All the pretty things are going to hell

64 Responses to “All the pretty things are going to hell”

1. BeckyK
   August 29th, 2011 @ 9:11 am

   My favorite charity is Collie Concern in Knoxville, TN. I’ll be fostering a heartworm positive dog for them shortly so I’ll be donating both time and money and scooping poop to boot.

   Links:

   Facebook:

   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Collie-Concern-Rescue/319902337493

   Web:

   http://www.collieconcern.org/

2. Kate
   August 29th, 2011 @ 9:14 am

   I love the Electronic Frontier Foundation, https://eff.org. They work hard to ensure that we don’t check our rights at the door when we go online, that our privacy rights don’t stop at our internet pipe, and have broken important stories such as warrantless wiretapping and the like. Without the EFF, the Internet would be a banana republic. Give them your cash!

3. Cam Collins
   August 29th, 2011 @ 9:15 am

   My charity is Margaret B. Mitchell Spay/Neuter clinic (http://mbmspayneuterclinic.org). MBM provides reduced cost neutering services for dogs and cats in rural Appalachia. Although located in Bristol, VA (which is not, itself, rural), MBM serves a huge surrounding area of rural communities in both Virginia and Tennessee, encompassing something like nine or ten counties. They even provide transportation for pets to and from the clinic.

   For the purposes of this contest, I donated some money to MBM, but I also donated their website, website hosting, and some other materials (brochure, etc.). I’ve worked with the team at MBM for several years, and have been impressed with both their professionalism, and the care everyone who works their shows for the animals they treat. They’re good people.

4. Gary Weller
   August 29th, 2011 @ 9:20 am

   That is a really great and unique idea. I truly enjoy the concept and the thought behind the ‘pay it forward’ mentality.

   This is fantastic positive reinforcement! When I get to the same point in my career, I will most assuredly follow suit with this idea if you don’t mind.

   Thanks for not only hosting the contest but thanks for showing me that something like this was possible.

   Cheers!

5. Hope
   August 29th, 2011 @ 9:21 am

   I increased my monthly donations to Doctors Without Borders. http://www.msf.org/ I like them because they go and serve the neediest, most vulnerable people on the planet, providing medical care in places most of us would never, ever want to go.

6. David Wheeland
   August 29th, 2011 @ 9:21 am

   Austin Chocolate Festival benefits families with MS. It’s a great cause, and hey, chocolate.

7. Shannon T
   August 29th, 2011 @ 9:28 am

   My charity of choice is the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. I chose them because my cousin Michael died from CF. Their website is cff.org

8. aaron hamrick
   August 29th, 2011 @ 9:30 am

   i work for a company who does all the fund raising and memberships for pbs and npr, so in a way, i contribute 8 hours a day to making sure educational public television and radio stays on the air.

   and i like trade packerback

9. Pamela Clearwater
   August 29th, 2011 @ 9:37 am

   My favorite charity is Stray Haven Humane Society in Waverly, NY. They have a no-kill policy and every year, right around Christmas time, I drop them off a check for $100.

   Wonderful, caring people and some beautiful dogs and cats, too!

   http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NY59.html

10. Matthew Sigal
    August 29th, 2011 @ 9:43 am

    I donated $25 to Oral Health, Total Health (http://ohth.ca/). It is a locally started (but expanding) charity that aims to improve dental care for people with special needs (a very overlooked population in that industry). They have done lots of really good work.

11. Ange Robinson
    August 29th, 2011 @ 9:54 am

    I did an extra donation to Sisters of the Road. Sisters of the Road is one of my favorite local charities, as they provide healthy meals to the homeless and needy and coordinate with the community at large to provide these services. Notably, they are finishing up their Dining With Dignity fundraiser wherein various restaurants donate a percentage of their profits to the SotR kitchen. They also offer a messageboard so those without phones can communicate within the community, referrals to social services, and for those who barter work for meals, they provide referrals to potential employers, etc.

    http://sistersoftheroad.org/

    http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=88399713197

12. Jason Burnett
    August 29th, 2011 @ 9:54 am

    I gave to Minnesota Public Radio (http://minnesota.publicradio.org/). Ever since I discovered public radio in high school and started listening to Mississippi Public Radio, I’ve loved public radio. It’s a great source of news, presenting the news through different stories and from different angles from the television news stations. It also provides music that’s not readily available on commercial radio – if not for public radio, I would have graduated from high school without ever having had a chance to listen to classical music, jazz, new age music, or (what is now one of my personal favorites) opera. Even though these things are now available through the web and through satellite radio, I think it’s vital that they still be available through standard broadcast radio in order to make them available to the broadest number of people in the broadest range of situations possible.

