Charitable Gift Giving

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

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Newman's Own Charity Products

September 28th, 2008 · Amazon

Last Friday, the world lost a great actor, director, and humanitarian Paul Newman. I was privileged enough to see Mr. Newman on Broadway a few years ago in Thorton Wilder’s “Our Town”, and of course am a big fan of his movies. His departure leaves an awful big hole in Hollywood. We will miss him.

But one bright spot that Mr. Newman left behind was the company he and his friend author A.E. Hotchner founded in 1982, called “Newman’s Own”. He started out selling salad dressing made from his very own recipe, and then pasta sauce, lemonade, popcorn, cookies, and dozens of other great products, all with premium quality.

100% of his proceeds, after taxes, went to different charities, so many so that as of this year, the organization has doled out more than $250 million in donations. While we mourn the loss of Paul Newman, it’s wonderful that this idea he had “on a lark” has turned out to be part of a phenomenal legacy.

A great gift idea is to take an old empty gift basket and fill it with Newman’s Own products which you can purchase from your local grocery store or online. Here’s a widget of items available on Amazon.

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Children's book about baseball from Jorge Posada

September 26th, 2008 · Amazon, Children's Charities

jorge posada children's bookRegardless of whether you love the Yankees or hate them (and chances are you fall under one of those two categories), one thing that everyone can agree on is that catcher Jorge Posada is just a decent fellow.This children’s book, written by Jorge himself, is based on his childhood. He tells the story of a young boy is taught how to be a switch-hitter from his father, how during a visit to New York he dreams one day of playing at Yankee Stadium, and living through the challenges and triumphs of playing ball.Beautfully illustrated, this is a great gift for any young baseball fan that teaches a lot about baseball and about life.A portion of the proceeds of this book will beneþt the Jorge Posada Foundation, the charity that Posada and his wife started to help find a cure for craniosynostosis, a condition that occurs in one of every 2000-3000 births where the infant’s skull does not form properly, requiring extensive surgery.

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Free Cold Stone Creamery Ice Cream on 9/25/08

September 24th, 2008 · Make-A-Wish Foundation

ice cream social

Take someone you care about out for ice cream on 9/25/08 from 5 PM to 8 PM. That’s when Cold Stone Creamery will be holding the 7th Annual “World’s Largest Ice Cream Social” at participating Cold Stone Creamery locations nationwide.

Guests will be treated to a 3 oz. serving of Jack or Emily’s Creation. They’ll be collecting donations,which will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

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Congratulations Gift Basket that helps support relief efforts in Kenya

September 22nd, 2008 · Amazon

congratulations gift basketKenya is a country suffering from the scourge of AIDS. Sadly, the ones who suffer the most are children who are orphaned.

This Congratulations Gift Basket is an amazing gift for several reasons.

First, a full 50% of your purchase price goes to support the Kenya AIDS Intervention/Prevention Project Group (www.kaippg.org).

Second, the gift baskets are assembled with true “fair trade” principles, which support local artisans in the Kamba and Turkana tribes in Africa who create the artwork, and the growers who use sustainable farming practices.

The congratulations gift basket comes with a fantastic amount of things:

  • Three flavors of Zawadi African Tea (Jambo! Pure Black, Safari Spiced Chai, and Karibu Spiced Chai). Zawadi African Tea from Kenya is new to America and harvested from the bud of the tea plant creating a rich top-grade tea full of antioxidants with half the caffeine of coffee.
  • a Tea Strainer
  • Wooden Book Ends
  • Letter Opener
  • Giraffe Box carved by the Kamba Tribe

It’s a great way to say “congratulations” to anyone in your life with a truly special and meaningful gift.

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Shop for a Cause at Macy's

September 20th, 2008 · Macys

If you’re reading this on Saturday, September 20, 2008 you’re in luck! For today and today only, Macy’s is holding their Shop for a Cause promotion.

Save 20% when you add a $5 Shop For A Cause online ticket to your shopping bag at Macys.com. If you’ve been in the market for a big ticket item, today’s your chance to save big and help a great cause too.

Just click through the links above for more details.

macys.com - 9.20 - 9.20

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Amazing Collection of Classic Soul Music on CD

September 18th, 2008 · Uncategorized

The Immortal Soul – Essential Recordings’ Compilation Music CD is an amazing collection for anyone who loves soul music, or R&B.

