Help Wanted

I’ve been having a hard time finishing a blog post recently.  I’ve got several drafts started but I can’t find the energy to finish…or the concentration but that’s thanks to a lack of sleep and never a dull moment ‘round here.  :)  As I sat down, once again, at the end of last week to pound out a post, it hit me why I’m having a hard time.  There’s so much going on in the world these days.  I mean, there always is but recently the weight of it all has come down on me - friends who have sick children, a friend (wife and mom to four) from college passed away a couple of weeks ago, the refugees and their war-torn countries, bombings, the list goes on and on.  It’s hard to watch the news. 

All of my drafts are about superficial stuff, you know, the stuff I love to write about – a DIY tutorial, a thrift store trip, the new pair of jeans I just got – and it’s all fine and dandy to write about those things but they can wait.  I can’t just sit down and write about paint while I’m acknowledging the suffering that is going on in the world past my doorstep.  So, this Holy Week I’m going to skip the shallows for some deeper water.

It’s hard to make myself aware of the turmoil around me but it’s necessary.  As a stay-at-home mom of small children, I don’t have the ability currently to just pick up and volunteer whether it be at a local or international level.  But, I can empathize and I can pray and I can give money.  So, I’ve asked a few trustworthy friends to recommend some legit sites (I know that in a society where scams seem to run rampant, it’s easy to be skeptical) where we can do just that.  I hope you’ll join me.  :)  If praying is all you can do, this is a great week to dive in.  If you’ve got some cash you can part with, part with it with your right hand while your left is praying.  Learn about these causes not because they’ll make you want to go cry in your pillow but because we are the Body of Christ.  Our brothers and sisters are suffering and they need us to think about them, to acknowledge them, to pray for them.  And I know I can take that knowledge and turn it around on myself – stop taking what I have forgranted, start living more fully, start cherishing all of the blessings I’ve been given.  It’s easy to forget how good we’ve got it sometimes.  :) 

I hope you all have a powerful Holy Week.

(I’m going to be updating this list as time allows and I’d love to you to add more causes close to your heart in the comments section!)

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Help support the Garcia’s  I went to college with Katie and was lucky to travel with her in Europe while doing a semester abroad.  She was just amazing.  The best thing I can say about her is that she’s the kind of woman you want your daughters to grow up to be like.  Her husband and four small children are here on Earth missing her along with a whole slew of friends.  Also, check out Katie and David’s blog, especially this post.  

Preemptive Love Coalition – a non-profit that brings relief to families on the frontlines of war in Syria and Iraq and empowers refugees to rebuild their lives.

Lifting Hands International – they collect and ship high-priority items to refugee camps.  They keep in touch with volunteers on the groung in those camps to figure out exactly what is needed (and what’s not needed since space is so limited in the camps).

Humanwire – donate, follow your donations progress, and see it delivered to a refugee!  So cool!

Ananias Mission – “We are responding to the Syrian refugee crisis by helping refugees as they go through the resettlement process. We are working to educate our communities to help them understand the crisis and to inspire compassionate action. We build direct networks between Americans and the Canadians who are sponsoring refugees, as well as personal contact with Syrian refugee families as they move to safe countries where they can live and worship freely.”

Kids Against Hunger – they work to get food to hungry children in the US and around the world.  You can donate or you can go hands-on and pack meals.

Carry the Future – they deliver donated diapers, baby beds, and baby carriers (along with much more) to refugees.

CNEWA – they help those in poverty by getting them basic supplies and healthcare among much, much else.  87.9% of every dollar donated goes to those in need.

Little Leo was diagnosed with a form of cancer and his family needs help paying medical bills.  Donate here and follow his journey here.

Christopher and Winter are raising money to build houses for those who need them in Haiti through Food for the Poor.  They’ve raised enough money to build three houses and their mom got to go to Haiti to meet the people living in those houses.  How awesome is that?!

Calais Action – a direct-giving and advocacy group geared towards refugees.

Jesuit Refugee Service – they help and advocate for refugees and forcibly displaced people (just reading those words “forcibly displaced” on their site breaks my heart…can you imagine?)

Light House Relief – an organization that provides help for refugees in Greece.

MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) – working to save lives on the sea along migrant routes.