13. Bryce Lisser
    August 29th, 2011 @ 9:58 am

    My charity of choice is Child’s Play ( http://www.childsplaycharity.org/ ) It is always a pleasure to donate to their cause.

    Their endeavor is to provide “toys, games, books and cash for sick kids in children’s hospitals across North America and the world.”

    I was stuck in a hospital for a spell when I was 10 for a major operation. I was lucky in that there was a nintendo on the floor and there were not a ton of other kids at the time, but the whole floor had to share the one machine. Thanks to Child’s Play more and more children’s hospitals are getting the gear they need to make these children’s stays a little less depressing.

14. drey
    August 29th, 2011 @ 9:58 am

    LOVE this idea! My chosen charity is the National Marrow Donor Program. Their fundraising page (for donations or volunteers) is http://www.marrow.org/GIVING/index.html?src=btmhome. I encourage everyone to sign up as a potential donor, especially if you’re a minority, or of mixed race.

15. kyle cassidy
    August 29th, 2011 @ 10:25 am

    City Kitties is an indie, grassroots funded citten / stray cat rescue finding foster and permanant homes in West Philadelphia. They are 501c, so your donations are tax deductible. They have the cutest photos and the most wonderful success stories on their web page which is at:

    http://www.CityKitties.org

16. Tripper
    August 29th, 2011 @ 10:29 am

    I donated to the Georgia chapter of the American Red Cross (http://www.georgiaredcross.org) because after the tornadoes earlier this year in Alabama, they were there, helping people out with things they really needed; food, shelter, clothing, etc, and didn’t ask a thing. Also, whenever there’s an apartment fire in the Atlanta area, they’re there helping those with no insurance and those without enough. I donate my time through the various organizations my company works with (Accenture), Habitat for Humanity, ARC, etc.

    See you at DragonCon!

17. Katy
    August 29th, 2011 @ 10:40 am

    Wonderful idea, Cherie! I am not sure if this is open to us Canadians (eh?) but did want to mention my favourite charity Homeless Cat Rescue (http://www.homelesscatrescue.com/index.shtml). I give $$, cat food, cat toys and other items to them every weekend when I head in cuddle the new kitties (I even got to bottle feed a 3 week old kitten once!).

    I adopt my two fur kids from them and was amazed by the care and support they give to their kitties. Complete vet tests (all documented for the new cat slave), incredible care, and they even make you sign a form promising to not let cats out on high balconies, NEVER declaw them and if you have to give them up that you call HCR first (The Humane Society in Toronto doesn’t have good reputation).

    They really care about the kitties they help and want to make sure all is well with them always.

    Having said all that… I think I’ll head over and see if they need any more cat food or litter… and drop in some more $$.

18. Vanya Tucherov
    August 29th, 2011 @ 10:42 am

    I’d like to submit a plug for 826 National (http://www.826national.org) and their local affiliate 826 Seattle (http://www.826seattle.org)- which is fronted by the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Company for their programs “that provide under-resourced students, ages 6-18, with opportunities to explore their creativity and improve their writing skills.”

    Writers make good readers, and we need more of both. I’ve done odds and ends to help out over the past four years, and will continue to do so.

19. Blaze
    August 29th, 2011 @ 10:45 am

    I am entering for my friend, who has no power due to Irene.

    Her charity? She rescues, neuters, socializes and rehomes kittens and young cats. (The old ones, she neuters and returns to their habitats.) All out of her own pocket!

    When she isn’t doing that? She bakes for all the schools in the area, so they can have bake sales, for kids who can’t afford field trips to be able to go out on field trips.

    Oh and she has three children all of whom are teens right now…

    Since she works locally, the nearest thing to a website is the http://www.ucspca.org/

    Or your local spca, or your local school!

    Thanks for having a give away!

