Helping Hearts, Blog of Anne Sanders

I know not everybody loves Facebook, but I think it’s pretty great. Especially since I’ve taken up a new challenge there. It’s called the 15 Can Challenge. It’s easy because it’s something you already do. Each week when you go shopping buy a few extra cans of food. Then the first week in December, contribute it to the local food pantry for their holiday dinners for the hungry. If you have the time, it’s a good idea to call them first and see what they are especially in need of, sometimes it’s something you may never think of, like peanut butter for PBJs, but that’s a great staple because of the protein benefits it has. I regret not doing Socktober, which is a Kid President Challenge in October to provide socks for the homeless. But it’s not too late. Luckily, I live in Florida and we’ve only had a few days of cold weather. If you live somewhere that’s cold many months of the year, you know how that can be. Imagine being out in the cold night after night, or even in a shelter. ...

If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money? Dreams of new houses, cars, trips and jewelry may have just begun dancing through your head. It’s a fun game to play.  And of course, you would give some money to charity, too.  I recently inherited some money and have both enjoyed the idea of giving some of it away and then have been stuck on where to give it, not because there aren’t enough worthy charities, but because there are so many. Truly, it hasn’t been that hard. I have given to several charities which I support regularly. What about $40 million, what would you do with it? Fulfill your needs (and a few wants), help out your family and then put some away for a rainy day?  Or would you give it all away? If you’re Tom Crist you would. The Canadian lottery winner didn’t even tell his children he won for seven months.  He had what he needed to live, to take care of his children, but what he didn’t have was his wife. She had died ...

It’s beginning. The season of holidays, family get togethers, gift buying and giving and much more. Today we were planning our next few holidays with the family. We were planning a big Thanksgiving get together with everyone, but it’s been put on hold and my husband’s sister is coming in at Halloween to see us instead. With all of this coming up, there’s two things of which we’ll be doing a lot—searching and staying. We can do them both and help raise money for needy charities at the same time. Googling has become part of our vernacular. A couple of weeks ago I told a friend to google how to do something because we couldn’t get together for me to show her how to do it. She said, “Oh yeah, I could do that.” My husband tells me to google and he doesn’t even like that particular search engine. We do searches every day but few people realize you can earn money for charities simply by using certain search engines. Lately, I have been using SearchKindly.org . I like it because y...

I was going to write about ways to fulfill resolutions to be healthier in the new year while also helping charities earn money, but with the weather so cold, I’d rather curl up with a good book than go for a jog. I’ll share some ways to help others by working out soon. For now, here are some ways to relax and read while helping others. I’ll start with the free one first— We Give Books . It’s simple, you read a book online and they give a book to someone in need. They’ve donated 1.6 million books already and are looking to donate a million more. We Give Books is a fantastic resource for parents, teachers, and anyone who loves to read children’s books. They have a free online library of over 150 outstanding children’s books, including Llama Llama, Skippyjon Jones books and DK science books. All of the books available for online reading are children's books for kids through age ten. There is a mix of fiction and nonfiction, a range of authors, and an equal balance between read...

Five more kids will have presents from their fathers in prison this year because of the Angel Tree program and the ladies of my bible study. I called some local churches and one of them said they’d look into doing Angel Tree next year, too.   I know it’s not much but it’s something those five kids will not soon forget. Today I’m going over to my local food bank to drop off food from my hurricane closet. Hurricane season ends when November does so I cleaned out my closet and had a bunch of canned soup, ravioli and veggies to donate. I put a note on my Facebook page so my friends can give me items to donate, too. Last year we had a food drive at my birthday party in lieu of gifts so we were able to bring a nice box of items. When I called the food bank, they were eager to get the food with so many people stopping by right now needing it. We already sent a bag of Christmas food and money for a turkey through our church. I can’t help it. I keep hearing on the radio about ...

Top 11 Last Minute Charitable Christmas Gifts Christmas is getting closer but it's not too late to do something to make a difference this holiday. The unique items below can be given with the best intentions—to help others. There’s still time to get a notification card sent to the recipient but even if you wait, 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.        Alternative Gifts International - $11 pays for a share of a yak for orphaned and destitute children in the Tibetan regions of remote western China . 2.       Spend $25 or more to free forced labor slaves with International Justice Mission . 3.       A llama from Heifer International  - A share is $20 while a whole llama is $150. Heifer provides all kinds of animals from chicks to water buffalo to families that can use th...

It’s Black Friday and shopping is on the mind of many today. So, as usual, 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. You can give a gift that makes you, the receiver and a charity feel good. 1.       Made With Love: The Meals on Wheels Family Cookbook for $29.95. With recipes from Paula Deen, Barbara Bush and Martha Stewart, you will truly enjoy this cookbook while helping Meals on Wheels. Just out in October, you can find it at many book retailers such as Amazon, IndieBound and more. 2.       Forever Frogs Lunchbag for $35.00 embroidered. Custom design your own lunch bag by picking the cloth, handle, and even the zipper color and then adding your embroidered initials. Started in the name of a girl who had childhood cancer and loved frogs, all Forever Frogs prod...

Veteran’s Day is this weekend and you might be wondering what veterans want for Christmas this year. Hundreds of veteran’s charities will tell you, but the claims of fraud and fundraising overspending against some military charities has risen in the last few years. Before you donate to any, read this blog. You can and should check out charities that ask for your money. Charity Navigator and Charity Watch are watchdog organizations that rate charities on their transparency and spending habits. Charity Navigator is free while Charity Watch gives access to all its files for a yearly fee. Currently, Charity Navigator (CN) has a donor advisory on the Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF). According to CN, “On May 23, 2012, CNN reported that Senator Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Senator Richard Burr, the senior Republican on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee are investigating charges that the Disabled Veterans National Foundation has spent little ...

Have you ever wondered how charitable your neighbors are ?   Your town? Your state?   A new study by The Chronicle of Philanthropy compares tax returns of taxpayers who earned $50,000 or more in 2008 to determine their levels of giving. The trends were that those that had less gave more.   States that voted Republican in 2008 gave more.   People in states considered deeply religious gave more, too. As for volunteering, the statistics show that more than one in four Americans volunteer. The families studied gave $135 billion or almost two-thirds of the $214 billion donated by all individuals in 2008. Giving was calculated after major expenses like taxes, housing and food to level the playing field . The median charitable donation was 4.7 percent of discretionary income. The state with the highest percentage of giving was Utah at 10.6 percent.   The people of Utah also topped the chart for volunteering at a rate of f orty-five percent.   That’s almo...