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3 People Who Inspire Me to Give

Do you ever find yourself being overwhelmed at the great need in the United States, and truly the whole world? I do. I look for ways to help meet the needs of those who are less fortunate that I am. Sometimes I think of great ideas on my own. But often, I don’t have time to sit and brainstorm ideas for giving. Scrolling on facebook or receiving recommendations from friends and family often leads to amazing ideas that inspire. Today I want to share with you about 3 People Who Inspire Me to Give. And, of course, how you can join in and help with their causes as well!

3 People Who Inspire Me To Give

The Birthday Party Project

First, I love the idea of The Birthday Party Project. Founded by Paige Chenault, the Birthday Party Project throws Birthday Parties for kids who often never have a birthday party, homeless kids. In most cases, I think we don’t often think about these kids and their lack of a birthday party. I love throwing birthday parties for my kids and grandkids, and you can read about my latest Unicorn Party for my granddaughter here. I know my granddaughter will have one or more birthday celebrations thrown in her honor every year of her life. But that is not the case for the homeless and those in foster care.

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I remember back when I adopted my kids out of foster care. Some had experienced homelessness. Some had never had birthday parties. It broke my heart. I remember my oldest son asking me on his first Christmas in our home how long he would be able to keep his new bike. He thought it would stay with me when he moved to the next house. That is not the way life should be. Kids should be celebrated, showered with love, and given memories that they can keep for a lifetime.

The Birthday Party Project throws birthday parties for kids in homeless shelters on a monthly basis. They have already celebrated 8,500 birthdays with 50,000 kids! That is very exciting to me! On their website you can make donations and learn of volunteer opportunities where you can go and help throw the party. What a great way to spend an afternoon!

3 People Who Inspire Me To Give

I Support the Girls

Another charity I learned of from my friend LeAnne is I Support the Girls. I love that the name is a play on words. LOL. When LeAnne sent the link to a video about the charity I could hardly contain my enthusiasm. I Support the Girls was founded by Dana Marlow when she changed bra sizes and asked a store clerk what to do with the old bras. The clerk mentioned that homeless women need bras, and a genius idea was sparked!

Dana Marlow founded I Support the Girls and now accepts donations of new or gently used bras, as well as sealed feminine protection items. She and her team distribute them primarily in the US to the homeless, but also during natural disasters such as severe fires, and flooding. Anyone who has ever purchased a bra or feminine protection knows that it can be very, very expensive. Now consider how expensive it would be if you were out of work or homeless. It then becomes a luxury item. A luxury many homeless women simply cannot afford.

Since 2015 I support the Girls has distributed 500,000 bras and 2.5 million hygiene products. But with over 180,000 women finding themselves homeless in the US alone, there is so much more to do. If you have gently used bras or unused hygiene products, visit the I support the Girls website to learn how to send them in and get them distributed to those in need. Or, consider making a financial donation to help this amazing cause.

3 People Who Inspire Me To Give

The Give Back Box

In the US, consumerism is going strong and we often end up buying more than we need. Because of this, American households are filled to the brim which is one of the reasons that decluttering and home organization, as well as self-storage are huge industries. When I visited the Give Back Box website, I learned that it is estimated that 11 million tons of clothes, footwear, and household textiles are put into landfills each year. That is a lot of stuff going into the dump. And much of it could be used by someone in need.

Monika Wiela founded The Give Back Box and is helping reduce items being put into landfills and support the homeless and those in need. So, how does it work? Many retailers have partnered with The Give Back Box to send shipping return labels directed to the Give Back box or other charities. Once customers receive their items, they can fill the box with items no longer needed in their home and ship them to Give Back Box.

If you are like me, and always decluttering your home, you can go to the Give Back Box website, contribute $15 and print a shipping label to send items to the charity of our choice. There are many great programs listed, but I must say I was excited to learn that I Support The Girls, which I shared about above,  is one of the partner organizations! So, when you purchase new bras from Amazon, Victoria’s Secret, or anywhere, you can then ship your gently used bras to I Support the Girls!

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Do You Have Things To Give?

The Give Back Box website shares that the average home in the United Sates has over $7,000 worth of unwanted items lingering about. Imagine how wonderful your home would feel if 1/3 of unwanted useful items in your home were removed. And not just removed, but given to those who are so very much in need. Truly it is a win-win situation!

So these three organizations have truly inspired me to do more with what I have. And to share more with those in need, and to think outside the box when it comes to giving. What are your favorite organizations or who are the people that inspire you the most? I would love to hear about your giving ideas in the comments.

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