Helping Hearts, Blog of Anne Sanders

Hey, folks. I have decided to revive the tradition of a Black Friday list of top ten gifts that give (3 ways!) So, here it is. Enjoy your shopping from the comfort of your home and God bless you.  1.        Vive la Revolution! These are the most gorgeous Revolution bracelets.  For $38 each (or 3 for $100), you can get a beautiful band and $10 goes to charities fighting Alzheimer’s. Find them at RivetRevolution . 2.        UNICEF has an immense market for goods from around the world and even tells you when you purchase one how many people you are helping. This beautiful wooden sculpture “Balanced Embrace” will provide enough polio vaccine to vaccinate 56 children. Find something beautiful from clothes to jewelry that meets your taste at market.Unicefusa.org . 3.        Hand knit gnome ornaments are sure to be the hit of your gift list, especially when they find out Melan...

  I started this in 2011 when I started my blog. It’s a list for Black Friday of Christmas gifts that give three ways: to the recipient who gets a gift, to a charity who gets a donation and to the giver who feels good for giving to charity. Since then a new tradition has started with Giving Tuesday. After Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, spend some time Tuesday giving to the charity of your choice. Now, here goes: the list of $50 and under gifts that give three ways for 2014. 1.        As a Relay for Life lover, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one from the American Cancer Society’s website and almost everybody needs help with this—eating right to be healthy and prevent all kinds of cancer and other diseases. So, here’s the link to ACS’s healthy eating cookbook for $24.95. http://acs.bookstore.ipgbook.com/the-american-cancer-society-s-healthy-eating-cookbook-products-9780944235577.php?page_id=32&pid=acn 2.  ...

In 2013 for the first post of the new year, I made a list. Not of resolutions, but of actions, actions you could take to “change the world.” They were personal things like opening a savings account with Able Banking , because they give $25 to charity when you do as well as a percentage of the interest you earn. It’s something like what I post on the main page of my website in the Today’s Ways to Help section and my list of Cost-Free Ways to Help Others . For 2014, I want to continue the tradition, but with a twist. I’m still going to list things you can do to help charities, but this time I want to focus on ways to raise larger amounts of money. People have asked me for ideas on how to do this and I want to give you some tips for 2014. These ideas aren’t as easy as opening a savings account, but they are more rewarding. For these ideas, you need the help of others. As someone who has led a team of people devoted to a cause, I must say it is an amazing feeling when it all comes...

With only five days to go, Christmas is getting closer but it's not too late to do something to make a difference this holiday. The unique gift items below can be given with the best intentions—to help others. You can send the notice of the present by email or in many cases, you can print out your own card to hand to your friend or family member.    1.        Spend $25 or more to free forced labor slaves with International Justice Mission . 2.       A sheep from Heifer International  - A share is $10 while a whole sheep is $120. Heifer provides all kinds of animals from chicks to water buffalo to families that can use them to generate income and useful resources for the family. 3.       A chicken from Mercy Corps International  - for $35, it provides eggs and future hatchlings as well. 4.       A water purifier from O...

Ten Gifts Under $50 That Give Three Ways for the Holidays – to the Receiver, the Giver, and a Charity! When was shopping ever this much fun? I am releasing my Gifts That Give List just in time for the holidays and I’m keeping each item under $50. It’s a way to let you know how many retailers are making it easier to be charitable than ever before and that there are some amazing gifts out there that help causes in America and around the world. 1.        Make-a-Wish Star Bracelet for $30.00. I love gifts you can personalize and this one comes with a star attached that you can have engraved. You can get it at Things Remembered which will be giving a minimum of $150,000 to the Make-a-Wish Foundation which grants wishes to terminally ill children. 2.       Handmade glass ornament for $29.50. Use it at Christmas or any time hanging in a tree or window where it can be seen by all. Net proceeds from the ornament will go to fund...

Last week I asked you to think about which charities you might want to support in the new year. This week I have thirteen ways to do so. Not all of these ways allow you to choose the charity you benefit, but many of them do so get ready to give back! 1.        Open a savings account with ableBanking and get $25 given to the charity of your choice and a quarter percent of your average balance once a year as well. They are an online bank with no fees so you will be saving money, too! 2.       Give a dime a day to charity without thinking about it. Help Every Day takes what it calls a “coin of compassion” each day , charged monthly to your credit card, to support various charity projects around the world. You don’t miss it, but it’s helping other people. 3.       Like Carrie Underwood, James Taylor, Katy Perry or the Rolling Stones? Then buy your ticket to their concerts at Tickets for Charity ...