20. Dan'l Danehy-Oakes
    August 29th, 2011 @ 10:49 am

    I increased my donations to Amnesty International. If you don’t know Amnesty, you should; they mount letter-writing campaigns to get people out of abusive human rights situations. (Human wrongs situations? Anyway…) These campaigns are successful more often than you’d think, though we still haven’t jailed Cheney.

21. heather
    August 29th, 2011 @ 11:07 am

    I just signed up for a couple of volunteer positions with National Novel Writing Month (nanowrimo.org). If approved, I’ll be a municipal liaison for my home region during my third NaNoWriMo, and I’ve agreed to help beta test their new website. Run by the Office of Letters and Light, NaNoWriMo occurs every November when thousands of people decide to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. It’s fun for all ages, too, since OLL has a Young Writers Program that includes kits and guidelines for teachers and librarians to encourage young writers everywhere.

22. Silas McDermott
    August 29th, 2011 @ 11:11 am

    Doctors Without Borders – Helping those in need irrespective of race, gender, religion, or creed.

    http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

    Their efforts save thousands of people every year.

23. Jazmine
    August 29th, 2011 @ 11:12 am

    I made a donation for Hurricane Irene relief witt the American Red Cross (www.redcross.org). After Katrina, it feels good to donate to help out those who helped us rebuild.

24. HeatherR
    August 29th, 2011 @ 11:15 am

    My favorite (local) charity is the Tampa Bay Beagle Rescue.

    http://www.tampabaybeaglerescue.org/

    When I went looking for a dog, I wanted to make sure that I could get a medical history for the dog and that they would be a good apartment dog. I also love beagles, which are not known for being laid back apartment dogs. But this organization worked with me to find a dog who would fit in my life and I ended up with my Bailey, who is currently asleep on my couch. When I went back this part weekend since getting Bailey back in June, they had since managed to find homes for the 20ish dogs they had back then and so were looking for homes for another 20 or so dogs. Good people in a neverending cycle.

25. Neil Marshall
    August 29th, 2011 @ 11:24 am

    I generally donate to Help for Heroes in the UK (http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/). They raise money for Armed Service men and women in the uk that are injured during service and help them get back into civilian life. I donated an extra £10 this month.

26. Michael
    August 29th, 2011 @ 11:31 am

    My wife & I are both sponsoring children. Her through Compassion International (http://compassion.com) & me through World Vision (http://worldvision.com) both great organizations that help children & communities in very poor countries. Both have great records of being financially responsible & using the money to do the most good rather than organizational costs.

27. catfriend
    August 29th, 2011 @ 11:48 am

    I foster kittens for MEOW Cat Rescue http://www.meowcatrescue.org/ and donate (and receive help from) South County Cats http://members.petfinder.com/~WA285/. MEOW is a no kill shelter whose motto is “all nine lives are precious”. South County Cats provides spay/neuter assistance and help with trap-spay/neuter-release of feral cats. It is run by one woman, Sally Halela, and she works hard for her cause.

28. Will Savage
    August 29th, 2011 @ 11:53 am

    I regularly buy a “street newspaper” called The Contributor sold on the streetcorners of Nashville. It is a newspaper about the homeless in Nashville primarily written and sold by the homeless in Nashville. It gives the homeless a voice they often may not have.

    I regularly support it by buying more than one from more than one vendor. I give my extra copies to others or leave them in conspicuous places so that others can read them. Many local homeless have gotten off the streets and have become writers because of this paper.

    I have offered my services to them as an editor/proofreader, but thus far they have not taken me up on the offer.

    http://thecontributor.org/main/

29. carolyne
    August 29th, 2011 @ 11:56 am

    i give to national society for prevention of cruelty to children.
    no explanation needed. full stop. http://www.nspcc.org.uk/

    :)

30. Sarah Intidam
    August 29th, 2011 @ 12:11 pm

    I donate and support a group called MSworld. They help people like myself, with a disease called Multiple Sclerosis. They hold meetings and chatrooms to help anyone new with MS or just anyone that needs to talk. They also give money to help with reaserch for cures and treatments and such.

