MOMS Club members in need such as when 9/11 or Katrina happened. Giving to either is a win. No matter how I give through MOMS Club I’m helping another mom in need.

MOPS – In my MOPS group we need more money to help the group operate. There is a membership fee but it doesn’t cover the funds needed to function for a year. MOPS fundraises to help keep costs low.

Church – My husband’s work won’t give to religious groups such as my church but we do give tithe and offering. We also like to give to benevolence such as missionaries. In our church we also have programs I take part in and give to such as AWANA and an exercise club.

What do you belong to and where could your money go? Even donations that aren’t matched are donations and provide more money than no donations. Give to what you know and where you’re a member.

About Summer:

Filed Under: charity, Summer Tagged With: charity, give membership, give time, match your giving, MOMS Club, MOPS, Woodinville Toddler Group, WTG

Season of Giving Day 27: We Give Books Pearson Foundation

November 27, 2011 By Momstart 5 Comments

By Summer,

I’ve mentioned my oldest son loves to read. Well, both of my sons like to sit and read with me, but my 4YO LOVES to read! We have many books at home but my oldest loves to read “internet books” which is when we log into our account at We Give Books and reads something new or something we’ve enjoyed on the site many times over.

We Give Books is a Pearson Foundation initiative which offers a simple idea, you read books and they give books. All you have to do is create an account or link up by logging in with your Facebook account. Then choose a campaign to support and read books on the We Give Books site. Remember you can only support ONE campaign at a time, so read up and support as many campaigns as you can! So far over half million books have been read to date, there is so much giving to be done.

We Give Books currently has 151 books in their online library of which you can create a personal library online of your favorites. When you’re not too sure what to read check out the new releases, most popular and classic books featured under the “New & Noteworthy” tab.

My sons enjoy the Tinga Tinga Tales series, the Llama Llama series, Max and Ruby books, and the Goodnight Moon parody books Goodnight Goon and Goodnight iPad. We also like to read all the books that match our calendar: April we enjoyed Max’s Chocolate Chicken, September we read You Can’t Go To School Naked, and October was the aforementioned Goodnight Goon.

I highly recommend signing up for your own account and give literacy to your own child while giving books to a child in need. You can also show your support for We Give Books on Facebook and Twitter @WeGiveBooks.

About Summer:

Filed Under: charity, Summer Tagged With: charity, Pearson foundation, We Give Books

Mary Kay Local Consultant Lynn Hooper Seattle #Tweetdrive Swag Bag Sponsor @SeaTweetDrive

November 27, 2011 By Momstart 7 Comments

I’ve posted three different swag bag contributors for the Seattle 2011 Tweetdrive so far and that’s just from me. We have a team of people that have found excellent swag to go in these bags and it’s going to be a great event. There’s going to be entertainment, and music and starting at 8:30 there is going to be the final in the battle of the bands that’s been organized by Seattle Night Out. They’re also the wonderful people that have organized the Tweetdrive two years in a row in Seattle.

Now, for my swag bag sponsor number four, I give you my friend Lynn Hooper, a local Mary Kay Consultant. Remember, only the 1st 100 people to bring a toy to The Hard Rock on December 1st starting at 5:30 will receive a swag bag. So come early and stay late.

Lynn is a stay at home mom with two beautiful little girls. She sent me this letter about her work at Mary Kay and the charitable donation she made to the swag bags for our event.

I’ve been enjoying using Mary Kay products for about 4 years now, especially the "Miracle Set" which includes a Cleanser and Moisturizer. Earlier this year my Beauty Consultant approached me and asked if I would be interested in becoming a Beauty Consultant myself. I thought about it and realized this would be a great opportunity for me! A lot of what the business stands for is true to my heart. Mary Kay Inc. has a foundation that donates funds to help end domestic violence and also funds research into cancers that affect women. Mary Kay also has what’s called "The Golden Rule" which means God (faith) first, family second and business third. A great principal for me and nice to know I am part of a team that believes in this too.

What is great too is I can work from home and, most of the time, have my children with me when I do facials and parties. Most of the ladies I meet with are moms, so the children play and we get to chat about products for their skin and color choices.

When you buy from Mary Kay Beauty Consultants you are supporting a small business! Bonuses to you include free shipping; 100% money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the product for whatever reason and a FREE gift with each purchase of $40 or more.

In the bags I’ve included my business card. It has my email address, website and phone number. There is also tear off cards that can be returned (if I’m there) so I can contact you. The bags have the following samples:

Satin Hands set – smooth out your hands!;

Ultimate mascara – one of the great mascaras in their line (my favorite is the Love Lash, but it is still quite new and there aren’t samples of it);

Creme lip colour – Whipped Berries is a common favorite;

Microdermabrasion set – this a great way to really clean your face, it’ll feel SO smooth. Apply after cleansing, rinse after step 1 and moisturize afterward!

