Cherokee Sage Woman

What's your favorite charity? What do you give time to, for free.. just because you support the cause? What is worth a percentage of your time & money?
My own choices have changed over the years. 20 years ago I was faithfully supporting a group out of NYC who supplied food & beds to runaway kids on the streets. It was a time when I had teen-age kids of my own, & the thoughts of them being in a strange, sometimes hostile place, without a place for their basic needs to be met, was horrifying. Granted, these are 'runaways'.. they made a conscious choice to be away from home (for good or bad reasons) But who among us hasn't run away from some event in our lives?. And they were KIDS.. & deserved someone who cared. Later on, my own children would bring home 'throw-away' kids.. whose parents had disowned them & told them to 'Get lost & don't come back!' I couldn't take them to raise, but I could make sure they had something to eat, a warm bed for a couple of nights & a listening ear. And so this charity became my cause. When I married later on, my husband was appalled that I was just 'throwing money away' at these people when I had no idea where it was really going. He couldn't grasp the fact that my 'intention' was pure, & no matter where it went, I expected God to bless the efforts. Rather like giving $ to a homeless person on the street.. you just have to trust your instinct, that what you're giving will be a blessing for that person. Even if what it's buying is a bottle of booze, so that he can make it thru the day. Who am I to judge?
Over the years & after many moves about the country, and having kids that grew up & moved on.. my charities have changed. Now my thoughts are more local.. like the Humane Society. I like to buy food & toys for the future adoptees there in the kennels. Have you seen what they have to sustain an intregal part of their growing minds & bodies?? NADA! Dogs who would love to have an old blanket or towel to chew on, much less a real chew toy.. have nothing inside those cement 'cells'. Kittens whose play is as important as any aspect of their nurturing, are left to bat around milk bottle caps. That's it. And so we started providing some of these 'extras' for the local 'pound'. Now I'm thinking maybe we're ready to do more. Perhaps we should be volunteering for a wk-end a month.. to go & interact w/ the 'lost' ones. To clean cages, to romp & run, to scratch behind ears. My only fear is that we'll want to bring them all home. (And I must learn the true meaning behind, 'less is more' ;o)
I encourage everyone to be a part of making the world a better place for our displaced pets. Even if you can't send supplies, or volunteer at a local shelter.. just click on this website & let them do it for you.. for free!
www.theanimalrescuesite.com They'll even send you a daily reminder via email to click each day. Takes seconds & helps immensely.
One of the greatest joys in life is being a part of something larger than yourself. Get out there.. be a part!