31. Jenna
    August 29th, 2011 @ 12:14 pm

    I’m proud to donate to the Oregon Humane Society. They rescue animals (cats, dogs, rabbits, bird and other pocket pets), find them homes and educate the public. OHS has a hard working staff and many pets looking for homes. My donation is just a small token on my part to help end petlessness.

    http://www.oregonhumane.org/

32. Samantha
    August 29th, 2011 @ 12:38 pm

    My favorite charity (or at least the one that has most of my focus right now, as I’m planning this year’s NaNoWriMo season for our local group) is the Office of Letters and Light http://lettersandlight.org/, the parent organization of the National Novel Writing Month http://www.nanowrimo.org/, the Young Writers Program and Script Frenzy.

    I’ve just made an additional monetary donation in your honor to the Office of Letters and Light, and in addition to planning events for the local group, I will be mentoring new Municipal Liaisons and moderating a forum or two for NaNoWriMo for this year’s challenge.

33. Wolf
    August 29th, 2011 @ 12:40 pm

    I regularly donate to Akita Rescue, so while it’s my favorite ‘charity’, currently, an organization that’s close to home is the Alzheimer’s Association and the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, as my grandfather was fairly recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s/Demantia.

    To date, my Team has raised $500.00 towards a cure.}:) We walk to help find a cure so someday, someone else’s family won’t have to watch a loved one disappear in front of them like my family is doing.

    http://2011walktoendalz.kintera.org/roanoke/teamriemann

34. Leslie
    August 29th, 2011 @ 1:19 pm

    I regularly donate to the March of Dimes. Without the research done with money for the March of Dimes, I wouldn’t be here (neither would my mom or my daughter, for that matter….and nothing is more important than my daughter.) http://www.marchofdimes.com/

    I will be dropping off a donation for the Ronald McDonald House on Thursday too. :) http://rmhc.org/

35. C.B. Dragon
    August 29th, 2011 @ 1:53 pm

    I regularly donate to both Child’s Play (http://www.childsplaycharity.org/) and the EFF (http://www.eff.org/)

    I support Child’s Play simply for the fact I remember spending weeks in the hospital as a child and the mind-numbness of the whole being seriously ill in that kind of environment. Anything to alleviate those thoughts, I back 110%.

    I started backing the EFF after reading “Little Brother” by Cory Doctorow . It made me realize that our digital lives need as much protection as our physical ones.

36. DragonRose
    August 29th, 2011 @ 2:16 pm

    Are you a Nerdfighter?

37. Jeff
    August 29th, 2011 @ 2:41 pm

    The charity I give the most to to is the National MS Society.
    http://www.nationalmssociety.org/chapters/DCW/index.aspx

    In the Spring I ride in the Maryland Chapter’s Chesapeake Challenge (150 miles over 2 days, over $1000 raised each of the 3 years I’ve ridden). In the fall I volunteer my weekend to do bicycle SAG for the DC Challenge walk.

38. Emily Dee
    August 29th, 2011 @ 3:15 pm

    Doctors Without Borders actually called me this morning, and as soon as I picked up the phone, I knew that I had to donate, or feel like a complete dick.

    Meanwhile, on the exact same day, Cherie Priest decides to reward geek-humanity for Not Being Dicks! Coincidence? I think not.

    https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
    I can’t stress enough how important the work they do is. Feeding the hungry? Check. Responding to disasters? Yup. Risking their lives to help the human race? You betcha.

39. Rafe
    August 29th, 2011 @ 5:10 pm

    It was with no small sense of irony (as I enjoy arguing on the internet) that I donated to the Florida branch of the Special Olympics (http://www.specialolympicsflorida.org/)

    [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ’0 which is not a hashcash value.

40. Kess
    August 29th, 2011 @ 5:37 pm

    I sent $40 to Heifer, Intl. On the holidays, I send $10 gifts in the names of some friends and family instead of buying them more trinkets to collect dust. The giftee gets a card notifying them of the gift and someone gets a goat or chickens or whatever to help them along. I started giving to this charity when I was in fifth grade and our teacher did a collection for the whole class to donate as part of a social studies project. I love that it doesn’t just give a meal, but a way to survive.

41. Tom M Franklin
    August 29th, 2011 @ 5:40 pm

    My wife and I volunteer every Saturday at Conservators’ Center, Inc (CCI or http://conservatorscenter.org) — including this past Saturday when we drove the 90 minutes in the edge of Hurricane Irene. I work with the smaller animals, my wife works with the lions & tigers.

