I am proud to bring to your attention the following people and groups that give us opportunities to spread kindness.
These groups devote themselves to acts of kindness and generosity, improving life for those around them. All of these groups offer non-monetary opportunities for you to support their work. Consider making a donation if you can. I hope you are as inspired as I am to celebrate the good deeds of those who give much of themselves to benefit others.
Below find a list of causes and under the list I give some detail about each group.
Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary
* Support U.S. troops *
Any Soldier
Provides every necessary resource to help you send care packages directly to U.S. military units. Guides on what to send, how to send it and who to send it to. For a quick dose of humility and thankfulness, read through the latest service member requests on the left hand side of the search tool page. You will be struck by the harsh conditions our military heroes endure and the overwhelming simplicity of their requests.
Operation Gratitude
This group collects your items for care packages and letters of encouragement to send to Veterans, First Responders, Wounded Warriors Care Givers and individually named U.S. Service Members deployed overseas. They also provide special stuffed toys to the children of U.S. military personnel as their units prepare to deploy. Read the thank you letters sent to Operation Gratitude by service members to see what your participation in this program means to them.
Operation Write Home
Helping heroes keep in touch with home. “Supporting our nation’s armed forces by sending blank, handmade greeting cards to write home on, as well as “AnyHero” cards of gratitude to encourage them.” If you make handmade greeting cards, this group gives you a way to donate those cards for the use of our military heroes to send home to their loved ones. Service members’ letters of thanks for the OWH cards tell that they really love us for this unique form of support.
* Share love with sick children *
Cards for Hospitalized Kids
An Illinois based charitable group that collects and distributes uplifting cards to distribute to sick kids on your behalf. They continually share stories about and testimonials from the sick children and the hospitals that treat them so you can stay connected with the joy your cards and kindness create.
Hugs and Hope
Features stories, addresses and guidelines to help you send cheerful and encouraging cards, donations and gifts to seriously ill children. A unique opportunity to send your encouragement and offer your support directly to sick children and their families.
Post Pals
A UK based charity that lists profiles on individual children with addresses where you send cards, letters and gifts directly to them. They offer great suggestions on things to write to the kids if you need some guidance on that.
Send Kids the World
Similar to Hugs and Hope, this site features stories and addresses of individual children for you to send your cards, letters and gifts to directly.
* Encourage the strangers among us *
The Forgotten Ones: International Card Exchange for the Elderly
Helping you send cards, letters, photographs, post cards or small gifts to the lonely and forgotten elderly in nursing homes worldwide. A great way to share your love with those who have no one. Mailing addresses are provided by the staff and volunteers of nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, hospices, etc.
I sent my first cards to a Nursing and Rehab facility in New York in June 2014 and included my contact info for the activity director. She emailed me and said: “Each [card] will bring a smile to the resident’s faces… I love seeing them smile when they feel like no one thinks of them. These cards are a reminder that there are people in the world as thoughtful as you! I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to make and send these cards. I will be bringing them upstairs right after I write this email!! It’s a rainy and gloomy Monday in New York so these cards came at the best time!!!” I am hooked after that message and wish I could send enough cards for anyone who feels alone to receive one each week. To know that my effort helped spread love and encouragement to the recipients and that the gesture is truly appreciated is a great feeling! 🙂 xoxo
More Love Letters
What the world needs to make it better is more love, plain and simple. This group provides a few plain and simple, yet highly impactful ways, for you to share love for mankind with people through the written word. You might know someone in need of some snailmail love. You can nominate them to receive love letter bundles from MLL supporters…and wouldn’t that just make their day? There are also endless opportunities to leave encouraging letters to be found by random strangers, because every one of us needs a random act of love-ness whether we know it or not. You can browse through letters that have been found by people for inspiration in writing your own.
* Lend a hand to the disadvantaged *
The Lift Garage
Located in Minneapolis MN, The Lift Garage offers people a vehicle out of poverty by providing low-cost quality car repair and offering skilled job training in the field of auto mechanics. Founded by Cathy Heying who realized the importance of properly functioning vehicles to keeping people employed and housed. She went back to school and earned a degree in auto technology with the vision of offering low-cost auto repair to the needy. St. Stephen’s Catholic Church then partnered with Cathy to make The Lift Garage a reality. Way to go, Cathy and company! 🙂
I heard about this organization via a news segment by Scott Pelley on the CBS Evening News and I am fascinated by what they are doing to help people. The garage currently serves 10-12 customers per week and their waiting list is still two months long. The need for support is great, please consider a small donation.
* Give abandoned animals a chance at life *
Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary
Located in St. Pauls, NC the Blind Cat Rescue offers a lifetime residence to cats that are blind, FELV+ or FIV+. At regular shelters these animals would be euthanized because of their health conditions even though. The BCR believes that their health issues should not be automatic death sentences for these animals. You may choose to sponsor a specific cat financially on a monthly basis, donate toys and supplies for the kitties from their Amazon Wish List, or drop by during visitor hours to play with the kitties and help out around the facility. This is an amazing and unique group among the animal rescue community.
Tell-Tale Creations 