Things You Can Do

Free Donations

Sign up where others will donate to your favorite charity at no cost to you.

• Use GoodSearch as your search engine and raise money for your favorite charity or school.
• Register your favorite charity with your grocery store club card (Ralphs, Vons, Albertsons)
• Use the matching program at your company.  It only takes a few minutes.

Old Clothing and Other Items

Clean out your closets or garage.  Look for the best place to donate your unwanted items where they will do the most good (or discard where they will do the least harm). 

• Check out http://www.stuffyadontwant.com
• Drop off your gently used coats, sweaters, jackets, gloves, hats at Burlington Coat Factory anytime.  They partner with One Warm Coat to distribute clothing to the needy.
• Drop off your old gently worn shoes at the nearest Sports Chalet for people in need.  They partner with Soles 4 Souls to collect and distribute shoes to victims of disasters all over the world.

Gifts that Give Back

Shop for gifts at

• Save the Children / Gifts
• Ten Thousand Villages
• Heifer International / Gift Catalog
• National Wildlife Federation / Shop
• World Wildlife Fund / Gift Center
• BiaJú
• LAGA
• Bead for Life
• the Iona Community bookstore

Environment

• Eat organic and local foods.  Check out Farm Fresh to You
• Use re-usable bags (Plastic bags cause over 100,000 marine animal deaths every year)
• Print double-sided.  The average person can save 1 tree a year.
• Put batteries in the recycling or take them to a hazardous waste center.  (Discarded batteries can harm wildlife, pollute groundwater and soil.)
• Switch to CFL light bulbs.  You’ll save $30-40 in electric bills for the life of EACH light bulb.

Community

·           Browse the Kiva website for opportunities to make micro loans with as little as $25.  www.kiva.org

·           Vote in every election.  Pay close attention to local initiatives.

·           If you receive a telemarketing call asking for a donation to a police or fire fund, ask them to take you off their list.  These calls are outsourced to a vendor who takes a significant cut of the donation.  If you would like to donate a police or fire fund, contact the police or fire department directly.