    My photographs of the animals at CCI are all over my flickr account, my blog and facebook.

    Nice idea for a contest. I’ll have to remember to steal it some day. : )

    – Tom

42. Alex H
    August 29th, 2011 @ 8:55 pm

    I scheduled an appointment to donate blood at the local Red Cross. It doesn’t really cost any money, nor hardly any time, to potentially save lives. And they have cookies!

    http://www.redcross.org/

43. Pooka
    August 29th, 2011 @ 9:13 pm

    I don’t want any prizes, but I will throw out a charity (well, really charities) that can always use help and that is your local animal rescue.

44. Michael J.
    August 30th, 2011 @ 8:57 am

    My charity is the local animal shelter. After our small group took over running it from the city we’ve been trying to turn it around into a strict no-kill shelter. I personally donate time, money (not as much as I should but as much as I can) as well as donating server space for their website (http:grandprarieanimalshelter.org) They don’t really have an online route to donate but my lovely wife helps write grants for them and she would have their mailing address should you wish to donate any money to our furry friends. Her email is rfjones@grandprairieanimalrescue.org

45. Doggy! « Jess Faraday
    August 30th, 2011 @ 8:59 am

    [...] if you make a donation soon, you can enter Cherie Priest’s charity competition for a chance to win an audiobook or author copy of her latest. If you win, it’ll be the best [...]

    [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The comment’s server IP (72.233.61.86) doesn’t match the comment’s URL host IP (74.200.243.253) and so is spam.

46. Vincent G
    August 30th, 2011 @ 10:49 am

    My charity is the Lustgarten Foundation-Cure Pancreatic Cancer.
    I lost my uncle to Pancreatic Cancer. He was a big man in stature and in personality. When his daughter (He has four daughters but only lived to see one get married. All are married now, the last was married this weekend as hurricane Irene was heading our way.) got married or any of my cousin’s or any wedding reception happen for that matter, it was my uncle that was the star of each of those wedding videos (so we are all left with filmed memories). His crazy dancing, signing, joking and just acting like a giant (6’4″) fool, because he was just so happy to be alive, could not escape any video or photo.
    I remember hearing it was pancreatic cancer. I knew what that meant, we all did and of course refused to believe it would take the biggest personality any of us ever knew. We watched him wither and how IT humble him and all of us.
    I remember the final time they took out the feeding tube and hearing that the doctors would not be putting it back in. My uncle was going to starve to death. He never went through a mean angry stage as I hear some dying people do. He remained himself even as he was fading away. In as much pain as he was in, and the pain was horrible, his only concern was his wife and four daughters.
    He died 2 days after Christmas and we buried him on New Years Eve as Taps played and it began to snow.
    This is why I (we) donate, go after people to donate and walk for a cure. So many cancers can be caught early and treated. Pancreatic Cancer is not one of them.
    I donated again for a Cherie Priest signed book. I wrote this for a signed book. But now I’m just glad I got to tell you guys about my uncle and how important it is to find a cure, treatment, anything to combat against this most deadly cancer.
    Miss you Uncle Warren :(

47. Chesh
    August 30th, 2011 @ 11:22 am

    Thanks for the kick in the pants! I’ve got a few charities that I like to help out, but I’ve been doing the nose-to-the-grindstone/stuck-in-my-head thing for a while, lately.

    1) Just made an appointment to donate red cells at the local blood center. I tend to not donate as often as I could because I end up with multiple cases of sniffles over the course of the year. I figure if I donate a double unit of red cells, I’ll be able to do the same amount of good with half as many donations; this way, I’ve only got to remember to donate while I’m hale and hearty three times a year instead of six times a year.

    2) I’ve been rolling money into Kiva.org with the second of my monthly paychecks – loans tend to get listed with a 30 day period near the beginning of the month, so at the end of the month there are a lot of loans that are creeping towards expiry without getting fully funded (meaning they’ll be dropped). I’m a member of the Kiva team Late Loaning Lenders, where the idea is to fund those loans so they don’t get dropped. It’s interesting that these loans are usually to men in unstable countries (one of the few situations where women have an advantage!). I can’t give much, but since my loan money gets repaid (provided everything goes well), most of the money I lend makes it back to me for me to lend it out again! It’s pretty awesome. I was just able to fund two $25 loan contributions with $30-odd of new funds.