Filed Under: charity Tagged With: Beauty consultant, charity, Lynn Hooper, Mary kay, Seattle Tweetdrive, tweetdrive 2011

Johnsonville Sausage Seattle #TweetDrive 2011 Swag Bag Sponsor @SeaTweetDrive

November 27, 2011 By Momstart 3 Comments

Back in September I visited the Johnsonville Kitchens and cooked up a storm. I had a great time with friends and loved trying new sausage recipes. Now, I’m in need of your help. If you could go leave a comment on this post for me that would be awesome, then I’ll be able to make a donation to a different charity.

But, because of how very generous Johnsonville is, I have Johnsonville Sausage samples and free product coupons to give to the first 100 people that show up for the Seattle TweetDrive December 1 2011 at 5:30 at the Hard Rock. RSVP

I urge you to join us on Thursday December 1st for our annual Holiday The Hard Rock! "Price" of admission to this fabulous party is a new toy for Treehouse! I’m so excited to be going again and have some fabulous gifts to give to TreeHouse! Last year, we gathered 330 toys. Can we break that record this year, let’s gather 500 toys this year yes?

Come for the Tweetup at 5:30; stay for the music at 8:30.

The Seattle Tweet Drive is part of a national event, Holiday Tweet Drive, taking place in 36 cities. We’re collecting toys for Treehouse. Treehouse serves over 5,000 foster kids annually. In conjunction with the Seattle Tweet Drive, MySeattleNightOut.com will hold the finale of an 8-week Jammin’ Challenge at 8:30 p.m. Come for the Tweet Drive; stay for the music! If you arrive after 8:30pm, admission to the event is a new toy for Treehouse or a suggested cash donation of $15.00. Seattle Wave Radio Jammin’ Challenge will give one lucky and talented local artist or band an opportunity to play on-stage with some of the “greats” in the Seattle music scene at Play it Forward, the All Star, Icon Jam with Music Aid Northwest on Jan 14, 2012.

Follow @SEAtweetdrive on Twitter, and please use #TweetDrive when tweeting about the event.

Filed Under: charity Tagged With: charity, Johnsonville, Johnsonville Kitchens, Seattle Tweetdrive, tweetdrive, tweetdrive 2011

Johnsonville Kitchens Comment For a Cause Sausage Recipes

November 26, 2011 By Momstart 36 Comments

Back in September I attended Johnsonville Kitchens Blog for a cause. There we wrapped presents for charity and learned even more about Johnsonville Kitchens and all the fabulous things you can do with sausage. I can’t wait to try a new meatloaf recipe. I’m creating one tonight, it’s going to be unique! Hopefully my family will say delicious instead of that’s interesting.

One of the very fabulous things that Johnsonville Kitchens is doing for me is that they’re giving up to $1000.00 to the charity of my choice. All we have to do is try out some fabulous Johnsonville Kitchens recipes.

I picked a charity: Special Delivery

You leave a comment.

Tell me what you like to make with sausage and tell me if you’d be willing to try Johnsonville Sausage next time in that recipe. You’ll love it, Johnsonville sausage is unique because it is so full of flavors you won’t need any seasoning. Just buy the Johnsonville sausage flavor for what you’re recipe needs. Just in case you don’t even have a sausage recipe here are a few of my favorite sausage recipes (use Johnsonville Sausage anytime it calls for sausage):

Savory Pork Sausage Balls Recipe

Puff Pastry Sausage Turnovers Recipe

Sausage Pops Italian Meatballs on a Stick Recipe

Sausage Stuffed Mushroom Bites Recipe

Hash Brown Sausage Casserole Recipe

Maple Sausage Corn Bread Pudding Recipe

Remember, please leave me a comment with your favorite sausage recipe and if you would use Johnsonville sausage, I need 20 comments for a donation of $1000.00 to Special Delivery.

Johnsonville provided my travel expenses.

Filed Under: charity, recipe Tagged With: blog for a cause, charity, comment for a cause, Johnsonville, recipe, sasuage recipes, Special Delivery

Empowering Children to Give Back

If Everyone Gave $1 We Could Help Wigs for Kids Raise $1800 or More

Season of Giving Extra Unique Places To Give

Season of Giving Day 29: Nature’s Path EnviroKidz Support Endangered Species

Season of Giving Day 28: Give What you Do

Season of Giving Day 27: We Give Books Pearson Foundation

Mary Kay Local Consultant Lynn Hooper Seattle #Tweetdrive Swag Bag Sponsor @SeaTweetDrive

Johnsonville Sausage Seattle #TweetDrive 2011 Swag Bag Sponsor @SeaTweetDrive

Johnsonville Kitchens Comment For a Cause Sausage Recipes

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