Clicking to Help

With so many bad things happening in the world - natural disasters, hunger, epidemics, homelessness, and unemployment to name a few - the average person can click off the news or throw down a paper and feel horrible. I often do this, shake my head, and say, "How can I help?"

Thanks to the Internet, it is now possible for anyone to visit a number of sites and with a mere mouse click actually help out. I suggest you make a folder in your bookmarks devoted to these sites, that way you can find them and click on them every day. Or, if you use FireFox, you can always add them to your bookmarks bar, that way it's right in front!

How do these websites work? Well, usually it has to do with advertisers. While just a small portion is donated for each person who visits/clicks/plays each day, with the millions of people who use the Internet every day it could make a significant impact. And really, what's the harm? You are not transmitting any personal data as these sites are all safe and if there's a chance to help, why not?

Here are just a few sites where it's possible to click and donate, please feel free to comment with others. Note that some sites may contain duplicate causes and in that case you will only be able to click once per day:

Free Rice - Play trivia games and each correct answer donates 10 grains of rice to the World Food Programme
Bhookh - One click helps fight hunger in India
Free Kibble - Answer a trivia question (right or wrong) to donate dog kibble to animal shelters
Free Kibble Cat - Answer a trivia question (right or wrong) to donate cat kibble to animal shelters
The Hunger Site - Click to donate food, this site also connects to five other sites for breast cancer, children's health, literacy, the rain forest, and animal rescue.
Care2 - A catch-all site that has a bar on the left side of the page with a list of charities from cancer to hunger to saving animals. The site will check off each one that you have clicked
One Click At A Time - Another catch-all site with so many different causes to click for
The NonProfits - A third catch-all with a lot of clickable causes

"You must be the change you want to see in the world." ~Mahatma Gandhi

April (Part Two)

Tuesday's blog talked about April being Child Abuse Awareness Month. Today's blog is about April also being Animal Abuse Prevention Month.

Animal cruelty is everywhere. Factory farms, puppy mills, hoarders, and animal testing are only a few. However, there is one area of animal cruelty that can be spotted and prevented by anyone. The easiest type of animal cruelty to detect and report is neglect and abuse. There are usually three groups of people who are guilty of animal abuse: people who don't understand they're hurting an animal by providing inadequate shelter, food, or water; young people who don't understand the consequences of their actions such as rough petting or kicking an animal; and then there are people who harm animals intentionally by making them fight, beatings, or merely harming an animal to gain power.

Fortunately, the third group is rather rare. But it is important that animal abuse become a felony everywhere to show people that it is not okay to hurt an animal, just like it is not okay to harm a person. Please write your local congresspeople if your state is not one of the ones that makes animal cruelty a felony.

The other two groups are much more common. Fortunately, these people usually do not understand what they are doing or why it is wrong. The most important tools for preventing animal abuse and cruelty are standing up and education. If you see animal abuse (or suspect it because of these signs) either call the person out (if it is safe to do so) and explain to them that they are hurting their animal or call in the authorities. Usually the local police can either send someone out or can contact a local humane society or the proper authorities. Please use the following resources to help educate yourself and others.

The ASPCA has a Go Orange campaign to create awareness about animal abuse and has some tips on how an individual can Go Orange or check out the Go Orange events or host one yourself.

ASPCA
PeTA
Pet-Abuse

Remember, if we don't speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, who will?

April (Part One)

It seems as though different causes adopt different months, weeks, and days dedicated to causes and it can be difficult to remember which is which. April is both Animal Abuse Prevention Month and National Child Abuse Prevention Month. That is why this week's blogs will be in two parts dedicated to each cause.

Child Abuse Prevention Month was created to raise awareness across the country and in communities about child abuse and neglect and to create an open dialogue to help stop the silence. A lot of people sell blue ribbons, bracelets, and car magnets with all proceeds going to child abuse prevention. You can also donate your money or time to local resources that work to prevent this year round.

Please visit ChildWelfare.gov for more information and to see how you can help.

Let me tell you a little bit about what happens in my community. Three years ago a local radio DJ named Keke Luv decided that it shouldn't hurt to be a child and wanted to raise awareness about child abuse prevention. To do this, he stayed up for 175 hours (seven whole days) on-air. The community response was amazing. People were calling in with their stories and support and it created a sense of catharsis for everyone involved.


Last year, Keke Luv ran seven marathons in seven days all around the community live broadcast online. He almost didn't make it, but when he finished the seventh marathon, everyone cheered either silently or very loudly.

This year, Keke Luv is going back to staying awake, this time for EIGHT days (192 hours!), live on the radio (where you can also check out the pages from the last two years). The video will be streamed online and he will be keeping a blog. The DJ is also dedicating the eighth day to the memory of Robert Manwill and other children like him.

Awareness

Today is World AIDS Day, as the banner above clearly indicates. I think there is a lot of prejudice and closed-mindedness when it comes to HIV and AIDS. While I'm not extremely knowledgeable on the subject, I do know that HIV and AIDS is spreading worldwide. In fact, according to the World AIDS Day Website, 33 million people all over the world are HIV positive, including 2 million children.

Obviously, this is a problem and if everyday people like you and me do not show our support and spread awareness, it's only going to get worse. Check with the World AIDS Campaign website to find local/regional events and more news and information. If you're interested in starting your own local campaign, check this out. Check with your local community centers, LGBT groups, or women's/diversity/cultural center on campus.

So please, take the time (any day of the year) to visit the World AIDS Day website for more information to educate yourself or to find out how you can help stop this worldwide epidemic.