    3) There’s a great organization that I’ve volunteered with in the past called Seattle Education Access. They provide tutoring for underprivileged adult students, as well as career counseling and help in navigating the grants, scholarships, and loans available. They do good work.
    People in Seattle! Consider becoming a volunteer tutor! It’s an awesome way to help somebody improve their life!
    http://seattleeducationaccess.org/

    4) I also just sent a donation to Planned Parenthood – they also do great work, and they really need all the help they can get right now.

48. Lani
    August 30th, 2011 @ 3:10 pm

    My charity of choice is our local 9 Lives Cat Rescue.

    http://www.9livescatrescue.org/

    When my father’s cat passed away two years ago, he was devastated. We visited PetFinder and found out about 9 Lives. Two days later, we took him to meet some of the kitties, and the second we walked in the door, the one he’d seen and liked the most on the website reached between the bars of her caged and grabbed his shirt and wouldn’t let go. They’ve been inseparable ever since.

    My father is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, which was aggravated severely by the loss of our home last year. This cat is the only thing that keeps him sane, some days, so we are so very thankful to this rescue for being able to help him find his second kitty soulmate.

    The rescue is run out of a private home, and is staffed by volunteers. It is a lovely, large rescue, and I donate supplies on a regular basis.

    My other charity of choice, isn’t exactly a charity: The West Clinic in Southaven, MS. It’s the cancer treatment center my mother went to after her breast cancer diagnosis last year (yes, she found out she hand cancer and the bank foreclosed on our house in the same month. Great year.) It’s a wonderful center with wonderful volunteer “spirit lifters” that just come sit with patients receiving treatments, give them blankets and magazines, and in general try to make people smile during a very trying time. I donate magazines, books, pillows, throw blankets, whatever I can find and send them a care package every month.

    I think of all the times I went to sit with her while she had treatments, and there were other patients there by themselves, when one of the red-aproned volunteers would come in and sit next to them, and their entire demeanor would just LIFT. So, since it’s too far for me to drive (four hour round trip) on anything remotely like a regular basis, my mother and I just send care packages. We always get thank you notes in return, so we know it’s something needed and appreciated.

49. I want to bang on the drum all day : Cherie Priest
    August 30th, 2011 @ 5:03 pm

    [...] answer to the most Frequently Asked Question re: yesterday’s post – I’ll probably run the contest through the end of the week, at least. Most likely, [...]

50. hemisphire
    August 30th, 2011 @ 5:12 pm

    The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives.

    http://www.stbaldricks.org/

51. Ninevolt Radish
    August 30th, 2011 @ 6:21 pm

    My favorite charity:

    Child’s Play
    http://www.childsplaycharity.org

    Why?

    It’s amazing how quickly a kid’s mind is taken off a bundle of IV tubes and leads attached to sensors when they’ve got a game controller in their hand and are trashtalking their parental opponent sitting next to the hospital bed.

    I’ve donated to them in the past, and then suddenly I found myself on the receiving end of trash talk from my kid in the bed.

52. Twilight2000
    August 30th, 2011 @ 6:24 pm

    My favorite charity is one everyone can give to everyday – Initially it was http://www.TheHungerSite.com – it’s expanded to include animals, rain forests, literacy, child’s health and more. You can click every day to make sure food and books and immunizations are paid for – and every time you buy something from any of their sites, more is donated.
    I donated $10 to TheLiteracySite.com – because it seemed appropriate ;>.

53. Bill
    August 30th, 2011 @ 6:27 pm

    I’m going to second the nomination of Child’s Play (see above in thread for link) as a charity to consider.

    Why donate to Child’s Play?

    Few things are more effective in taking a kid’s mind off a mass of IV tubes and sensor leads than having a controller in their hands.

    Sick kids are SURPRISINGLY effective trashtalkers when they’re involved in a fierce racing game… or shooter….

    I donated to Child’s Play a few times before finding myself on the receiving end of trashtalk from my kid in a hospital bed…. he is a VICIOUS competitor in Need for Speed.

