Keeping Up With Christmas

Well, unlike last year, I haven't gotten all my holiday shopping and wrapping done by now. Oof.

However, we've been through a wedding, a new job (hers), minor veterinary woes, and several concert performances in the last few months. I'm gonna give myself a break.

Here's what the plan looks like this year:

A variety of charitable organizations for holiday (or year-round) giving

If you'd like to contribute to charitable causes this season, but are a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of organizations out there, you might appreciate this post, where John Scalzi's readers provide their suggestions. (I had to add my own, of course.)

I enjoy the animated discussions in the blog's comments as much as I appreciate Scalzi's own commentary (on topics like poverty, privilege and respecting boundaries). I read several of Scalzi's sf novels before I discovered he was active in the blogosphere, and he wields one of the best banhammers I've encountered. While I may not agree with everyone who posts (or even with the blogger -- gasp!), they all have strong opinions and causes they passionately support, and I'd like to give to charities that inspire that.

Every little bit helps!

In addition to yesterday's FB-blasted emergency cat post (which was retweeted by Neil Gaiman himself -- what a guy!), I've been making small contributions to multiple other charities and non-profits. 'Tis the season, after all! And even though I can't help everyone, or send as much as they need, my motto for the season is "Every little bit helps!"

Have a look, and maybe you will be inspired to help a little bit.

Can you help out these cats in Seattle?

An internet friend of a friend is in need of a foster home for her two kitties, Little Owl and Edward, while she gets her feet underneath her. I have forwarded this call to friends and acquaintances in the Seattle area, and ask that you do the same. I've also chipped in for the temporary boarding at the vet's office (which costs $28/day for both), because I think kitties need their people, and vice versa.

More details here and here. With cute cat pictures!

Please share widely and donate if you can! PayPal funds can be sent to jilli@gothic-charm-school.com (this is who the cats' person Grace is staying with).

Mary's Meals -- stretching the donated dollar

Mary's Meals (formerly Scottish Relief International) provides meals to impoverished children in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe and South America -- usually one meal every school day. The vital nutrition supplied by this charity is often enough to attract girls and boys to school and keep them there long enough to gain the education that will help them to succeed as they grow older. For children under six, too young to attend school and often without parents or primary caregivers, Mary's Meals feeding centers in Malawi provide two meals a day and basic child care.

Number of children receiving a daily meal in their place of education:

Albania - 20 | Benin – 557 | Bosnia – 25 | Burma – 281 | Ecuador – 233 | Haiti – 16,533 | India – 4,164 | Kenya – 20,830 | Liberia – 43,141 | Malawi – 549,114 | Philippines – 2,119| South Sudan – 6,010 | Sudan – 166 | Thailand – 568 | Uganda – 11,117 | Ukraine – 83   Global Total = 654,961

18-year-old shot and left for dead along with her girlfriend

I read with sadness Tuesday about the Portland, Texas shooting of two teenage women. One, Mollie Olgin, was pronounced dead at the scene on Saturday morning, but the other is alive and hospitalized in stable condition. Her name is Mary Kristene Chapa; her friends call her Kristene. She played softball for her high school team and had plans to attend Texas A&M in the fall. The two had been dating since mid-February, according to friends.

AIDS/LifeCycle 2012

Living in the San Francisco queer community, I know lots of people who are affected by HIV and AIDS. I see a lot of marketing for antiretroviral drugs. I promote discussion groups and support groups for those living with HIV and those who have lost friends, family members, and partners to the disease and its complications. I go to a lot of fundraisers that benefit causes like hospice care, safer sex education, free HIV testing, and AIDS awareness.

I can't give money to them all. But I do give something every year to AIDS/LifeCycle, the 7-day bicycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise money and awareness in the fight against AIDS.

Brooke's Books: The Brooke Jackman Foundation

One of the books I read to kick off my hundred-book challenge of 2012 was Decade of Hope: Stories of Grief and Endurance from 9/11 Families and Friends, by Dennis Smith. The author interviewed many people who were deeply and personally affected by the 9/11 terrorist attacks, including Robert and Barbara Jackman, parents of Brooke Jackman, who was only 23 when she died in the collapse of the World Trade Center towers.

The stories in this book were all moving, but Brooke's seemed special to me. She had just started a new job at Cantor Fitzgerald, on the 104th floor of the North Tower, and was able to make one of the last outgoing phone calls from the WTC to say goodbye to her family. Her story tugged at my heartstrings. In some ways, I identified with her. Her parents describe Brooke as someone who "was always reading", someone who stopped in at Borders every evening on the way home from work. To honor her memory, they started the Brooke Jackman Foundation (TBJF).

The Foundation provides reading programs and literacy services for at-risk and underprivileged youth, to commemorate Brooke's love of reading, her helpfulness, and her desire to be of service. TBJF distributes brand-new books -- one for every child -- to the children participating in its programs. For several years following 9/11, the Jackman family and their community gathered together to stuff backpacks with books and school supplies, but now the operation has grown beyond that scale -- over 10,000 backpacks filled! In addition to providing disadvantaged youth in the New York City area with back-to-school supplies, "Brooke Packs" were also distributed to 200 children who had experienced the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina in the Southern US in 2004. The Foundation promotes parents and children reading together, an activity which strengthens family bonds and improves literacy skills. In partnership with the Books for Kids foundation, the Brooke Jackman Foundation has opened four small libraries in sites such as domestic violence family shelters and the Crimes Against Children Bureau at the Kings County District Attorney's office. On top of all this excellent work, TBJF grants funding to outside literacy service providers in schools and non-profit organizations.

This month, I donated the funds I earmarked for charity to the Brooke Jackman Foundation, because I believe that they are doing good work encouraging children and their families to love books. In my own life and career, I want to promote reading for everyone, especially children. What Brooke's family is doing though the Foundation is inspiring and uplifting. I hope that they will continue to grow even more in the next ten years.