Lundi Links: Sweet Charity

This week's Lundi Links features some of the sites that show the internet's power for good. These sites connect those with money to donate with those who need it. I have a long list of sites of specific organizations I'd like to help, but the ones I'm posting today are the ones that serve as directories or connections between many individuals or groups. To be clear, I haven't used these sites yet myself, but I have heard good things about most of them.

http://www.donorschoose.org is a very popular site where teachers can ask for funding for micro-projects: one set of books, supplies for one chemistry experiment, etc. I'm sure some of them are a bit bigger, but I love the simplicity and specificity of it, almost a poetry.

http://www.kickstarter.com is a little like donorschoose but helps fund small businesses, inventions, and creative projects. I've read up on a documentary about Matthew Shepard, a stylus tip that attaches to a regular Sharpie to make it easy to draw on an iPad, and funky drink koozies called Freakers (ILM-born!). Most of the requests have videos, and many have rewards that increase with the amount you donate.

http://www.razoo.com is a little like kickstarter but for nonprofits.

http://www.kiva.org is your path to being a microfinancer. The site partners with existing microfinance organizations (which are an inspiring and brilliant concept in themselves, although I seem to recall hearing something bad about one recently, like it went under or something?) to get small amounts of money into the hands of folks all over the world who can turn it into more resources for themselves, their families, and their communities. You can loan in $25 increments, and I believe you have a choice of receiving the money back or keeping it circulating in the Kiva system. It's incredible what these "small" amounts can do in most parts of the world.

http://www.modestneeds.org lets individuals post a specific need at a specific amount. A new muffler, travel expenses for a conference, a fan for a sick child in the coming summer, things that cost money but not astronomical amounts and that will make big improvements to the people's lives. There's some kind of point system involved.

There are several sites that keep track of charities and their activities so you know they're on the up and up (love that brand identity at Target, by the way, pipes up the designer in me). I haven't used these at all, but a couple of them for your perusal are http://www2.guidestar.org, http://www.charitynavigator.org, and http://www.charitywatch.org.

The internet, like pretty much everything, has the capacity for the most wretched evil and the most elevating good. I am so impressed with humanity when I see sites like these, how they bring strangers together for just a few minutes and a few dollars to help each other and the world. What a beautiful thing! I'm going to make a $1 donation right now. I hope you'll consider trying one of these sites.

The Next Step

Ta-da! The blood donation went fine, of course. They gave me Nekots afterwards and lots of water. It's pretty rare that one is encouraged to sit still and eat a snack for ten minutes. I did get a little squeamish thinking about some of the questions, some of the diseases they asked if I had, etc. But as I said, it's all psychological. I'm trying to decide now if this is something I should do regularly. It's such an easy way to help, really. While donated, I focused on the TV, which was on a show I'd never seen, but I think it had the guy who's on Love Actually as the rock star's manager/buddy and also on The Full Monty. But he was playing an American! Sitcoms in general are so bad, and this one was no exception. Thank God for the exceptions, and for the welcome distraction of a bad sitcom when you'd rather not think about the vital fluids leaving your body.

Now that I've done something unpleasant to serve others, the next step is twofold: to make it so that's not a rarity, and to do it without making a hoopla, blogged or otherwise. There's nothing humble about announcing to all of the internet what a servant you are! I've got a long way to go.

Tomorrow, I'm leaving for points north: Princeton, then Boston, then New York, then Richmond, to see schools in each spot. Friends have graciously loaned a GPS and suggestions for good food and fun. I'm about to print out my itineraries and directions, pack quickly, and get a good night's sleep so I can hit the road early. There's nothing like driving for hours and realizing it's only ten a.m.! I will attempt to continue the daily blogging on the road; if that doesn't pan out, I'll have a full report upon return.

On Giving Blood

I gave blood once or twice in college, maybe high school. It was a highly unpleasant experience, more psychologically than physically, and I decided I could be of service in more comfortable ways.

Fast-forward to early this summer, when my church held a blood drive and I felt the semi-familiar pang of "I should do that." I realized that I hardly ever did anything painful for anyone else. Youth group is loads of fun, and so are the other church-related things I do. I knew service is not about free pizza and fun and games, and giving blood would be one way to break that barrier. But I couldn't get away from work to give. Whew! Close one.

Then, I saw last Sunday that church was having a drive again today, Tuesday. So I called to make my appointment well ahead of time and tried not to think about it, becoming hypersensitive to the inside of my elbows.

Yesterday, I found out about a meeting I needed to cover for work which kept me from being in town for the appointed time, so I canceled. Normally, I might take this as a "sign" (AKA "excuse") that I wasn't supposed to give blood, but my mom said maybe I could give at a Red Cross center. So I called this morning and set up an appointment for tomorrow. I'll be at the center at noon, squeezing my eyes shut and dramatically turning my head away from my left arm. I'm aware that the world will not end, but I know it's going to hurt. As much as I'd like to avoid it, some things should.