54. Robyn
    August 30th, 2011 @ 10:16 pm

    What a great way to find links to awesome non-profits that I might never have known about!

    I’ve donated $30 to Can’t Stop the Serenity charity event that’s happening in Seattle in September. I’ll also be volunteering that day to help the event to run smoothly. http://www.cstsseattle.org/

    Can’t Stop the Serenity is a world-wide grassroots organization of local geeks who just like doing good works and giving back to the both their local communities as well as global causes.

    The donations this year will go to Equality Now, NorthWest Harvest, Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) and SB Charities.
    “If you can’t do something smart, do something that’s right.”

55. Gregory Gay
    August 31st, 2011 @ 5:36 am

    I always give at least $20 a month, regardless of my personal finances, to Child’s Play (http://www.childsplaycharity.org/).

    This charity focuses on providing toys, games, and other fun trinkets to children’s hospitals. They show that gamers can fundamentally be good people, and provide an important, often overlooked role.

    Entertainment is crucial to relieving stress or distracting from pain and discomfort. What provides more pain, stress, and discomfort than cancer or any of the other diseases that might leave a kid in a hospital for a long stretch?

    Extra bonus – Child’s Play benefits hospitals all over the US, including one in my local community.

56. Jess Faraday
    August 31st, 2011 @ 12:19 pm

    I gave $50 to United Hope for Animals. I would also include the $250 I gave them over the weekend, but I received a little doggie in exchange for that =)

    UHA works to find homes for animals in high-kill shelters in Southern California and Mexico. Animals are given medical care, all shots, sterilization, microchipping, and flea control. They are fostered in appropriate homes before being made available for adoption. In addition, if an adoption doesn’t work out, or the adoptive family can’t keep the animal for any reason, no matter how long after the adoption, UHA will take it back and place it back in a foster home environment.

    UHA is also an advocate for humane treatment of shelter animals. By working with animal control authorities in Baja California, UHA has helped to end the practice of destroying shelter animals through electrocution.

    It’s a very worthy organization doing incredible work in two countries.

57. Lois Buhalis
    August 31st, 2011 @ 2:50 pm

    I just gave to our local Architectural Heritage Center http://www.visitahc.org/ They do an amazing job preserving and recording the architectural history of Portland, and have auctions, tours of historical sites and neighborhoods. They also maintain a huge collection of fascinating architectural artifacts (one of the largest collections in the nation), have a large research library and host monthly art exhibits. They are an absolutely fascinating place to visit for all kinds of period research. My snail mail address, in case I win (!!!) is Nine-Four-Two-Five N. Richmond Ave., Portland, OR Nine-Seven-Two-Zero-Three. I’d be delighted with anything, but would prefer an audio book.

58. Terry Tyson
    August 31st, 2011 @ 5:36 pm

    There are more than a few charities that mean a great deal to me. Here are just three that I’ve recently donated blood, sweat and money.

    The American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org has been around for a long time. They’ve do consistently good work on a local and national scale. In addition to offering low to no-cost classes on first aid, CPR and other vital “save-your-skin-or-someone-elses” skills, they respond to all manner of emergencies and disasters rendering aid when it is most needed.

    For me, the ARC is my go-to blood donation site. Apparently, this old man’s O+ Rh- blood is good for newborns so I am called on a regular basis to donate. Last week I gave another pint which resulted in me receiving my 3 Gallon pin. NOTE: I hate donating blood, but the cookies and the lives saved is worth the momentary discomfort. If you can’t give cash, how about a pint of your blood?

    Yesterday, my wife and I sent another check to Best Friends Animal Society http://www.bestfriends.org in Moab, UT. These folks are the most caring, open and dedicated animal activists I’ve ever met. Their non-political, non-dogmatic (no pun intended) agenda is simple; rescue and care for animals (especially pets) wherever there is need.

    These are the good people who rescued and rehabilitated the Vick pitbulls. These are the brave folks who rescued and cared for the dogs and cats stranded during Katrina.

    They operate a frugal yet effective organization. No glitz, no glamour just a philosophy of “No Homeless Pets”.

