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Supporting The Troops During a Time of War

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There are currently thousands of American soldiers fighting overseas to protect the United States and surrounding countries. All of these soldiers could use as much support as possible from back home. While you won’t be called to duty or required to fend for your country, there are few things you can do to show your support for the American troops during this time of war.

Send Soldier Care Packages

Many organizations all over the United States put together a soldier care packages for troops that are fighting overseas. These packages contain items from home that help the soldiers keep their morale up when times are tough.

To help support the troops you can donate items or cash to help these organizations pack, purchase items and send off the care packages to soldiers.

Say Thank You to a Soldier

Soldiers who fight overseas are not told often enough how much their service means to the United States. If you are looking for ways to support the troops, consider walking up to a soldier when you see them and thank them for their service. Saying thank you doesn’t cost anything and it shows that soldier and his or her friends that people are supporting what they do.

Volunteer for Military Day

Many stores and theme parks have a military day were active service members can get discounts on products and services. A great way to show your support is to volunteer for these military days where you can give back to the soldiers who do so much for our country.

Showing your support for the troops doesn’t require that you enlist in the Army. By doing some of the following things you can lend your support to the American soldiers in their time of need.

 

Organizations for World Peace

World peace is an elusive topic that many people talk about but few believe will happen.  While peace is always a goal, victims of war, terrorism, and other tragedies are always a reality. Millions of organizations and groups have banded together to give supplies, help, and hope to people in need across the globe.

 

The American Red Cross is an organization that is based on volunteerism.  It assists individuals by providing educational foundations that increase awareness of community issues.  In addition, this group distributes blood and other health products to those in need.  Frequent blood drives are held at various locations to benefit local hospitals and clinics, and lives are saved every day as a result.

 

One charity, called Action Against Hunger, specifically caters to those suffering in other countries.  African children who are victims of starvation are focused on specifically.  Donations of all kinds are accepted and food is shipped to these people on a regular basis.  Certain countries’ food issues are caused by government crisis, and while those problems are moving toward resolution, many families still are in need.

 

A third website, sponsored by Oprah Winfrey, lists many charities and other organizations that are promoting world peace.  Clearly, this issue is one that has a multitude of dimensions ranging from hunger to violence and beyond.  Her site gives suggestions on how everyone can help reach this goal and become a part of world peace promotion.

 

Perhaps one day, war will lessen as political parties grow stable and societies focus on loving each other instead of making war.  As we push toward this, remember that each person can do something great.  Start now.

Giving to Charity

You should have no difficulty coming up with a myriad of different reasons for why you should donate to charity. There are charities all over the world that operate on a non-profit basis, meaning that everything the charity earns is used for charitable purposes, benefiting the specific cause that the charity is working to help. When you donate to charity, you are making a positive impact in the world as well as in your community, and you are making a real difference for someone that is less fortunate than you are. Donating can also help you to fulfill a need that is personally important to you, such as underprivileged children.

You may have more food, clothing, and other things than you need, and if this is true, then you should consider giving something of yourself to someone else. There are people in the world that have less than you, and if you can find something to give to them, then you will be helping them while giving yourself something to feel good about. There are a wide variety of different charities that you can give to, and doing some basic research will uncover some of the options that are available to you, including Kars 4 Kids. Kars for Kids takes vehicle donations and uses them to meet the needs of underprivileged children.

Giving to charity can be enriching for you while allowing you to benefit others who have less than you. If you want to give yourself something to feel good about, then consider giving things that you don’t need away to people that will appreciate them simply because they have nothing left. You can benefit your community and make a difference in the world by giving to charity, so start taking stock of what in your life you can do without that someone else may benefit from.

Holding an Auction Can Raise Non-Profit Funds

When you’re looking for ways to help the world and the people in it, there are all kinds of options. One of the best ones is getting involved with a non-profit, and helping it to raise money so that it can do a lot more for a larger number of people. It’s a great feeling to be able to help more people through an organization than you could help on your own, so get involved and don’t underestimate what people can do when they get together. Auctions are a great way to raise a lot of money in a short period of time. You can auction smaller items and larger ones, and you can also set up a place for donations and sell refreshments as a way to raise even more cash. Small items like gift baskets, gift cards for restaurants and tickets to sporting events are great small items to auction off. You can get them by going around to businesses and asking them to donate something to your auction. You’ll need to have a legitimate non-profit set up, though, to be able to do this. Make sure you take appropriate proof and paperwork when you go to visit a business. Of course, you don’t have to stop at small items. You may be able to get donations of things like golf carts, season tickets, vacation packages, cars, autographed memorabilia, and poker tables. Those will bring in a lot more money at auction than small items will, but having both options is important. That way you can bring in all kinds of different people and they will have items they can buy. Your auction will do better and raise more money if big spenders and people who don’t have a lot both feel like they’re welcome and there’s something they might be able to buy.

Social Entrepeneurs Can Change the World

NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 16:  Rapper Calvin 'Snoop ...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Combining business with helping others is a growing trend for American corporations. They are beginning to understand that they have an obligation to more than just their shareholders and are looking for ways to become a better corporate citizen by giving back to the community. Social entrepreneurship is one of the new buzz words in the industry, and Blake Mycoskie is the poster child.

You may remember Blake Mycoskie for competing on television in “The Amazing Race.” He was able to parlay the fame he achieved on TV into travelling the world. It was during a stop in a small village in Argentina that he discovered a type of shoe unique to that region. These shoes are known as the espadrilles. He decided to bring them back to the States. During his travels, he also came in contact with children around the world who had no shoes for their feet and decided to take up their cause. Mycoskie’s business idea was to donate a pair of shoes to someone in need every time he made a sale.

The company is called Toms Shoes, but there is no Tom. The movement initially was called the Shoes for Tomorrow Project and eventually the name was shortened to Toms. The idea being that when you buy shoes today, Toms will give another pair to someone in need tomorrow. Since Toms shoes started operating on that principle, 400,000 pairs of shoes have been donated.

The 400,000 freeshoes that have been distributed so far have gone to deserving people in 24 different countries including the United States. Needy people in Argentina and China, where Toms Shoes are made, benefit from the program as well. Toms employees and volunteers are invited to go along on shoe drops around the globe to experience the feeling of putting shoes onto the feet of a grateful child who would otherwise have to do without.

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