Charitable Gift Giving

We surf the Web to find good products that help out a great cause.

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Groupons for Charity

March 9th, 2013 · Groupon

groupon for charityI admit, I’m a Groupon junkie. It’s become a habit of mine to check my Groupon email every day, mainly to see what new 50% off deals there are in my hometown restaurants.

Something not a lot of people may realize about Groupon is that they have a separate department called Groupon Grassroots that aggregates all the deals that go to help charity.

Some of these are the traditional kinds of deals, where you buy something and a portion is donated to charity. For example, as of this writing there’s an auction selling hammocks where 100% of your purchase price goes to the non-profit organization that

Others aren’t “deals” in the sense that you buy something and a portion is donated to charity. Rather, it’s a “deal” in that you donate to a good cause, and if enough members of Groupon do the same, then the combined donation is triggered and sent to the needy cause, in a crowdsourcing-type model.

Groupon maintains a regularly updated blog here where you can learn about new initiatives.

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Cold Winter Got You Down? Carry Some of the Beach with You!

March 2nd, 2013 · Conservation

necklace made of beach sand  Every so often when I visit the beach on an especially relaxing vacation, I’ll scoop up some shells or some sand and bring it home with me. At the time, my thought is that if I’m ever stressed or need a reminder of more calm times, I’ll look at them and a piece of my vacation will come flooding back to me. More likely, though, the sand will sit around in a box, break open, and I’ll be able to experience the life of the maid who was in charge of cleaning my hotel room.

Uncommon Goods has taken this to the next level by offering these cool Beach Necklaces. Designed by Holly Daniels Christensen, it’s made from sand collected from over 1,000 beaches around the country and even as far away as Italy, Malaysia, and Australia. The sand is securely sealed inside silver pendants so you can carry a piece of a beach anywhere you go. You’ll even get a card that tells you which of the beaches the sand came from.

If you’re like me and have bags of sand sitting around, they also give you the option to send in your sand to get a custom necklace made. It’s a great way to preserve the sand you pick up on that magical vacation without the mess.

Per the designer, a portion of all proceeds is donated to coastal preservation programs such as the Association to Preserve Cape Cod and the Surfrider Foundation.

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Pork Rinds for the Super Bowl!

January 28th, 2013 · Disability

Most of the world knows February 3, 2013 as Super Bowl Sunday (or for those companies that don’t want to pay a licensing fee, “The Big Game Sunday”).

Last year, Rudolph Foods, the world’s largest pork rind manufacturer, did something clever. They proclaimed that  Super Bowl Sunday would be “Pork Rind Appreciation Day“.

I admit in researching for this blog post I’ve learned more about pork rinds in a few weeks than I’ve known in my entire life. For example, an ounce of pork rinds contains nine times the protein, less fat, and less carbs than potato chips (0% carbs, in fact). Also, 43% of the fat in a pork rind is “healthy” unsaturated fat such as oleic acid, while another 13% is stearic acid, which is saturated but doesn’t raise cholesterol levels.

Don’t get me wrong–pork rinds is hardly a “health food”–there’s still a lot of fat and sodium in them. But they’re definitely a less bad for your health than the phrase “fried pork skin an fat” would lead you to believe.

I had the chance to try out Rudolph’s Southern Recipe pork rinds for myself.  I started with their original unflavored variety.

pork rinds

Here’s what one looks like up close and personal.

one pork rind

Believe it or not, this was the first pork rind I’ve ever eaten in my life. I’ve eaten fresh crackling once or twice before when I’ve been at a luau or a wedding banquet with whole roast pigs, and in some cases I’ve come close to breaking teeth. But this was the first fried pork rind I’ve had.

I have to say that I’m a fan. The pork rind was light, crisp and fluffy and had a rich delicious flavor much different than potato chips or corn chips.

I tried out a couple of different flavors. The Hot and Spicy:

hot and spicy pork rinds

spicy pork rinds

 

This one was extremely salty but had a surprisingly strong kick to it.

Next, I tried the Sweet BBQ:

 

This one had a classic “down South” taste of a smoky barbecue sauce with a extra tinge of sweetness.