It’s a handpicked collection of the golden age of R&B and soul which musically traces the history of R&B and soul music from its gospel roots. It’s an amazingly comprehensive collection with artists ranging from Ray Charles to the Isley Brothers to James Brown to the Staple Singers to Gladys Knight to Bill Withers. This is probably one of the most authoritative collections of the old greats I’ve ever seen.

And through 12/31/2008, not a portion, but 100% of album proceeds helps youth music education programs in under-served communities: Scholarship Audition Performance Preparatory Academy (LA); Merit School of Music (Chicago); and Opus 118 Harlem School of Music (NY).

Get a great compilation and inspire the next generation of great artists at the same time.

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Cute Children's Book: Ladybug Baby Bug

September 16th, 2008 · Amazon, America's Second Harvest

ladybug baby bugJanice and Mark Perkins are retired grandparents who had a lifelong dream of writing, illustrating and publishing a children’s book. This is their first effort, Ladybug Baby Bug. In it, they tell the story of how Ladybug Baby Bug spends her day, from her breakfast of French Toast to getting a bottle from Da-Da, playing with her sister Sissy, get rocked by Na-Na, taking a walk with her grandfather and meeting her friends along the way, coloring with Brother Bug, before ending the day with loving thoughts of her whole family. It’s a beautifully written, beautifully illustrated book that young children will love and want to read over and over. Read the reviews on Amazon, and you’ll see how many people think how adorable it is.

Janice and Mark Perkins are donating a very large portion of their proceeds to the Mid-Ohio Food Bank, a member of America’s Second Harvest, in thanks for the many blessings they have received over their lives.

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Lip Butter that helps charity

September 14th, 2008 · The Body Shop

lip butterIs there a woman in your life or are you one that would love to have soft and luxuriously smooth lips? This Guarana Berry MTV Lip Butter from The Body Shop is an all-natural product that includes paulinia cupana seed extract which improves the skin, shea butter for softening effect, and organic beeswax to seal in moisture (and furthermore is a fair use product that helps workers in developing countries).

Proceeds from the sale will be donated to the MTV Staying Alive Foundation, which helps young people become involved in bringing awareness to HIV and AIDS prevention and education.

Buy it along with other great charitable gifts from the Body Shop, and put it all together in a lovely gift bag from The Body Shop, which ALSO goes to support a great cause, Stop Violence in the Home Foundation.

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I Am Powerful T-Shirt from CARE

September 12th, 2008 · CARE International

CARE is a charity that fights poverty around the world, with a special focus on empowering women, often in the most oppressive areas, with the resources and the confidence to help their families and their communities break out of the poorest conditions in the world.  In recent months, CARE has been in the war-ravaged areas of Georgia, in the aftermath of the devastating cyclone in Myanmar, and hunger in areas from Haiti to Malawi.

CARE has gone to the most desperate places in the world to help provide fundamental education, protect natural resources, prevent the spread of AIDS, provide access to clean water and clean sanitation, and improve economic opportunities.  They also provide aid to areas devastated by natural disasters and war so that people can rebuild their lives.

CARE launched a public awareness campaign called “I Am Powerful”. Give a woman in your life a beautiful gift by making a donation in her name and giving her this I Am Powerful Women’s T-Shirt that describes the mission of CARE in this powerful phrase.

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National Geographic's Inside 9/11 DVD Set

September 10th, 2008 · National Geographic

Commemorative Edition of Inside 9/11 DVD Set
National Geographic has produced this Commemorative Edition of the Inside 9/11 DVD Set.  Produced in 2006, it looks back at what led up to September 11, from the terrorists’ beginnings, to the immediate aftermath of September 11. The documentary has been lauded by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times as a powerful and visually stunning recounting of the awful events.

In this special “commemorative edition” are also two additional full-length programs. One, called “Through These Eyes” is a recounting of how National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry documented the aftermath of September 11 in the streets of New York. “Witness 9/11” is also a documentary collaboration between six filmmakers taking extraordinary footage of the events.

As horrible as that day’s events were, we owe it to the victims, to our country, and to ourselves never to forget. Never forget how angry you were at the sheer evil and despicable inhumanity of those evildoers who planned and carried out this mass murder. Never forget how unified we were as a country in the days afterwards as we healed as one. Never forget the heroism of our brave men and women in uniform. Never forget the promise you made to yourself in the days following 9/11 to volunteer, to help others, to give blood, and to fight back evil with good.

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