Holiday Wish List
It's the 1st of December, and that means it's time for people's holiday wish lists to start popping up. This is my second annual holiday wish list, and it's pretty much the same as last year's, with a few additions. That's OK, 'cuz I liked last year's list just fine.
* If you happen to have some extra cash lying around, please consider sending some to my beloved Bronx Zoo (http://www.wcs.org/getinvolved/donations), the World Wildlife Fund (https://secure.worldwildlife.org/forms/acdev/adoptionCenter_1.cfm - and if you don't want the plushy, I collect 'em), Defenders of Wildlife (http://donate.defenders.org/site/PageServer?pagename=don_homepage - more plushies!) or The World Society for the Protection of Animals (http://www.reallywildgifts.ca/index.php).
* Consider shopping at GreaterGood.com (http://www.greatergood.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/GreaterGood), where up to 30% of what you spend goes to the charity of your choice, including The Hunger Site, The Rain Forest Site, etc. They frequently run ultra-low-cost shipping deals, too. And if you follow the links and click on the various sites, they get more money to help people and animals.
* Speaking of clicking, why not take a few minutes of your day to click on any of the care2.com sites, like Race for the Big Cats (http://bigcats.care2.com/)? Then follow the links to click on the other "Race" sites. You click, sponsors donate, and animals and kids and hungry or sick people benefit.
* The Heifer Project (http://www.heifer.org/) provides all kinds of options, low-cost to pricey, for helping people, especially women, achieve self-sufficiency through agriculture. If donating a whole (alive and kicking) heifer is beyond your budget, you can always donate chickens or ducks or all kinds of other more affordable creatures.
* Breast cancer sucks. I know - and I also know we can beat it. Please consider donating to any of the many available charities, including the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (http://www.komen.org/intradoc-cgi/idc_cgi_isapi.dll?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=407).
* Extra books or DVDs? Or videos you've replaced with DVDs? Please donate them to your local library so others can enjoy them and the library - whose budget is most likely pathetic - can make their funds go further.
* When you're at the grocery store (or Petco or wherever), please buy an extra bag of pet food or cat litter and donate it to your local shelter. And if you're lucky enough to have a no-kill shelter, let them know how much you appreciate everything they do. Also, if you've got old towels, shelters can always use them.
Thanks. You guys rock.
ETA: Also please read celticfeministw's comment below, because she has lots more terrific info on how to help your local animal shelter.
* If you happen to have some extra cash lying around, please consider sending some to my beloved Bronx Zoo (http://www.wcs.org/getinvolved/donations), the World Wildlife Fund (https://secure.worldwildlife.org/forms/acdev/adoptionCenter_1.cfm - and if you don't want the plushy, I collect 'em), Defenders of Wildlife (http://donate.defenders.org/site/PageServer?pagename=don_homepage - more plushies!) or The World Society for the Protection of Animals (http://www.reallywildgifts.ca/index.php).
* Consider shopping at GreaterGood.com (http://www.greatergood.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/GreaterGood), where up to 30% of what you spend goes to the charity of your choice, including The Hunger Site, The Rain Forest Site, etc. They frequently run ultra-low-cost shipping deals, too. And if you follow the links and click on the various sites, they get more money to help people and animals.
* Speaking of clicking, why not take a few minutes of your day to click on any of the care2.com sites, like Race for the Big Cats (http://bigcats.care2.com/)? Then follow the links to click on the other "Race" sites. You click, sponsors donate, and animals and kids and hungry or sick people benefit.
* The Heifer Project (http://www.heifer.org/) provides all kinds of options, low-cost to pricey, for helping people, especially women, achieve self-sufficiency through agriculture. If donating a whole (alive and kicking) heifer is beyond your budget, you can always donate chickens or ducks or all kinds of other more affordable creatures.
* Breast cancer sucks. I know - and I also know we can beat it. Please consider donating to any of the many available charities, including the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (http://www.komen.org/intradoc-cgi/idc_cgi_isapi.dll?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=407).
* Extra books or DVDs? Or videos you've replaced with DVDs? Please donate them to your local library so others can enjoy them and the library - whose budget is most likely pathetic - can make their funds go further.
* When you're at the grocery store (or Petco or wherever), please buy an extra bag of pet food or cat litter and donate it to your local shelter. And if you're lucky enough to have a no-kill shelter, let them know how much you appreciate everything they do. Also, if you've got old towels, shelters can always use them.
Thanks. You guys rock.
ETA: Also please read celticfeministw's comment below, because she has lots more terrific info on how to help your local animal shelter.