Overall, I’d say my first sojourn into the land of pork rinds was a huge success. As someone who lives in the northeast, I don’t get much of a chance to try them, but I have to say I’m a fan and yes, after years of ODing on potato chips and Doritoes during past Super Bowls, this year I’ll be serving these up. If you’d like to as well, you can order them direct from Rudolph Foods online.

Now of course I didn’t write this post to just share with you my latest gastronomical experiences. Something outstanding that Rudolph Foods does every years is to help a charity in need. This year, they’re helping out The Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund (GGAF), which is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides financial grants and medical assistance to retired NFL players in dire need.

When we think of NFL players and contracts, we usually think of those players who have become household names and who command multi-million dollar contracts and millions more in endorsements.

But those players are just a handful of all the players on an NFL team. Did you know that the average career of an NFL player is only 3.3 years? Football is a grueling and at times cruel sport where career-ending and in many cases life-altering injuries can happen at any time.

While salaries these days are quite high, with the average salary being close to $2 million, those thousands of men who played the game in the early years of the game from the 1960’s to the 1990’s weren’t so lucky. A player who played in the 1980’s, for example, might have been lucky to make $200,000 a year. In three years of playing, he might have earned about $600,000. But then once many was spit back into the “real world”, they would find because their whole lives were spent honing their football skills, there were few other skills they could fall back on. Adding insult to injury (literally), many had to deal with disabilities that easily wiped out whatever money they might have saved. Most didn’t get benefits and pensions that today’s players get.

Like an old greyhound, NFL players were often used to make millions upon millions of dollars for the NFL, but then discarded once their usefulness was over. Many of those old players are in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s today. As you’ve no doubt seen in the news, many former NFL players end up struggling both financially and emotionally, with some being pushed to the limits of despair.

The Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund was founded by a large and prominent group of hundreds of retired players and coaches to help their former teammates.

When you watch this year’s Super Bowl, remember that it was these former players that built the game into what it is today. They need help.

That’s why I really admire what Rudolph Foods is doing. They’re donating a portion of sales to the Gridiron Greats Foundation, and perhaps more importantly they’re bring awareness to a truly worthy charity.

 

 

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Fischer & Wieser Salsa that Helps LIFE Community Classroom

January 20th, 2013 · Uncategorized

As you’re planning your 2013 Super Bowl snacking this year, I’d like to suggest a company that did some really extraordinary things in 2012.

Last year, Fischer & Wieser Specialty Foods, based in Fredericksburg, Texas, partnered with LIFE Community Classroom, a privately funded non-profit organization that serves students with intellectual disabilities and/or special needs.

Cooking is one of many skills that the school teaches to its students, helping them to become self-sufficient members of society. Some students of LIFE Community Classroom with a passion for cooking ended up creating a delicious salsa which they called “Life Community Classroom Traditional Salsa”. With teachers’ support, these students with culinary skills also became entrepreneurs. They sold their salsa to raise funds and awareness for the school. Their salsa was a huge success: each batch they created sold out quickly.

Founder and executive director of LIFE Community Classroom, Angel Wiggins, contacted COO Jenny Wieser and President and CEO Case Fischer to see if they would be willing to collaborate on a product. Fischer and Wieser came through in a big way: they worked with the students to help develop their product into an actual product for sale throughout Texas Hill Country.

You can purchase LIFE Community Classroom Traditional Salsa at the following brick-and-mortar locations:

.         Fischer & Wieser on Main
.         Fischer & Wieser Das Peach Haus
.         The Shops on Llano
.         Woerner Feed Store
.         Smitten
.         Sugar and Smoke

I had a chance to taste some of the salsa, and it is really amazing. It’s incredibly fresh, with chunky bits of tomatoes and a deep, rich flavor. It’s thicker than the mass-produced goo you find in most supermarket aisles. It also has an impressive kick that you’ll be hard pressed to find in conventional salsas that includes three kinds of peppers. The list of ingredients is simple: vine-ripened fresh tomatoes, extra heavy tomato puree, cilantro, onion, japaleno peppers, salt, garlic, serrano peppers, black pepper.