    The American Hiking Society http://www.americanhiking.org is another one of those nonprofit groups with a simple mission and a no-nonsense approach to their work. The AHS promotes the joy of hiking as a recreational pursuit for all ages and income levels. Walking under an open sky on a dirt path with friends, family or even alone is not only good exercise for the body but is wonderful therapy for the spirit as well. There is the understanding that when you commune with nature, we reconnect with ourselves.

    AHS also works with municipalities, states and the national government to create, protect and maintain open spaces for trails and appreciation for future generations.

    They also promote volunteerism among those who use and enjoy these special places. This June, I participated in AHS’s “National Trails Day” helping to clean up some local trails and wilderness parks. This is my fourth year participating in this important event.

    Oh yeah, when you join AHS, you receive Backpacker magazine at no extra cost. Not a bad deal, at all! Donate and then “Take A Hike!”

    My mailing address is: T. Tyson – 1036 Las Posas, San Clemente, CA 92673

    Keep up the good work, Ms. Priest.

59. Virginia Samuelson
    September 1st, 2011 @ 7:00 am

    My charity of choice is .Heifer International is one of my favorite organizations. It has become my families go to gift.  It’s goals fit the most right wing to the most left wing of us.  Heifer makes wonderful contributions to sustainable development. Heifer donates a wide variety of animals (and trees) to families around the world. Recipients use the animals to improve their standard of living. For example, water buffalo can help a family in Nepal plow their land to grow more food. Goats can provide meat and milk for a Romanian family, improving their diet. A family in Ecuador can eat and sell eggs and meat from Heifer ducks, and generate money for school fees. One requirement is that recipients ‘pass the gift” by donating the the offspring of gift animals to others in need, making them equal partners with Heifer in the fight to end world hunger.

    Visit http://www.heifer.org/

60. pdxNat
    September 1st, 2011 @ 10:26 pm

    Wow. There are so many good people working with great organizations. I’m so impressed!

    I am a big fan of the Oregon Food Bank (http://www.oregonfoodbank.org/) and I donate to ‘em every year. In honor of Hellbent and the promise of an opening chapter’s worth of penis jokes, I’ve just written a bonus check for ten bucks.

    You can probably figure out from the name that the Oregon Food Bank helps distribute food across Oregon to families and communities in need. They’re a no-bullshit non-profit and I’m proud to help them in their mission. If you live in Portland, you can volunteer in their warehouse sometime. It’s easy, very well organized, and actually lots of fun.

    Good job everybody!

61. Debbie
    September 4th, 2011 @ 4:17 pm

    I’m volunteering at the Susan G Komen race for the cure in Denton TX on 9/24. This will be the first time I’ve ever volunteered, and my first time to ever attend an event like this. As this is also the first time I’ve heard of the author Cherie Priest and tonight I’m going to sit down and read the first book of hers, Bloodshot, well just seems like some major synergy going on in the month of September for me. (Cherie I just learned of you from the DFWCON website and checked you out on Amazon)

    Here’s the website if anyone would like to participate in the event in Denton this year or donate:
    http://northtexas.info-komen.org/site/TR/RacefortheCure/PNO_NorthTexasAffiliate?fr_id=2196&pg=entry

62. April V.
    September 5th, 2011 @ 5:29 pm

    I have lots of favorite charities and do volunteer work mostly (’cause I’m broke). Most recently I sorted food in a warehouse of this one http://www.foodbankcentralflorida.org/site/PageServer
    But one of my next things will be to give what I’ve saved in my paypal (I do surveys and such for extra dough) to this one which will be beginning in a couple of months and which is cooler than cool: http://blog.patrickrothfuss.com/2010/11/worldbuilders-2010/

63. Mike S
    September 5th, 2011 @ 11:55 pm

    I collect and donate used clothing for the Salvation Army https://donate.salvationarmyusa.org/

    Especially important for those impacted by natural disasters like hurricanes, eartquakes, etc. Often people are left literally with only the clothes on their backs, so those old concert t-shirts and the jeans that are too “snug”, in the back of your closet, can help somebody in need.

64. HELLBENT PRIEST* : Cherie Priest
    September 6th, 2011 @ 8:52 am

    [...] Countrypersons! Other sorts! Lend me your ears: The “Negotiable Handbasket” contest is OVER – not that this you should stop you from talking about your charity of [...]

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