Even the jar itself was designed with input from the students. The Fischer & Wieser design team created several options for the students to vote on; they selected the ultimate logo above- an image of a cactus heart with a Texas flower adorning the top right corner.

fischer and wieser salsa

If you’re not lucky enough to be in Texas Hill Country, you can still get a taste of Fischer and Wieser salsa at your local specialty grocery store. Check out the store locator on their site to find where you can find out where to buy one of nine other salsa flavors they sell nationwide.

I had the pleasure of tasting their Hatch Chile and Pineapple Salsa.

pineapple salsa

Check out how fresh and delicious it looks right out of the jar.

gourmet salsa

Yes, it tastes as good as it looks. It had a very fresh scent of sweet, fresh tomatoes. You can taste the sweetness of the pineapple when you first bite it, followed up by the bite of the chili. The sweetness of this flavor makes it a great choice for kids, and it was excellent with tortilla chips; I ended up eating a lot more than I probably should have!

The jar is helpful as well, giving tops on how to rescue stale chips, as well as giving tips on other uses for the salsa, such as using it for grilling chicken, pork, or fish, or as a topping for burgers and hot dogs.

Overall, I was very impressed with the freshness of both salsas. To get yours, visit Fischer and Wieser’s Web site at the very easy-to-remember URL www.jelly.com.

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Christmas Songs by Ladywell Primary School and David Beggan in honor of Caden Beggan

January 13th, 2013 · Children's Charities

Back in November 2012, the students of Ladywell Primary School in Motherwell, Scotland decided to release a recording of O Holy Night for charity.

A pupil of the school, Caden Beggan was only six years old when he contracted to meningococcal septicaemis. Sadly, he succumbed to the disease on November 20.

90% of sales from the single will go to the Meningitis Research Foundation, while 10% will go to school funds. As of early December, the song had broken into the top 40 in the UK and had raised over $10,000.

Of course, watching the song on YouTube isn’t really going to help, so to purchase your copy, go to iTunes:

O Holy Night – O Holy Night – Single

In addition, Caden’s parents put up a touching tribute page on Facebook. Caden’s Dad David wrote and recorded a song in Caden’s memory which was released on December 9 called “Caden’s Song (My First Christmas).

All proceeds from the sales of the single will go to the hospital where a memorial fund has already been established in Caden’s name. You can download the song here:

Caden’s Song (My First Christmas) – Single – David Beggan & Union State

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Fierce Beauty: Photos of Lions and Tigers and other Wild Cats

January 10th, 2013 · Amazon, Animal Causes

Here’s a fantastic book to consider for a holiday gift. It’s Fierce Beauty: Preserving the World of Wild Cats.

This is a book that celebrates the beauty, power, and grace of the tigers, leopards, lions, ocelots, and other wild cats that inhabit the Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This facility is home to more than one hundred rare animals and stretched nearly twelve feet long to cheetahs capable of running seventy miles per hour.

The photographs in this book from  photographers Tim Flach and Barry Bland show these animals in a natural setting. In each of the more than 300 pictures, you can see their beautiful form as well as get a hint of their distinctive personalities. The photos range from playful to tender to imposing moments.There are also essays from animal rights luminaries from TV personality Jim Fowler to Dakota Zoo director Terry Lincoln, as well as a foreword by renowned actor Robert Duvall.

Proceeds from the book help fund the preservation efforts of the Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (TIGERS).

 

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Book Pillow from India

January 5th, 2013 · Developing Areas

Last month, we highlighted two great products from Levenger, an iPad sleeve and an iPad stand. Funny thing about the iPad stand; I actually went on vacation to Indonesia and had a chance to lie my head on a Thai pillow that looked just like it in a beach bale on the beaches of Bali.

Here’s yet another great iPad holder, this one in the shape of a traditional pillow made by artisans in India.

ipad pillow

 

If you compare my pillow to the one displayed on Levenger’s product page, you’ll see that it has a completely unique design. This is because like the other artisan-made products we’ve seen from Levenger, these are handcrafted. In this case, artisans in rural India make these fabrics using the ancient technique of hand-carved woodblocks, and then joining the fabrics together using a traditional stitch known as kantha, and then layered onto a second fabric for form and texture.

The pillow is exceptionally comfortable when lying in your lap. If you thought the days of “curling up with a good book” were over when you bought your iPad or Kindle or Android tablet, think again. This pillow is lightweight and can sit on your lap for hours.

Notice how the iPad fits subtly into a flap in the pillow, but if you take the iPad out you hardly notice the flap. So if you like, you can also use the pillow as a decorative throw pillow; it’s just as comfortable to rest your head as it is your iPad.

Aside from helping to support artisan communities in rural India, a portion of profits will also be donated to a literacy group that reaches the rural communities of India.

 

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Goat's Milk Soap from Nourish – All Natural, Handmade, Allergy-Free Soap

December 31st, 2012 · Children's Charities

By far the most fragrant package to arrive on my door this holiday season was a box from Nourish Natural Bath Products.

My skin is the most sensitive of just about anyone I know. If I put on so much as a thin layer of sunscreen or deodorant, I’ll get a bad rash and itch for weeks. What’s worse is that during the winter months I tend to suffer from extreme dry skin. But most lotions out there are filled with all kinds of chemicals and preservatives. And so I tend to have to suffer through the winter months. Worse, the last two weeks I went on vacation to Indonesia, where I got a bad sun allergy, so I need to be very careful of what I put on my skin so as to not make it worse.

Even if you don’t have allergies to chemicals, sulfates, detergents, and other nasty things you find in soap these days, think about what those things can do to your body over the long term of being exposed every single day. It’s a crime, especially considering that nature gives us natural moisturizing oils and butters that work better than chemicals, are better for your health, and better for the environment.

This is why I was very happy to hear about Nourish soap. Their story on their Web site is a classic story of the good old American entrepreneurial spirit. It’s the story of a mother who started making natural soaps for her family and turned it into a retail business which continues to be run by her daughter and son-in-law.

I had the pleasure of trying a sample of their Orange and Tangerine Goat’s Milk Soap and their Lavender and Rosemary Goat’s Milk Soap. You can tell right away that the soap is hand-made from natural ingredients, wrapped in eco-friendly paper.

handmade soap

The soap right away looked a lot higher quality than what you find in the supermarket or drug store. It almost had the hardness and consistency of a good cheese, and it smelled absolutely wonderful.

When I used the soap, it worked into a rich lather. And unlike the greasy, chemical film I feel after washing with regular soap, my skin felt great afterwards, with no adverse effects to my skin.

What is exceptionally cool about this soap is the story of how the company procures the goat’s milk with which to make the soap. They teamed up with Bethesda Academy, an award-winning school for boys grades 6-12, whose students raise Nigerian Dwarf Goats on their organic farm. The milk from the goats is provided to Nourish, who uses it with organic coconut oil, olive oil, and shea butter to make their luxurious all-natural soap. $1 of every soap bar sold is donated back to Bethesda Academy.

While $7 for a bar of soap may seem excessive, the benefits to your skin health, to the environment, to a world-class school for boys, and to a company that still believes in the highest quality makes this one of the best purchases you’ll make all year.

 

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Durable Rubber Ball for Dogs

December 30th, 2012 · Animal Causes

From the good folks at Planet Dog comes the Orbee-Tuff Glow for Good Ball.

rubber ball for dogs

It’s a 3″ ball (about the size of a baseball) that’s made of doggie-durable silicone. It is really, really bouncy–when I drop it on the ground it bounces back up almost all the way to where it started. If you have a dog that loves to run and chase balls, this one is sure to keep your dog entertained for a long time.

Not only that, it even has a nice minty flavor, so while your dog is chewing and slobbering all over it, he may even get some fresher breath out of it. There’s a little hole in the ball where like a Kong Toy you can put a doggie treat in to get your dog to spend hours and hours trying to get it out. I’d always thought it was cruel and unusual punishment to make it so hard for doggie to get a treat this way, but my sister (who’s a veterinarian) says that these kinds of toys actually provide good mental stimulation for dogs and helps them make use of their hunting instincts (check out the Orbee-Tuff Mazee for an especially great brain teaser for dogs).

The ball even glows in the dark–like any old glow-in-the-dark toy you can hold it up to a light for a few minutes and then toss it around in the dark, to make it easier for doggie to find at night. Like all Planet Dog toys, it’s non-toxic. The ball also seems pretty indestructible–Planet Dog even has a guarantee that reads “Did you know a dog has 42 teeth? Even so, we guarantee our product 100%. We’re that sure.” To clean it, just wash it well in some soapy water and it’ll come out just like new each time.

If you haven’t shopped at Planet Dog before, be sure to check them out. These aren’t your typical generic Hartz dog toys or Purina dog snacks. They’re ingenious, high-quality, and in many cases made in the USA products that will wow the most discriminating dog lover in your life.

While 2% of all Planet Dog purchases go to the Planet Dog Foundation which funds the training, placement, and support of dogs helping people in need, 100% of proceeds from this ball will go to the Foundation.

I also got a kick out of this sticker. No doubt you’ve seen those oval stickers on the backs of cars on the highways where the car owner wants to tell you what country he and his car have been in (a bit pretentious if you ask me). Well, Planet Dog sells a sticker that will let you tell the world where your allegiances lie.

woof sticker for car

For his first Christmas, I decided to give the Planet Dog ball to my sister’s new puppy Clancy. One thing you should know about Clancy is that no dog toy escapes his jaws. Here is a graveyard of dog toys that’s he’d gone through in just the last couple of weeks:

doggie toy graveyard

A moment of silence for Stuffed Porcupine, Honking Pig, Mr. Bill, Gumby (notice how his hands are chewed off), Rope Toy, and Stuffed Horse.

So my sister was happy that Clancy finally had a toy that was virtually indestructible. You can see a video of Clancy opening his Christmas present like a kid of Christmas morning and then instantly loving it.

Clancy then proceeded to play with the ball for a good half hour. For those who can’t get enough of ol’ Clancy, here are more videos of him playing with the ball in the dark, as well as somehow figuring out a way to get a treat from inside the ball.

From the looks of it, this tough ball is going to last a long, long time. Thanks to Planet Dog for doing the impossible: making a Clancy-proof toy!

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John Travolta and Olivia Newton John's Reunion Album for Charity: This Christmas

December 25th, 2012 · Children's Charities

I admit, there was a time when I was mildly obsessed with finding some YouTube clips of John Travolta and Olivia Newton John performing together again. Their chemistry in 1978’s Grease was  one of the best in musicals of that era, not to mention the chemistry and fun of the case, and both of course went on to be superstars, and then settle into pretty successful careers later in life. Even if Travolta’s name was someone associated with some bizarre headlines from time to time, in the back of your mind fans of the movie tend to hope in their heart that a little Sandy and Danny lived on in Olivia and John after all the years.

I was happy to find this YouTube clip of not just Olivia Newton and John Travolta performing “Summer Nights”, but also a lot of members of the original cast joining in. This was from a concert in Argentina a few years ago.

I was even happier to hear that the two had reunited this year to release This Christmas – John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John (iTunes Links) (Amazon Link). It’s a collection of Christmas favorites such as “Baby It’s Cold Outside” to “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” to “Deck the Halls”. There’s also a new track called “I Think You Might Like It” that is sort of the metaphysical sequel to “You’re the One That I Want”.

I’ll be honest–a lot of critics have panned the album and good. But most of those are young whippersnappers to whom things like gas lines, cold wars, and bellbottom shorts are alien concepts. For the rest of us who were born in 60’s and earlier, chances are you’re going to enjoy it, if only as a way to smile that Danny and Sandy live on in some way.

All proceeds from the album are going to the Jett Travolta Foundation, honoring Travolta’s late son by assisting and providing relief to children with vision, hearing, mobility, communication, behavior learning impairments or other special medical, environmental, health or educational needs; and the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Center which provides world-class cancer clinical care, the latest technology, and access to leading health professionals to Newton’s home of Melbourne, Australia

 

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